No matter what stage in your professional career you’re at, you can trust in the expertise of specialists in each area of law, whether it’s a personal or professional matter. We have broad-ranging experience working with high-profile clients and sporting personalities, from Premier League footballers to former Rugby League players, and the clubs themselves.

You can explore our full complement of legal services for sporting professionals and related organisations below:

Family Law

Our family law team comes highly recommended locally and nationally through independent review site, Review Solicitors. The Head of Family at Slater Heelis has two judicial appointments and his team is well-versed in successfully navigating complex cases.

We often deal with high net worth cases and have recently worked with a number of Rugby League players, with glowing reviews received for our colleagues. Here is a snapshot of the services provided by our family team:

• Pre-nups & Post-nups
• Divorce / Civil Partnership Dissolution & Financial Settlements
• Living together (cohabitation) agreements
• Paternity issues & financial support for children, both married & unmarried couples.
• Contact disputes and specific issues such as where or with who the child should live
• Cases with international elements

We provide all of the services above for both mixed and same-sex couples.

Private Client: Wills, Trusts & Probate

No matter your background, career, or family set-up, a Will is a document everybody must have. As you accumulate more assets throughout your life or career, with some extra planning you can make provisions with preferable tax planning methods.

If you set up a business while playing professionally or upon retirement, what will happen to that should you die or become incapacitated? Long term planning will give you the reassurance that all situations have been legally protected. Our wills & trusts specialists will guide you in your discussions on:

• Wills & Trusts
• Estate Planning
• Inheritance Tax Planning
• Succession planning

Crime

Our specialists have acted on behalf of high profile sports personalities on a range of legal matters over the years. From motoring offences to more serious allegations, our solicitors come highly recommended and are here to guide you toward the best possible outcome in criminal and regulatory matters. Complete discretion will adhered to when we deal with your matter.

For sporting individuals

• Motoring offences, including speeding, drink driving and drug driving
• Any kind of criminal allegations
• Any kind of professional rugby disciplinary matter
• Player misconduct matters
• Advice on Tiers 1-3 Operational Rules

For clubs, agencies, associations, governing bodies

• Regulatory matters from the Rugby Football League (“RFL”)
• Either prosecution or defence

Property

As professional sportspeople move into or out of a city to play or settle, it needs to run as smoothly as possible. Our residential property team comes highly recommended. Having worked with locally based international sports clubs moving players in and out, we know what is expected and our service remains second to none.

Below is a list of services provided by our residential property team:

• Sale transactions
• Purchase transactions
• Refinance
• Title queries
• Drafting and advising on tenancy agreements

Property investment is common among sporting professionals. We can advise on the planning and development of a property portfolio, whether that is through purchase or building from scratch.

Construction & Engineering

Within the realm of construction and engineering, we can advise for both individuals looking to start up their own construction projects, as well as for larger commercial construction contracts.

Our specialists are well respected within their field and can provide expert guidance on construction projects of all sizes. Below is an outline of the scope of our services.

For sporting individuals

• Residential development and construction issues, including, drafting on building contracts and consultants appointments and dispute resolution

For clubs, agencies, associations, governing bodies

• Advising on construction contract matters relating to large scale projects such as stadium or sports venue developments, including contract drafting and dispute resolution.

Starting & Developing Business Ventures

It’s common for retiring sports professionals to set up a business venture, either on their own or with former teammates. A fantastic example of this is Mark Flanagan & Jon Wilkin’s Pot Kettle Black.

Whether it is your first business venture or you are looking to develop or sell a business, our corporate team is here to guide you through the process.

From drafting contracts to drawing up employment agreements and finding an office or retail space, we have specialists in each of our business services departments who will be more than happy to advise you on the best approach.

Dispute Resolution

There are many ways in which disputes can arise, whether that be on an individual level or commercially.

Property Disputes

Where disagreements arise between sports professionals as tenants and their landlords, our property litigation specialists are on hand to resolve the matter in the most appropriate way. The service provided by our property litigation team is second to none.

Our Head of Property Litigation has recently led in resolving a dispute between a Premier League player and his former landlord, reaching a favourable outcome for our client and his agent who were extremely pleased with the result.

Equally, if you own a portfolio of properties and rent them out, if disputes with tenants arise, our specialists can support in taking the most appropriate legal action. Our team is also experienced in acting on neighbour & boundary disputes.

Commercial Litigation

From player contracts to issues at director level, our diverse and experienced team has expertise in the complete portfolio of dispute resolution services, acting for the individual or the organisation.

A full list of our commercial dispute resolution services available for sporting professionals and sporting organisations alike can be found below:

• Contract Disputes
• Partnership, Director & Shareholder Disputes
• Professional Negligence
• Claims from sale/purchase of business
• Cross-border commercial transactions
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Breach of Contract claims
• Corporate Insolvency

Through our connection with Rugby League Cares, we can also refer to another Partner organisation for asset management and financial planning advice.