Cunningtons LLP Solicitors in Brighton
31 Duke Street
Brighton & Hove
BN1 1AG
United Kingdom
Tel: 01273 725 229
Fax: 01273 779 758
There are times when we all need expert legal advice, and if you are moving house or need help with estate planning, the Brighton and Hove office of Cunningtons Solicitors is here for you
Since Senior Partner Jason Bradshaw opened our office in 2014, we’ve built on our heritage as one of England’s oldest law firms (established 1748) to become the trusted choice for South Coast residents. We realise that when you need experienced solicitors, you want more than just legal expertise – you also want a trusted partner who understands your circumstances and provides the professional service that comes from years of supporting local people through every legal milestone.
From our office in the Laines, we serve clients throughout Sussex, Hampshire, and Surrey, including Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Crawley, Horsham, Portsmouth, Chichester and beyond. Unlike many law firms who work as part of large national chains, we combine the personal touch of a local practice with the resources and expertise of an established legal firm – always with the same commitment to being your lawyers, for life.
Our office is known for exceptional service in residential conveyancing and property law for property transactions throughout Sussex and the South East, as well as Wills & Probate private client work. We also provide clients with access to a range of other legal services including family law and business law through our branch network, ensuring comprehensive legal support while maintaining the personal connection our clients value.
Jason Bradshaw: Senior Partner and Property Law Specialist
Heading our local office and residential conveyancing services
Jason embodies what ‘Your Lawyers. For Life.’ means in practice. As Cunningtons’ Senior Partner and head of our property law team, he’s one of the most experienced conveyancing solicitors on the South Coast, having guided hundreds of families through their most important property decisions – from young professionals keen to buy their first flat in Brighton, to growing families moving to homes away from the hubbub of the city.
Since opening our local office in 2014, Jason’s expertise in property law covers all aspects of residential property transactions, from freehold and leasehold purchases to remortgages, transfers of equity, and lease extensions. His approach combines technical excellence with a genuine understanding of the unique property market and what matters to local families at different stages of life. Jason’s professional service and reputation make him the trusted choice for property law throughout Sussex.
Jason graduated from Staffordshire University in 1993, and completed the Legal Practice course a year later.
He joined Cunningtons in 1997 as a trainee solicitor and qualified in 1999. He became a Partner with the firm in May 2002. He became the firm’s senior partner in 2018.
Jason is married with two children.
Telephone: 01273 725229
Read more about Jason on his Partner profile page here >>
Jensen Bourke: Private Client Specialist, Wills & Probate Expert
Your trusted guide for estate planning and probate matters
Jensen brings the professional service that makes ‘Your Lawyers. For Life.’ more than just a slogan. As one of our experienced private client specialists, he helps families along the South Coast protect what matters most – from young couples making their first Wills to families planning complex inheritance strategies.
Jensen’s expertise covers Will writing, probate, trusts, inheritance tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and estate administration. He understands that behind every legal document is a real family with hopes, concerns, and dreams for the future. His professional experience and reputation for expert legal advice make him the trusted choice for our clients’ estate planning needs.
Why Cunningtons?
- Fixed Legal Fees
- Personal Contact
- Local Branch
- National Coverage
- Contact by Phone or Email
- Great Reviews
- Expert Legal Advice
- Personal Service
- Award-winning Solicitors
- Conveyancing since 1748
- Specialist Conveyancers
- Initial Consultation: crucial for understanding your needs and tailoring our services for you.
Get In Touch
To talk to us about any of our legal services, just complete this email form so we can get back to you.
Legal Services at Cunningtons Solicitors in Brighton and Hove
Cunningtons solicitors in the Brighton and Hove office offer you a range of legal services, focusing on buying and selling Property. Our Private Client work offers Wills & Probate help.
Wills & Probate
Cunningtons Private Client services in Brighton are overseen by Jenson Bourke. He helps clients make sure their documents are correctly executed, giving them peace of mind that their affairs will be left in order and avoiding complex intestacy problems.
Residential Conveyancing
Jason Bradshaw, the Partner at the Brighton and Hove office looks after all aspects of residential property transactions from sale or purchase of both freehold and leasehold properties, re-mortgages, transfers of equity and agreed lease extensions.
Legal Guidance Throughout Life’s Journey …
🏠 When You’re Moving House
Your home is more than an investment property – it’s where your life happens.
