Education and schools disputes resolution
Explore how we help businesses with their legal requirements when disputes arise.
Contact our teamWhat can you do to make sure your child has the education they need?
- Schools can face a range of problems that require quick and effective solutions.
- Dispute resolution can keep costs down and keep matters out of the courts.
- With high rates of success for the cases we have handled, we can help you find a resolution.
What is educational negligence?
Educational negligence refers to the legal responsibility of educational institutions to provide a safe and effective learning environment for their students. This includes ensuring that teachers are properly trained and qualified, and that the school takes reasonable steps to prevent harm to students.
How Moore Barlow can help
If you are a school, occasionally you may have to deal with contentious matters. This could include educational negligence claims, contract disputes, professional negligence claims or asset recovery.
If you find yourself in this position, you will want to resolve these issues quickly and effectively and, most importantly, with as little disruption to the running of your school as possible. To achieve this, it is often advisable to use dispute resolution which can keep the matter out of the courts and keep costs down. Even the most complex and bitterly fought disputes can be resolved this way.
Our specialist education team has extensive experience of advising schools as well as parents. Our education team has built a reputation for delivering excellent service alongside a full range of legal advice including:
- Admissions including handling appeals
- Safeguarding
- Behaviour and attendance including exclusions
- Education provision including discrimination, bullying, transport matters and special educational needs
What legal services do we offer?
Dispute resolution
Our solicitors handle all types of contentious matters and are specialists in utilising alternative forms of dispute resolution to resolve problems quickly. Our highly regarded dispute resolution team has a wealth of experience combined with excellent technical and tactical abilities.
We can help you with:
- Analysing and advising on the strengths and weaknesses of a dispute
- Advising on the costs and benefits of different courses of action
- Resolving disputes through arbitration and mediation
- Project managing cases as they progress through the courts
Educational negligence
We have a specialised educational dispute resolution team with experience in acting for schools on claims arising from alleged negligence, breaches of contract and discrimination. Our dispute resolution team, educational team and employment team work collaboratively, and will tailor advice to your unique circumstances and ensure your school is pursuing a common commercial strategy.
Our team of dispute resolution solicitors
Mark Osgood
Partner | Business dispute resolution, Professional negligence
Andrew Reid
Senior associate | Business dispute resolution, Professional negligence
Daniel Baker
Senior associate | Sports law, Debt recovery, Business dispute resolution
Esther Millard
Senior associate | Business dispute resolution, Professional negligence
Karina Rafalska
Associate | Debt recovery, Business dispute resolution, Dispute resolution
Ben Millward
Associate | Sports law, Debt recovery, Business dispute resolution
Rachel Hetherington
Associate | Business dispute resolution, Dispute resolution
Charlie Ellison
Associate | Business dispute resolution, Dispute resolution
Donna Woodbridge
Paralegal team leader | Financial services litigation, Professional negligence
Contract disputes & asset recovery
Some schools require support when disputes arise with parents, often over unpaid fees. In these circumstances it is important to resolve matters quickly, effectively and with the minimum of fuss.
We can advise you on all the options available, including: negotiation, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, all of whih can avoid you having to take the matter to court. If you do have to go to court, we can advise you throughout the litigation process making sure your interests are protected. We will work hard to achieve the best possible outcome on your behalf.
Employment issues
As an employer, you have many responsibilities regarding your employees, including ensuring you are compliant with complex and evolving employment laws and regulations. At Moore Barlow, we take a collaborative approach and work closely with our employment team who have specialist experience and knowledge advising educational establishments on their employment obligations. We can help you design the right practices and policies tailored to your school, advise you on all employment matters that arise.
Property advice
You may be looking to buy or sell land or to build new premises to support the development of your school, all of which requires very specific legal advice. It is also important to have a team that takes the stress away from you, so you can focus on running your school.
We can advise you on all property and land purchases and sales, ensuring your transactions progress smoothly and quickly. Our land development and commercial property teams have completed thousands of transactions and are experts in the full range of property developments and are able to spot issues quickly before they become a problem for you. From specialised environmental insights to planning consent and refinancing or acquiring premises, we will work closely with you to help you to realise your plans.
Why Moore Barlow?
We have a very high success rate for cases handled. We pride ourselves on understanding the commercial and public relations implications of the situation you or your school faces. We also manage the likely outcome. In every case we place your interests first, including your objectives and the likely cost of litigation, so that we can recommend the most practical course of action to solve the issues you are facing quickly and cost-effectively.
Contact one of our offices in London, Richmond, Southampton, Guildford, Lymington and Woking, for expert advice and legal support.
