--- title: "FAQ - Chris Clayton - Commercial & Property Dispute Lawyer in the UK" description: "For business owners, directors and shareholders who need clarity and a workable outcome. Not years of litigation and spiralling legal costs." url: "https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/faq" date: "2026-08-11T12:40:55+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- ## I’m sure you have a lot of questions Most people considering a disputes solicitor are struggling with overload and confusion. To make things a little easier for you, this page covers my most frequently asked questions. Got more questions? [Book a free 30-minute call ](https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/bookwithme/user/bdd9f5fae2664741bd2cc528421a60b6%40rmclayton.co.uk?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled) [Send me a message ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/contact) ![Property and Dispute Law FAQ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/mobile-hero-bg/faq.webp) #### Direct, expert advice #### Strategic guidance #### Practical solutions ### 01 About working with me ![UK Property and Dispute Law - Chris Clayton](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/faq/about-working-with-chris-clayton.webp) No. The first 30-minute call is free, confidential, and carries no obligation either way. You tell me what’s going on, I give you advice on where you stand and what your options are, and you decide whether you want to take it further. A fair number of those calls end with me telling the person they don’t actually need a lawyer. That’s fine. You leave the conversation knowing more than you did when you started it. If the call runs over 30 minutes, don’t worry, that happens. I won’t start charging until you formally instruct me. Me, directly, every step. I’m the person who takes the calls, writes the letters, reviews the documents, takes the strategic decisions with you, and appears in court if it gets that far. I'm based in Cumbria, and work remotely with clients across the UK. Most of our work together will be done by telephone, video call and email. This is usually faster and more convenient for everyone. However, when an in-person meeting would be genuinely useful, we can arrange one. SMEs, owner-managed businesses, directors, shareholders, partners and individuals with commercial or property disputes. The size of the business matters less than the type of dispute. If your problem falls within commercial or property disputes, it's likely something I can help with. ### 02 About cost ![UK Property and Dispute Law FAQ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/faq/commercial-and-property-dispute-laywer-costs-uk.webp) My hourly rate is £300 plus VAT. I’ll quote a fixed cost for defined pieces of work and stick to it. For work where the next step depends on what the other side does, I’ll quote each phase clearly before it starts. No. The clock never starts on anything without you knowing first. However, I'll be straight with you. Some stages are genuinely hard to fix in advance, because so much depends on how the other side responds. For example, if I send a letter of claim, I can't know what comes back until it arrives or whether it will take an hour or half a day. Where work depends on the other party like that, I'll give you a clear range rather than a false promise, and quote the next stage properly as soon as I can. Honestly, almost never, because the next phase of a dispute usually depends on what the other side does, and I can't quote for work I haven't seen yet. What I can do is quote each phase clearly before it begins. That gives you predictable costs in chunks you can plan around, rather than a single number that turns out to be wishful thinking three months in. Most SME disputes shouldn't be litigated, even when the client can afford it. The mediation-led approach exists exactly to avoid that bill. If budget is a real constraint, tell me on the first call, and we'll build the strategy around it. Sometimes the right answer is a strong letter and an early conversation about settlement, sometimes it's mediation, and sometimes it's not pursuing the dispute at all. Having a dispute doesn't mean you'll end up in court. We can mediate, arbitrate or negotiate, with tactical tools along the way to limit that risk as far as possible. No. The kinds of disputes I handle don't usually suit that model, and I'd rather offer you transparent pricing, clear scopes and fixed costs where possible than complicated fee arrangements that look attractive on the surface and create problems later. ### 03 About the process ![UK Property and Dispute Law FAQ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/faq/commercial-and-property-dispute-process-uk.webp) It depends on the type of dispute and how the other side responds. What I can say is before you can issue court proceedings, there's a pre-action period that typically takes a few months. From the point of issue to trial, an average dispute is around 18 months, and it can be longer for more complex cases. That timeline alone is one of the strongest arguments for an early resolution conversation. Two years from now, your reality will look very different. Settling sooner often makes more sense than being right later. You tell me what's going on. I'll ask questions to understand the situation, the people involved and what you actually want to achieve. By the end of the call, you'll have a sense of where you stand, what your realistic options are, and roughly what it would cost to take it forward. There's no pressure to instruct me at the end of the call. Take a day, take a week, or take it elsewhere, whichever you prefer. You'll get a client care letter outlining the scope of work and the cost. You'll be asked to complete ID checks, which we handle via a secure link so you can complete them on your phone in a few minutes. Once that's done, we open the file and start work. From that point on, you'll hear from me regularly as the case progresses, and you can reach me directly whenever you need to. In most cases, no barrister is needed. Because of my higher rights of audience qualification, I can appear in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in appropriate cases. For you, that usually means lower total costs and one consistent voice from the first letter to the final hearing. Where a barrister genuinely adds value, particularly in the most complex or highest-value cases, I'll recommend bringing one in. A regular solicitor has rights of audience in the lower courts, typically the County Court. A solicitor advocate has additional qualifications that grant rights in the higher courts, including the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In practice, it means I can take your case all the way through without handing it over to a barrister at the courtroom door. ### 04 About disputes themselves ![UK Property and Dispute Law FAQ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/faq/about-commercial-property-disputes-uk.webp) Mediation is a structured conversation between the parties in a dispute, led by a neutral third party (the mediator), aimed at finding a resolution both sides can live with. It's confidential, it's voluntary, and nothing said in mediation can be used in court if it fails. Unlike a judge, a mediator doesn't decide who's right. They help both sides see where the deal might be, and structure terms a court couldn't impose, like asset swaps, instalment buyouts, ongoing trading arrangements or anything else that fits the commercial