Welcome

Solicitors Scott Duff & Co provide legal services throughout Cumbria from their offices in Penrith, Carlisle and Keswick.

The business was founded by Andrew Duff in 1977. We are now firmly established as a respected seven partner firm supported by over 20 staff.

Our team aims to provide the highest quality of advice and service by combining specialist qualifications, experience and local knowledge with a straight forward approach.

Although we have invested in 21st century IT systems to enable us to run our business effectively and to keep up with the latest developments in legal practice we remain committed to providing a service tailored to the individual needs of our Clients, their families and their businesses.

We offer, by prior arrangement, out of hours appointments, home visits and free initial interviews.

Latest News

Family Department

Partner Katie Wright has recently completed specialist training as a collaborative lawyer.   What is Collaborative Law?  The collaborative process is a relatively new way of dealing with family disputes.  The aim of collaborative law is to resolve family disputes without confrontation and stressful Court proceedings.  Collaborative lawyers work with their clients in a series of face to face meetings to resolve financial settlements and issues in relation to children.   What are the benefits?

• As the process encourages dialogue emotional and in many cases also financial costs are reduced 
• Children benefit from seeing their parents working out problems constructively.
• The process can be adapted to meet your family's timetable and priorities.

Lexcel

After a rigorous and independent assessment, the firm has been awarded the Lexcel Quality Mark by the Law Society.  For our clients the key feature of Lexcel is our commitment to working in their best interests.  The Lexcel standard ensures that we provide a personal service with regular communication and clear information on costs as well as good practical legal advice.  Although the Lexcel Accreditation is the formal recognition of the way our firm is run, the real test is how our clients see us.  We are delighted that the responses to our newly introduced client satisfaction survey include comments such as “a great firm to work with”, “very, very professional and efficient” and “friendly staff and an excellent service in a language that was understandable”.

Conveyancing Department

It is now a legal requirement to have a HIP before you put any house on the market.  From 1st October 2008 rented properties, commercial properties and properties which were put on the market before the HIP legislation was introduced require Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

We can obtain competitively priced HIPs and EPCs on-line for you or if your Estate Agent is preparing your HIP we are happy to liaise with them to provide the necessary legal information.

Wills and Elderly Client Department

A spouse or civil partner is now able, on his or her death, to transfer any unused nil rate band for inheritance tax purposes to the estate of their surviving spouse or civil partner.  This means that a surviving spouse or civil partner can potentially leave an estate worth up to £650,000 without any inheritance tax being paid.  Anyone who has prepared a Will incorporating inheritance tax planning may now wish to review the Will.

Lasting Powers Of Attorney

Since 1st October 2007 you have been able to prepare a document, which allows you to choose a person to make decisions on your behalf, relating to your personal healthcare and welfare, including decisions to give or refuse to consent to treatment on your behalf.  These decisions can only be taken on your behalf if you lack the capacity to make the decision for yourself.  This document is called a Lasting Power of Attorney (Personal Welfare).

You can also prepare a separate document which enables you to appoint someone you trust, to look after your financial affairs.  You can choose whether to give that person the right to look after your financial affairs immediately, or you can state that it should only be used if at some time in the future you are unable to look after your financial affairs yourself.  This is called a Lasting Power of Attorney (Property and Affairs).

Our Wills and Elderly Client Department would be pleased to discuss any of these with you.

New Keswick Office
Our new Keswick premises are now open at
32 St John's Street, Keswick.