Real Estate Law and Construction Law

Buying property in Spain feels, to most UK buyers, more familiar than it is. The process has a similar shape to a UK purchase. You find a property, agree a price, sign contracts, then complete. The legal framework underneath that shape, however, is different in ways that matter, and the points at which things go wrong are rarely the obvious ones. They tend to be structural issues that were not identified before commitment was made, and that become significantly harder to resolve once they have arisen.

A judgment handed down Laing O’Rourke v Shepperton Studios in March 2026 has answered a key question concerning construction payment disputes: if a payment notice is defective, does it automatically bring the pay less notice down with it? The Technology and Construction Court (TCC) said no, but its reasoning explains exactly why, and the case carries important lessons for those responsible for managing payments on a construction project.

The High Court's decision in Herod Property Ltd v Westminster City Council serves as a stark warning to developers who self-assess Community Infrastructure Levy liability as zero without securing prior agreement...