reality. Court is a binary process. One side wins, the other side loses, the judge decides, and the loser usually pays the winner's costs. Mediation is the opposite. Both sides keep control of the outcome; the result is whatever you agree it is, and it's typically faster, cheaper and more flexible than litigation. Even in cases where you have a strong legal position, mediation often gets you a better commercial outcome than a courtroom would. Mediation needs willingness on both sides, so refusal is a real possibility. The courts take an increasingly dim view of unreasonable refusals to mediate, and there can be cost consequences for a party that won't engage. There are also other settlement routes that don't require formal mediation, including without prejudice negotiations and Part 36 offers. If formal mediation isn't available, the resolution-first approach doesn't disappear. "Without prejudice" is a legal protection that allows parties in a dispute to have honest settlement conversations without those conversations being used against them in court later. It's not magic, and putting the words in an email doesn't automatically protect it, but used properly, it's one of the most important tools in a dispute. More on this in my blog post, [here](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/blog/without-prejudice-what-it-means-and-what-it-doesnt). A dispute is a disagreement that needs to be resolved. Litigation is one specific way of resolving it, namely through the court system. It's an adversarial process where two competing versions of events are presented to a judge, who decides the outcome based on the evidence and the law. Litigation is one tool for resolving a dispute. For most SME and owner-managed clients, it shouldn't be the first one to be reached. ### 05 About me ![UK Property and Dispute Law FAQ](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/faq/about-chris-clayton-dispute-lawyer-in-the-uk.webp) I have two degrees, one in history and the other in law. I qualified as a solicitor in 2016, then as a solicitor advocate in 2020, and then as an accredited mediator in 2023. I've spent my career in commercial and property disputes, working at a range of firms across Cumbria and the North East. Anything outside commercial and property disputes. So no employment, no family, no criminal, no conveyancing, no wills, no probate. Even where a dispute looks superficially commercial, if it sits inside another specialism, I'll tell you and, where I can, point you towards someone who will handle it properly. Yes. I’m authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. My SRA number and full regulatory information are available in the footer below. ### Any more questions? **No problem at all. Book a free, confidential 30-minute call. You can talk to me about your problem, and I’ll listen and offer you helpful advice.** **There’s no obligation to go ahead. I just need to confirm I can help you before I put together a quote.** ### Book a free 30-minute call [![Book a free call with Chris Clayton](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/svg/arrow-white-circle.svg)](https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/bookwithme/user/bdd9f5fae2664741bd2cc528421a60b6%40rmclayton.co.uk?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled) ### Send Chris a message [![Send a message to Chris Clayton](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/images/main/svg/arrow-white-circle.svg)](https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/contact) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.rmclayton.co.uk" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "FAQ", "item": "https://www.rmclayton.co.uk/faq.md" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I have to commit to anything by booking the first call?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The first 30-minute call is free, confidential, and carries no obligation either way. You tell me what’s going on, I give you advice on where you stand and what your options are, and you decide whether you want to take it further.A fair number of those calls end with me telling the person they don’t actually need a lawyer. That’s fine. You leave the conversation knowing more than you did when you started it.If the call runs over 30 minutes, don’t worry, that happens. I won’t start charging until you formally instruct me." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will I be dealing with you directly, or be passed to someone else?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Me, directly, every step. I’m the person who takes the calls, writes the letters, reviews the documents, takes the strategic decisions with you, and appears in court if it gets that far." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where are you based, and do I need to be local?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "I'm based in Cumbria, and work remotely with clients across the UK. Most of our work together will be done by telephone, video call and email. This is usually faster and more convenient for everyone. However, when an in-person meeting would be genuinely useful, we can arrange one." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What kinds of clients do you typically work with?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "SMEs, owner-managed businesses, directors, shareholders, partners and individuals with commercial or property disputes. The size of the business matters less than the type of dispute. If your problem falls within commercial or property disputes, it's likely something I can help with." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much do you charge?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "My hourly rate is £300 plus VAT. I’ll quote a fixed cost for defined pieces of work and stick to it. For work where the next step depends on what the other side does, I’ll quote each phase clearly before it starts." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will I get a surprise bill?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The clock never starts on anything without you knowing first. However, I'll be straight with you. Some stages are genuinely hard to fix in advance, because so much depends on how the other side responds. For example, if I send a letter of claim, I can't know what comes back until it arrives or whether it will take an hour or half a day. Where work depends on the other party like that, I'll give you a clear range rather than a false promise, and quote the next stage properly as soon as I can." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you give me a fixed fee for the whole of my case?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Honestly, almost never, because the next phase of a dispute usually depends on what the other side does, and I can't quote for work I haven't seen yet. What I can do is quote each phase clearly before it begins. That gives you predictable costs in chunks you can plan around, rather than a single number that turns out to be wishful thinking three months in." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if I can't afford to litigate?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most SME disputes shouldn't be litigated, even when the client can afford it. The mediation-led approach exists exactly to avoid that bill. If budget is a real constraint, tell me on the first call, and we'll build the strategy around it. Sometimes the right answer is a strong letter and an early conversation about settlement, sometimes it's mediation, and sometimes it's not pursuing the dispute at all.Having a dispute doesn't mean you'll end up in court. We can mediate, arbitrate or negotiate, with tactical tools along the way to limit that risk as far as possible." