Construction Disputes

Construction disputes involve disputes about construction works, in contrast to say property disputes, which are principally disputes over rights in / over property (e.g. ownership and rights of way).

Construction disputes usually involve breaches of one or more contracts. Often the remedy is in monetary damages by way of compensation. Construction projects are set up around multiple contracts, either in standard form or as bespoke agreements. They can range from detailed building contracts to short form Terms & Conditions.

Common types of construction disputes involve allegations that works are defective, have not been done, are in delay, have been incorrectly valued or unlawfully suspended. It is often the case that expert evidence is needed in order to support or counter a claim made, because the core issues are frequently expert ones.

Get in touch

Get in touch using the contact form below, calling us on 0204 579 8686 or emailing us at contactus@ridgemont.co. 

Delay disputes usually mean that the contractually agreed date for completion of the works is going to be or has been missed. Depending on whose fault that is, the agreed date is either adjusted (moved forward) or it remains as it is, and either the party whose works are in issue is penalised in damages, or it is not and it may be compensated for its costs incurred in completing the works late.  The term critical path is often heard in delay disputes. The critical path is the sequence of works activities across the project that alone impacts on the completion date of the works and that path can be shown on a programme.

Construction disputes can be extremely complex not least because construction projects themselves can be complex. There is a specialist court that deals with such disputes called the Technology & Construction Court (TCC). However, construction disputes are often dealt with instead by way of Adjudication, a rapid 28 day process.

Construction disputes routinely involve more than 2 parties. That reflects the fact that construction projects involve a long supply chain of works, services and materials, with 1 party’s role in that chain impacting on and being impacted by a number of other parties.

Why Ridgemont?

Ridgemont’s team is made up of expert senior solicitors, all of whom previously worked in “Big Law” (i.e. the top 50 law firms in the UK).

We provide bespoke advice tailored to your needs.  Our advice is commercial and pragmatic, enabling you to use it effectively to make business decisions.

We have an expert understanding of construction law. We can guide you through the maze of construction disputes.

We are user-friendly.  Our lawyers speak in plain English, providing service levels akin to “Big Law”. We have built our processes to make onboarding as pain-free as possible. Our fee earner structure means that you have access to a partner-level solicitor at all times and they will always be on top of your matter.

We operate our business in an ethical way.  That means we think about what the “right thing to do” is when making a business decision.  As an example, we do not charge a default unit of time for incoming emails or letters as we think we ought to be paid for work done, not for merely receiving correspondence. We are also open and transparent on what we charge, meaning our clients never receive a surprising invoice.

We provide “Big Law” service levels and quality of advice, with expert senior solicitors providing commercial, pragmatic advice. Necessarily, that does not come cheap as we have to invest in great lawyers and everything they need to do their job. However, due to us having comparatively lower overheads to “Big Law” firms, we are able to charge less than they would for providing the same service levels and advice.

We are proactive in finding innovative ways to advise our clients in a cost proportionate way.

Who we act for?

We act for developers, contractors, sub-contractors, professionals and investors across a range of sectors from residential to retail.

Your journey with us

1. Get in touch using the contact form below, calling us on 0203 909 9590 or emailing us at contactus@ridgemont.co
2. We guarantee that we will be in touch with you the same day to listen to your needs and to explain how we can help and the likely cost.
3. Assuming you wish to engage us, we will then onboard you as a client, which normally takes a matter of hours.
4. From there, you will be assigned an experienced solicitor who will have conduct of your matter from cradle to grave and be available to speak to you and responsive to emails at every juncture.

You can learn more about our journey by watching these videos.