Business Details
45 Years
experience
Your Trusted Solicitors in York for Property & Life Planning
Established in 1981, we are a pioneering law firm operating as an Employee Ownership Trust, uniquely positioned to serve both our staff and clients. Our expertise spans commercial and residential property law, life planning, and business transactions, supported by a team of highly qualified solicitors and legal professionals. We pride ourselves on delivering a holistic, client-centric service to businesses, property developers, estates, and private individuals, maintaining direct communication channels and fostering long-term professional relationships.Our commitment to excellence is underscored by our regulation under the Solicitors Regulation Authority and our deep-rooted presence in York's legal landscape. We combine decades of experience with a forward-thinking approach, ensuring clients receive tailored advice on property portfolios, secured lending, wills, probate, and complex commercial transactions.
Services
Commercial Property Conveyancing
Residential Conveyancing
Wills & Probate
Equity Release
Lease Extensions
Buy to Let
Commercial Leases
Property Portfolios
Secured Lending
Life Planning
Details
- Year established: 1981
Highlights and features
- We offer 40+ years of property law expertise since 1981
- Operate as a staff-owned Employee Ownership Trust
- Provide holistic legal solutions across property and life planning
- Maintain direct client communication channels
- Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (No. 626416)
Associations and certifications
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
Services
Commercial Property Conveyancing
Comprehensive legal support for commercial property transactions including acquisitions, disposals, and development projects. We advise property investors, businesses, and developers on contractual obligations, planning permissions, and regulatory compliance. Our team handles complex commercial leases and secured lending arrangements for clients across Yorkshire.
Residential Conveyancing
End-to-end legal services for residential property transactions, including first-time purchases, re-mortgages, and equity releases. We specialise in fast-track completions and portfolio acquisitions, providing clear guidance on stamp duty mitigation and tax-efficient ownership structures for buy-to-let investors.
Wills & Probate
Expert advice on will drafting, probate administration, and intergenerational wealth transfer. Our solicitors help clients establish living wills, lasting powers of attorney, and tax-efficient estate plans while ensuring compliance with current inheritance regulations and family law requirements.
Equity Release
Specialist legal support for equity release schemes, including lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans. We ensure clients understand their obligations under the Equity Release Council's code of conduct while protecting their interests in property transactions involving older clients.
Lease Extensions
Legal representation for leaseholders seeking statutory lease extensions under the Leasehold Reform Act. We handle valuation negotiations, formal notices, and court applications while advising landlords on enfranchisement implications and collective rights claims.
People
John Walker
Director
Leading the firm since becoming partner in 1984, John maintains the founding values of personal service and legal excellence established by John Guest in 1981.
Carolyn Thompson
Legal Assistant
Supporting the residential conveyancing team with over 15 years' experience in property transactions, ensuring smooth completions for first-time buyers and investors.
Vicky Middleton
Conveyancing Executive
Managing residential property cases with expertise in leasehold enfranchisement and buy-to-let portfolio acquisitions since joining the firm in 2010.
Julia Hendry
Legal Assistant
Assisting commercial clients with property development matters, specialising in auction pack preparation and secured lending documentation since 2015.
Amanda Alden
Conveyancing Executive
Handling equity release cases and later-life planning matters, providing compassionate legal support to older clients across York and surrounding areas.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialise in?
We specialise in commercial and residential property law, wills, trusts, probate, equity release, and lease extensions for clients in York and across Yorkshire.
Do you offer fixed fee services?
We provide transparent pricing with fixed fees available for many conveyancing and will drafting services. Contact us for a tailored quote.
When was Guest Walker established?
The firm was founded in 1981 by John Guest and has operated as an Employee Ownership Trust since April 2025.
What is an Employee Ownership Trust?
An Employee Ownership Trust ensures the firm is owned and managed by staff, guaranteeing continuity of service and client-focused decision-making.
Reviews (6)
Gary Zealand
Dec 04, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Responsiveness
I recently bought a house using Guest Walker for conveyancing. The whole process went extremely smoothly. Vicky communicated frequently and very effectively dealing with everything very quickly as required. I would wholeheartedly recommend Guest Walker, I couldn't be happier with the service I received.
I recently bought a house using Guest Walker for conveyancing. The whole process went extremely smoothly. Vicky communicated frequently and very effectively dealing with everything very quickly as required. I would wholeheartedly recommend Guest Walker, I couldn't be happier with the service I received.
Jason Stead
Nov 26, 2021
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Fantastic service from initial email, amanda was always on hand to answer any questions we had in regards to the purchase of our home. It all went through smoothly and quickly. We would use guest Walker again in the future without a doubt
Mike Claybourn
Oct 04, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism
Very many thanks to Emma Hartley for her patience and for sorting the complexities of my Will. Very professional. very knowledgeable.
Very many thanks to Emma Hartley for her patience and for sorting the complexities of my Will. Very professional. very knowledgeable.
Alisa Townend
Sep 17, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism
A superb, professional, efficient service provided by Amanda Alden and her team . Thank you once again for all your support with our recent conveyancing requirement . We always feel very valued as a client thank you .
A superb, professional, efficient service provided by Amanda Alden and her team . Thank you once again for all your support with our recent conveyancing requirement . We always feel very valued as a client thank you .
Mary Fry
Sep 14, 2021
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Very professional and a personal touch. We have used Guest Walker Solicitors a number of times now and had the pleasure of having the same people look after us each time. We will certainly be using them again (hopefully in the near future). They have been the driving force behind all of our purchases, going above and beyond to make sure everything went to plan.
Will & Anna
Jun 28, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness,Value
Amanda is extremely thorough, hard working and is very responsive to emails. We had great service with Guest Walker.
Amanda is extremely thorough, hard working and is very responsive to emails. We had great service with Guest Walker.