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you offer no-win-no-fee?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The kinds of disputes I handle don't usually suit that model, and I'd rather offer you transparent pricing, clear scopes and fixed costs where possible than complicated fee arrangements that look attractive on the surface and create problems later." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long will my case take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It depends on the type of dispute and how the other side responds. What I can say is before you can issue court proceedings, there's a pre-action period that typically takes a few months. From the point of issue to trial, an average dispute is around 18 months, and it can be longer for more complex cases. That timeline alone is one of the strongest arguments for an early resolution conversation. Two years from now, your reality will look very different. Settling sooner often makes more sense than being right later." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens on the first call?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You tell me what's going on. I'll ask questions to understand the situation, the people involved and what you actually want to achieve. By the end of the call, you'll have a sense of where you stand, what your realistic options are, and roughly what it would cost to take it forward. There's no pressure to instruct me at the end of the call. Take a day, take a week, or take it elsewhere, whichever you prefer." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens after I instruct you?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You'll get a client care letter outlining the scope of work and the cost. You'll be asked to complete ID checks, which we handle via a secure link so you can complete them on your phone in a few minutes. Once that's done, we open the file and start work. From that point on, you'll hear from me regularly as the case progresses, and you can reach me directly whenever you need to." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will I need a barrister, or can you do everything yourself?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In most cases, no barrister is needed. Because of my higher rights of audience qualification, I can appear in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in appropriate cases. For you, that usually means lower total costs and one consistent voice from the first letter to the final hearing. Where a barrister genuinely adds value, particularly in the most complex or highest-value cases, I'll recommend bringing one in." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's the difference between a solicitor and a solicitor advocate?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A regular solicitor has rights of audience in the lower courts, typically the County Court. A solicitor advocate has additional qualifications that grant rights in the higher courts, including the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In practice, it means I can take your case all the way through without handing it over to a barrister at the courtroom door." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is mediation, and how does it actually work?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mediation is a structured conversation between the parties in a dispute, led by a neutral third party (the mediator), aimed at finding a resolution both sides can live with. It's confidential, it's voluntary, and nothing said in mediation can be used in court if it fails. Unlike a judge, a mediator doesn't decide who's right. They help both sides see where the deal might be, and structure terms a court couldn't impose, like asset swaps, instalment buyouts, ongoing trading arrangements or anything else that fits the commercial reality." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What’s the difference between mediation and going to court?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Court is a binary process. One side wins, the other side loses, the judge decides, and the loser usually pays the winner's costs. Mediation is the opposite. Both sides keep control of the outcome; the result is whatever you agree it is, and it's typically faster, cheaper and more flexible than litigation. Even in cases where you have a strong legal position, mediation often gets you a better commercial outcome than a courtroom would." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if the other side refuses to mediate?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mediation needs willingness on both sides, so refusal is a real possibility. The courts take an increasingly dim view of unreasonable refusals to mediate, and there can be cost consequences for a party that won't engage. There are also other settlement routes that don't require formal mediation, including without prejudice negotiations and Part 36 offers. If formal mediation isn't available, the resolution-first approach doesn't disappear." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What does “without prejudice” actually mean?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": ""Without prejudice" is a legal protection that allows parties in a dispute to have honest settlement conversations without those conversations being used against them in court later. It's not magic, and putting the words in an email doesn't automatically protect it, but used properly, it's one of the most important tools in a dispute. More on this in my blog post, here." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is litigation, and how is it different from a dispute?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A dispute is a disagreement that needs to be resolved. Litigation is one specific way of resolving it, namely through the court system. It's an adversarial process where two competing versions of events are presented to a judge, who decides the outcome based on the evidence and the law. Litigation is one tool for resolving a dispute. For most SME and owner-managed clients, it shouldn't be the first one to be reached." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What’s your background?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "I have two degrees, one in history and the other in law. I qualified as a solicitor in 2016, then as a solicitor advocate in 2020, and then as an accredited mediator in 2023. I've spent my career in commercial and property disputes, working at a range of firms across Cumbria and the North East." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What kinds of disputes do you turn away?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Anything outside commercial and property disputes. So no employment, no family, no criminal, no conveyancing, no wills, no probate. Even where a dispute looks superficially commercial, if it sits inside another specialism, I'll tell you and, where I can, point you towards someone who will handle it properly." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are you regulated by the SRA?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. I’m authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. My SRA number and full regulatory information are available in the footer below." } } ] } ```