Agriculture
Working With the Agriculture Sector for Generations
East Anglia has a long tradition of agriculture, and just as generations of farmers have worked the East Anglian soil, generations of solicitors from Fraser Dawbarns and our predecessor firms have been there to support them through good times and difficult times.
As farms have passed through the generations, as the country has been through political and economic changes and as we have adapted to the growing importance of technology in our lives, the relationships we have built with farming families in the area have remained consistent.
We know that working in agriculture is a tough business and that farmers have to deal with an increasing amount of legislation and new regulations. Our agricultural team stay informed of upcoming changes in the law, and help you prepare for the changes that will affect you.
‘The team at Fraser Dawbarns are very attentive to every detail of the work that they are asked to carry out for their clients. They take the time to understand the business, the needs and the specialist area that they operate in, this leads to effective communication and they understand fully what is required. The latest tools are used to allow collaborative communication, further adding to the efficiency of the practice.’ - Legal 500, 2025
Our Specialists
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The Agriculture Team: More Than A Department
The services we provide to farmers requires specialists from across the firm. Our agriculture team brings together specialists from our commercial, corporate, private client and civil departments to provide a joined-up service that bring extra value to our agricultural clients.
Whether you need to restructure your business, whether you are buying or selling land or whether you are looking for tax planning advice, we have a specialist to help you.
Commercial
Our commercial property department is one of the largest and most experienced in the area. Specialists from the commercial department are well placed to help you with property transactions, agricultural tenancies and provide you with advice on development and diversification options for your land.
Corporate
When you are looking to create the most efficient structure for your agricultural business and keep abreast of the changes in the law that could affect your business, the corporate team at Fraser Dawbarns is here to help. Our corporate law specialists can also help you structure your business in the most tax efficient manner, allowing you to get the maximum benefit from Agricultural Property Relief.
Private Client
Our private client team can help you with capital gains tax, inheritance tax and any issues relating to succession planning. The team can also help you write a Will that will ensure your assets will be distributed in accordance with your wishes and can help with Probate and administration of estates. Our specialists can also help you to put powers of attorney in place where needed.
Civil
When it comes to employment law, intellectual property, regulatory issues or legal disputes, our civil litigation team are able to provide expert advice, support and representation.
Agriculture Services
Fraser Dawbarns offer a wide range of services to the agriculture sector. These include tax planning, agriculture and food law, succession planning, environmental and regulatory issues, health and safety, employment law, renewable energy, and property sales and acquisition. Find out more:
Agricultural Tenancies
The legislation surrounding agricultural tenancy is complex and easily misinterpreted and navigating the law can be a minefield.
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, our team can help. We can help tenants to understand the type of tenancy they have so that they know their rights and we can help landlords to understand the details so they can manage their tenancies optimally.
Buying and Selling Farm Land
Whether you are expanding your existing land holdings or making dispositions, the agriculture team at Fraser Dawbarns provide you with a comprehensive range of services to assist with your land and property transactions.
Buying and selling farm land can be complex and we work to assist and represent the interests of our clients throughout the entire process.
Farm Diversification
It is true that farming is not what it once was for smaller land holders and many will be looking to supplement their income through diversification into areas such as renewable energy generation, hospitality and retail.
While these have the potential to be sustainable sources of revenue, these sectors are often governed by different regulations and have different tax liabilities. The agriculture team at Fraser Dawbarns can advise and help you navigate unfamiliar regulatory frameworks.
Succession Planning
Most farming families recognise the importance of having a good succession plan in place to ensure the next generation is prepared for the challenges they will face and the retiring generation has adequate provisions for life after the farm.
However it is not always easy to have the conversation, children may avoid having the conversation because they don’t want to cause offence and parents may worry about how to treat farming and non-farming children fairly. The agricultural team at Fraser Dawbarns can help you draw up the correct documentation, to help you plan for your farm’s success for years to come.
Tax Planning
It is in the interests of farmers and landowners to structure their holdings in the most tax efficient manner. Structuring holdings to apply key reliefs, such as Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, is key to preservation of the value of farm.
The agricultural team at Fraser Dawbarns can advise you on Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax, working with you and your financial advisors to make sure property is held to enable tax reliefs to be applied.
Working Together for Your Benefit
We understand that agriculture is a unique sector, and to best accommodate the needs of farmers, we have formed close relationships with accountants, land agents, banks and financial advisors. Working with other service sectors allows us to bring a range of expertise together for the overall benefit of our farming clients.
Our strong working relationships with banks and land agencies allows us to help our agriculture clients with land sales and purchases. These sectors help us to ensure we meet our client’s timescale and value requirements and in the case of acquisition, to ensure that the land is suitable for the farm’s future plans. Likewise, we find that our close working relationships with accountants and financial advisors helps to save our farming clients time and money when tax and succession planning.
Our agriculture team identifies title issues at an early stage and recommends legal solutions to both landowners and the banking industry to enable transactions to proceed efficiently, and for the various interests of parties to proceed with confidence. We will also work with the farmer in respect of possible future acquisitions, and whether the current acquisition can accommodate further expansion.
Giving you Total Peace of Mind
By offering lawyers from a range of specialisms, each of our farming clients has the benefit of a team who work together to assist you. Our joined-up agriculture team work to protect family money, and providing succession advice to help the farm transition to the next generation when the time is right.
Years of experience working with the agriculture sector has put us in a strong position to help you with a wide range of legal issues relating to farming and agriculture. If you would like more information on how we can help you, your family and your farm, please contact a member of the agriculture team today.
Testimonials
We could not have asked for a more professional, friendly and supportive service from Kirsty Haines and her colleagues at Fraser Dawbarns.Client - Ely Office
Why Choose Fraser Dawbarns?
Direct Access to your Solicitor
Our agriculture team develop a good understanding of our client’s businesses and form close working relationships with our business clients. Clients who wish to arrange an appointment with our commercial solicitors can do so easily, visiting us at any of our offices across East Cambridgeshire and West Norfolk. We can also visit you at your business if you prefer.
Pricing Options
At Fraser Dawbarns we recognise that there is no ‘one size fits all’. With our flexible pricing options, we give our clients the choice of different pricing options. You can choose whether you would like us to undertake your work on a fixed fee basis or at an hourly rate, selecting the pricing option that best suits your needs.
No Hidden Charges
Clients opting for our fixed fee service, will know how much they will pay for the matter before we start work. Clients who prefer to be billed at an hourly rate will also be given a realistic range of costs before we begin. Transparency and trustworthiness are important to us and we will never surprise you with hidden charges that were not explained to you at the outset.
Contact Us Today
Our team will help you from the beginning of your case to the end, giving you total peace of mind. If you would like friendly, client focused advice on a wide range of legal issues, get in touch and see how we can help you.
Call or email us today and find out how we can make your life easier.
