Services - Litigation

Sometimes people find themselves faced with a situation where a dispute is unavoidable. This can be difficult and stressful and you may need assistance to resolve the issue. If you find yourself with the need to raise a Court action, or if you are in a position where you need to defend one, we can help.

Dispute Resolution

Our team can advise you as early as possible with a view to avoiding the dispute escalating and the parties finding themselves involved in a court action.

Some of the situations where our team can help are as follows:

• Difficulties arising with contractors, for example, during a building project or development of a property;
• Recovery of unpaid money due to you, whether a personal or business debt;
• Disputes relating to land, land ownership or land usage;
• Disputes arising from executry estates;
• Allegations of professional negligence;
• A court action is raised against you and you need to defend yourself;
• Urgent action is required to prevent damage to your property or financial interests.

Raising a Court Action

If the dispute cannot be resolved without an action being raised, our team has experience of doing this both the Court of Session in Edinburgh and in Sheriff Courts across Scotland.

Based in Edinburgh, we are well placed to instruct Advocates to appear on your behalf in the Court of Session or Sheriff Court, or we can represent you ourselves in the Sheriff Court, if required.

We also have contacts across Scotland and can instruct local Solicitors to appear on your behalf, if that is appropriate.

It is important to bear in mind the deadlines for raising court proceedings.Please do contact us as soon as possible to discuss these matters fully with our legal team.

Out of Court Settlement

In some situations, negotiating an out of court settlement can be beneficial to you.It not only avoids the stressful and sometimes upsetting experience of attending court and giving evidence, but it can also be a more economical way to proceed.

If you find yourself in a dispute, we will advise on whether an out of court settlement is something to be considered, the appropriate level of settlement and at what stage we should commence negotiations.

Mediation

Sometimes it may be appropriate for your dispute to be referred to mediation. During this process, a trained mediator will liaise with the involved parties to try and achieve an outcome which is satisfactory for everyone.

Our litigation team will work with you to achieve the outcome you want in the most efficient, cost effective and least stressful way possible.

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Sarah Chilton Associate

sarah.chilton@murraybeith.co.uk

Sarah is an Associate in the Employment Group, where she advises a range of clients on both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters.

Having specialised in employment law since qualifying, Sarah has experience in all areas of employment law, advising employees and employers and representing both in the Employment Tribunal, where necessary. She is committed to working with her clients to achieve workable, practical solutions for them and tailored to their needs.

With the team at Murray Beith Murray, Sarah regularly delivers training seminars to employers to keep them up to date with current developments in employment law and more specific training on some of the more complex areas of law affecting employers.

Sarah is a dual qualified solicitor, qualified in Scotland and England and Wales and can advise clients on all aspects of employment law throughout the UK. She is a member of the Employment Law Group and the Employment Lawyers Association.

Sarah also deals with other types of disputes, including contentious executries, debt recovery, contractual disputes and property matters. She represents clients in both the Court of Session in Edinburgh, and in Sheriff Courts throughout Scotland.

Areas of work

• Employment law
• HR advisory and compliance
• Discrimination law
• Employment contracts and policies
• Dispute resolution

Dawn Robertson Partner

dawn.robertson@murraybeith.co.uk

Dawn heads up the Employment and Litigation teams within the firm, advising a cross-section of clients.

Dawn is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in employment law. She has extensive experience of advising and training employers on HR issues and regularly represents clients in tribunal. In litigation, Dawn adopts a practical approach to the dispute, looking for inventive and pragmatic solutions wherever possible.

Dawn is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association, the Employment Law Group and a graduate member of the British Psychological Society.

Areas of work

• Employment law
• Discrimination law
• Guardianship applications
• Debt recovery
• Contentious executries
• Commercial/contract disputes
• Property disputes