Our conveyancing team understands that buying or selling your home isn’t just a transaction; it’s a major life moment. From first-time buyers taking their initial steps into the competitive world of home ownership to growing families needing more space deeper into Sussex and Surrey, our experienced solicitors have guided thousands of families through smooth, stress-free property moves with professional service you can trust.
- Fixed Legal Fees
- Easy, Fast Conveyancing Quotes
- Personal Contact
- Local Branch, No Call Centre
- National Coverage
- Specialist Property Law Solicitors
- Contact by Phone or Email
- Great Reviews
- Expert legal advice from experienced solicitors
- Award-winning Professional Service
- Property law expertise from Cunningtons (est. 1748)
Expert property law services →
📜 When You’re Planning Ahead
Protecting your – and your family’s – future is one of life’s most important responsibilities.
Our experienced solicitors help you plan with confidence – from writing your first Will to complex inheritance tax planning involving property portfolios. We make estate planning straightforward, ensuring your wishes are properly documented and your loved ones protected, with secure Will storage at our Duke Street offices. Our professional service and reputation for expert legal advice make us the trusted choice for all our clients.
Wills and estate planning services →
👨👩👧👦 When Family Life Changes
Relationships evolve, families grow, and sometimes circumstances change unexpectedly.
Through our network connection to our Essex branches, clients can access experienced solicitors who provide compassionate, practical guidance through marriage planning, divorce proceedings, child arrangements, and financial settlements. Our family law team understands that behind every case is a real family navigating important changes, often while dealing with complex property considerations and coastal lifestyle factors.
Our established network of experienced solicitors ensures you receive the same quality family law support and professional service, with the added benefit of local understanding when it comes to your property and personal circumstances.
⚖️ When Disputes Need Resolution
Life doesn’t always go smoothly, and sometimes disputes arise that need professional legal resolution.
Through our network of branches, we can provide robust representation for individuals and businesses across Sussex and the South when matters can’t be resolved through negotiation alone. This network approach means that you can easily get in contact with the perfect legal specialists to fight your corner.
Why Choose Cunningtons as Your Brighton Solicitors?
🏛️ Established Excellence in Brighton
Since moving to our current office in 2014, Cunningtons has carried on building our reputation as a trusted Brighton solicitor, combining our firm’s distinguished heritage with local knowledge of the South’s legal landscape and the needs of its community.
🤝 Personal Service from Your Local Law Firm
Unlike larger more impersonal law firms, we believe that legal advice should come from people who know you and understand your circumstances. As your local Brighton solicitors, our clients often work with the same legal professionals across multiple matters – that’s what genuine legal partnership looks like. The branch provides a speedy, efficient and friendly service that regularly wins awards and gets great reviews for its customer service.
🚶♀️ Legal Support Available When You Need It
Our branch on Duke Street provides immediate guidance for urgent queries, whilst our appointment system ensures you receive dedicated time for more complex legal matters. As experienced solicitors, we’re here when you need us.
💷 Transparent, Fair Legal Fees
Choosing solicitors shouldn’t mean worrying about hidden costs. We provide clear, upfront pricing across all our legal services – no hidden charges, no nasty surprises, just honest fees you can budget for from experienced solicitors near you, that you can trust.
Contact Cunningtons LLP to find out more, and get your private client or conveyancing quote Brighton and Hove.
We can rely on contact with experienced legal professionals in other offices of Cunningtons LLP Solicitors across the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that our Brighton branch gets asked: if you need an answer to a question that is not on this list, please contact us for an answer.
When should I make my Will?
You should make your Will as soon as you have anything worth leaving – which is earlier than most people think!
Key life moments like buying your first property, getting married, having children, starting a business, or receiving an inheritance should probably be followed by a revisit of your Will to make sure that it still reflects your intentions.
If you die without a valid Will, or ‘intestate’, the law decides who inherits your estate, and this may not reflect your wishes.
As a rule of thumb, if you’d worry about what happens to your possessions, your property, or your dependents if something happened to you tomorrow, it’s time to make your Will.
Do I need a solicitor if I’m buying property in Brighton – or anywhere else in England or Wales?
Legally, no – but practically, yes. Property transactions involve complex legal documents, searches, and regulations that can cost you thousands if handled incorrectly.
A good conveyancing solicitor protects you from legal problems, ensures that all the property is properly yours, handles all the paperwork, makes sure that all fees and taxes are paid correctly, and liaises with mortgage lenders, estate agents, and the other side’s solicitors.
