Hobson & Latham

Business Details

37 Years

experience

Trusted Conveyancing and Probate Solicitors in Eastbourne

Established in 1989 by Tom Hobson and Stan Latham, we have been helping people move in Eastbourne and surrounding areas for over 30 years. Our firm is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, ensuring compliance with professional standards in conveyancing and probate services. We prioritise personal, friendly service, reflected in our clients' loyalty and referrals. Our team handles all legal aspects of property transactions and estate administration with transparency and efficiency. We maintain clear communication throughout each case, providing competitive fees tailored to individual transaction complexities. Our practice includes conveyancing for freehold and leasehold properties, probate administration, and drafting wills and lasting powers of attorney.

We operate under a formal complaints procedure, with dedicated director oversight for client concerns. Our commitment to quality is demonstrated through our membership of professional regulatory bodies and adherence to legal ombudsman processes. We provide detailed fee estimates upfront and maintain compensation fund coverage through the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Our Eastbourne office serves clients across East Sussex and beyond, combining local knowledge with national expertise.

Services

Residential Conveyancing Probate Administration Estate Planning Lasting Powers of Attorney Will Drafting

Details

Year established: 1989

Highlights and features

We have over 30 years of experience in residential conveyancing and probate services
Our firm is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers with Licence Number 11217
We provide transparent communication throughout every legal transaction
Our fees are competitive and tailored to individual transaction complexities
We maintain formal complaints procedures overseen by senior directors

Associations and certifications

Council for Licensed Conveyancers

Website

Update Listing

Services

Residential Conveyancing

We handle all aspects of residential property transactions, from initial instruction to completion. Our conveyancing service covers freehold and leasehold properties, including new builds and listed buildings. We provide clear fee structures and maintain regular communication throughout the process, ensuring transparency and efficiency for buyers and sellers.

Probate Administration

Our probate service supports clients through the administration of estates following bereavement. We handle all necessary legal processes, including obtaining grants of representation and distributing assets. Our fees are calculated as a percentage of the estate value with clear minimum charges, excluding additional conveyancing requirements or international assets.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

We assist clients in creating lasting powers of attorney for property and financial matters. Our service includes preparation of both single and combined documents covering health and welfare. We provide clear pricing with discounts for multiple documents, plus guidance on court registration requirements and legal formalities.

Will Drafting

Our will drafting service ensures clients' wishes are legally documented. We create standard wills with clear pricing and offer discounted rates for mirror wills. The service includes guidance on legal requirements and integration with other estate planning documents like powers of attorney.

Estate Planning

We provide comprehensive estate planning solutions combining wills, powers of attorney and probate preparation. Our service addresses asset distribution, tax considerations and guardianship arrangements. We offer tailored advice to ensure clients' intentions are clearly documented and legally enforceable.

People

Stephen McDonagh

Director

Stephen McDonagh oversees client care and complaints handling at Hobson & Latham. With extensive experience in legal services management, he ensures compliance with regulatory standards while maintaining direct client communication channels for service improvement.

Steve Hunt

Director

Steve Hunt provides leadership in conveyancing operations at Hobson & Latham. His expertise in property transactions contributes to the firm's efficient service delivery, combining technical knowledge with client-focused solutions for residential property matters.

Jan Sweetman

Director

Jan Sweetman contributes to Hobson & Latham's leadership team with specialist conveyancing knowledge. Her role involves ensuring quality standards across property transactions while maintaining the firm's commitment to personal service delivery.

Richard McDonagh

Licensed Conveyancer

Richard McDonagh specialises in conveyancing transactions at Hobson & Latham. His professional qualifications ensure technical compliance in property transfers, supporting the firm's reputation for accurate and timely completion of residential sales.

Questions

What conveyancing services do you offer?

We handle residential property transactions including freehold and leasehold sales, purchases and remortgages with tailored fee structures based on transaction complexity.

How much do your probate services cost?

Probate administration fees range from 1.5% to 2% of the estate value with a minimum charge of £1,950 plus VAT, excluding additional conveyancing requirements.

Can you help with will drafting?

Yes, we create standard wills for £395 plus VAT, with discounts available for mirror wills and combined lasting powers of attorney documentation.

Are you regulated by any professional body?

We are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers under Licence Number 11217 for conveyancing and probate services.

Reviews (5)

Write a Review

Diane Eadon

Dec 22, 2021 Report

Can't recommend Hobson and Latham highly enough. They took us on halfway through the process and got caught up within a week. They even managed to get us completed before Christmas so from the date of making our offer to completion it was exactly 11 weeks including the time with the first solicitor that we moved from. Steve Hunt and Julie Simpson were always on the other end of the phone and were always honest throughout the entire process. Highly recommend

Yasmin S.

Oct 07, 2021 Report

I hesitated to leave negative review in the hope that this firm will "eventually" respond to our request for obtaining the official documents relating to the property purchase, but I was wrong, they just don't bother. I fully concur with all the previous negative reviews and examples by my own experience. I wish I took their negative reviews on board before I went for this firm. Not sending us the conveyancing documents (including title deed and indemnity insurance came with the house) nor explaining why for months and now it is over a year. They don't even respond to my polite gentle complaint

Jack B.

Aug 27, 2021 Report

Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness,Value
I use Hobson for all our property transactions. I deal with Claire, she is fantastic, professional on the ball service with a friendly approach. Would highly recommend!

Adel Faragalla

Aug 12, 2021 Report

I would like to say a big thank you to Ms Claire Davis & Jan Sweetman and the rest of the team who handled the purchase of my flat in Caroline Way in Marina Village Eastbourne. They are true professional in the sense of the word. They do offer an insurance policy if the sale falls through which I took out twice and saved me a fortune in admin cost as I had to pull out twice from two sales due to issues with the lease. Buying a property is not something you do a lot in your life time but I am glad I got the right people to handle mine.

The Morris

Jul 14, 2021 Report

Positive:Professionalism
Hobson & Latham have been amazing with our house sale and purchase. They are so professional, supportive and helpful, always responding to calls and emails really quickly. They made sure everything went through before our deadline and just really impressed us! Would recommend them to anyone.