Joint Ownership & Property Disputes for Conveyancers: Protect Your Client’s Position

Introduction

With rising property prices, it’s becoming increasingly common for people to buy property jointly. However, this trend brings new legal and practical challenges, particularly when relationships break down or circumstances change.

Conveyancers are often asked to advise on joint ownership at the time of purchase, only to be called upon later when clients are in dispute or no longer wish to co-own the property. In many cases, insufficient documentation or unclear intentions at the outset create major problems down the line.

This live and interactive session will explore the key risks, legal tools, and practical steps conveyancers can take to protect their clients — and themselves — using real-life, tested solutions.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• A brief recap of the fundamentals of joint ownership
• Legal vs beneficial ownership
• Joint tenants vs tenants in common
• Severance and what it really means
• Taking clear and defensible instructions
• Questions to ask to uncover future risk
• Handling sensitive personal dynamics
• Recording instructions effectively
• Drafting the right documentation
• Declarations of trust: when and how
• Completing Form JO (and common mistakes)
• What to include in the transfer itself
• Using restrictions to protect interests
• Practical use of Form A and Form B restrictions
• How and when to register them
• Interplay with Land Registry practice
• Key case law update
• Recent decisions involving co-ownership disputes
• Lessons learned and how to apply them in practice

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.