The cost of professional conveyancing is small compared to the value of your property and the potential risks of getting it wrong. We provide fixed-fee conveyancing with no hidden costs – contact us at Cunningtons for a fast quote.
What legal documents should everyone have available and current?
Everyone should have an up-to-date Will, but there are other important documents to consider depending on where you are in life’s journey.
Essential documents include: a current Will, Lasting Powers of Attorney (for property/finance and health/welfare decisions if you are ever incapacitated), marriage certificates, property deeds, and insurance policies. Parents may need guardianship arrangements for children, whilst business owners should have partnership agreements and business insurance.
You should keep the originals of your key documents in a safe place and ensure that trusted family members know where to find them. We recommend reviewing these documents every few years or after major life changes.
What’s the difference between using a local and an online law firm?
The biggest difference you’ll find is in the relationship. With a local solicitor firm like Cunningtons, you’ll work with the same solicitor who knows your circumstances and can provide proper legal advice tailored to your specific situation.
A local solicitor, like Cunningtons in Brighton, is there when you need them – whether that’s for a quick phone call, or a face-to-face meeting at their offices. Online services are more impersonal, and using them often means speaking to someone different every time you call, and they’ll have limited local knowledge and no ongoing relationship with you.
When you’re dealing with important legal matters like buying a home or looking after your family, personal service and continuity matter.
Do I need a solicitor for my divorce?
While it’s possible to handle straightforward divorces yourself, most people benefit from getting professional legal advice – especially when there are children, property, or pensions involved.
Talking to a family law solicitor means that your financial settlement is fair, your parental rights are protected, and any other complex legal aspects are handled correctly. Cunningtons’ Family Law team often see people who started DIY divorce proceedings but needed legal help when complications arose.
What’s living in Brighton like?
Tom Dyckhoff wrote about Brighton in his Let’s Move To … column in The Guardian in June 2019:
What’s going for it?
Aside from the fact that it is on a coastline at the end of the country, threatened by sea level rise and postglacial rebound, Brighton is possibly the best place in the UK from which to fight the climate crisis. Calm down, Bristol, European Green Capital 2015: yes, you are incredibly woke, too. Only, you are not home to the UK’s first (and still only) Green party MP, Saint Caroline Lucas, or the UK’s highest number of Green councillors – 19, as of May’s elections. The Greens also topped the polls in last month’s European elections, with 35.7% of the vote. However, you may struggle slightly to square the property prices – of London proportions – with your belief that a truly green philosophy entails a fundamental restructuring, if not overthrow, of capitalist economics. But at least you will seldom spot a Daily Mail in your neighbour’s recycling.
The case against
Embrace the grime, love the seediness. Ditto with stag/hen parties, Bez-alikes partying like it’s 1999, and sundry eccentrics. Don’t mention S******* Railway.
Well connected?
I said, don’t mention S******* Railway. Trains: north to London Bridge (66 mins) and beyond, or London Victoria (1 hr); east to Eastbourne (40 mins) and Hastings (70 mins); west to Chichester (55 mins) and Portsmouth (1 hr 21 mins). Driving: its parking, traffic and one-way system are enough for you to dump your car; if not, Gatwick (eek) is 40 mins.
Schools
Primaries: all but one are “good”, Ofsted says, with Patcham Infant and Downs Junior and Infant “outstanding”. Secondaries: Patcham High, Varndean, Dorothy Stringer and Cardinal Newman Catholic are all “good”.
Hang out at…
You won’t go thirsty, hungry or unentertained here. But top of the tree has to be meat-free Terre à Terreu.
Where to buy
The centre is “famous” Brighton, either the net of old cottages in the Lanes or North Laine conservation areas, or classic Regency or Victorian stucco in the grand squares, or cute streets off Western Road. More of the same, just less touristy, in Seven Dials, West Hill and Clifton Hill. Immediately north are Five Ways and the London Road neighbourhoods of stucco mid-Victorian terraces, and dense suburbs, such as Preston Park and Moulsecoomb (less cutesy, cheaper). Large suburban homes roll up and down the hills: Withdean (with Dyke Road, the priciest part of town), Patcham and Hollingbury.
FURTHER INFORMATION
More information about the services offered at our Brighton branch
Conveyancing Done Right
What is conveyancing, how long does it take, and what can go wrong? We guide you through your choices
Jargon Buster
There’s a lot of jargon involved in the world of conveyancing, so we have put together a list of the most common terms.
Brighton Partner Profile
Jason Bradshaw is the Partner in Charge of the Brighton branch. Find out more about him.