Selling Your Home on the Fylde Coast This Winter: How to Avoid Delays

The property market does not stop for winter. Many people across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast choose to put their homes on the market in the autumn and winter months, often with the aim of moving early in the new year. Buyers at this time of year tend to be serious and motivated and with fewer properties on the market there can be less competition.

However, winter sales bring their own challenges. The Christmas and New Year period slows everything down, as lenders, local authorities, estate agents and solicitors all work reduced hours. A sale that is not well prepared can easily lose weeks and in a chain of several transactions, a delay at any point affects everyone.

In this article, the residential property team at Blackhurst Budd shares practical advice on how sellers can prepare in advance and help their sale progress as smoothly as possible.

Instruct your solicitor early

One of the most common causes of delay is a seller who waits until a buyer has been found before instructing a conveyancing solicitor. There is no reason to wait. You can instruct a solicitor as soon as you decide to sell and doing so can save valuable time later.

Once instructed, your solicitor can complete identity and anti money laundering checks, obtain a copy of your title from HM Land Registry, review the title for any potential issues and send you the property information forms to complete. By the time a buyer is found, much of the groundwork will already be done and the contract pack can be sent to the buyer's solicitor without delay.

Complete your property information forms carefully

As a seller, you will be asked to complete a property information form, which gives the buyer details about matters such as boundaries, disputes, alterations, guarantees, services and any notices you have received. You will also complete a fittings and contents form setting out what is included in the sale. If your property is leasehold, there will be an additional form covering the lease.

These forms are important. The information you give forms part of the basis on which the buyer decides to proceed and inaccurate or incomplete answers can lead to claims after completion. Take your time, answer honestly and if you are unsure about anything, ask your solicitor rather than guessing.

Incomplete forms are one of the main reasons the buyer's solicitor raises additional enquiries and each round of enquiries adds time to the transaction.

Gather your documents now

Buyers' solicitors will expect to see paperwork relating to any work carried out on the property. Gathering this in advance can make a real difference. Useful documents include:

·       Planning permissions and building regulations completion certificates for any extensions, loft conversions, structural alterations or changes of use.

·       Certificates for replacement windows and doors installed since 2002, usually issued under the FENSA scheme or a similar competent person scheme.

·       Electrical installation certificates for any rewiring or significant electrical work.

·       Gas Safe certificates for any new boiler or gas appliances.

·       Guarantees and warranties, for example for damp proofing, timber treatment, cavity wall insulation, roofing or solar panels.

·       Any agreements relating to solar panels or other equipment, particularly where panels are leased rather than owned.

If you cannot find a document, let your solicitor know as early as possible. Copies can often be obtained from the local authority or the relevant scheme. Where a document cannot be found, it may be possible to deal with the issue by way of indemnity insurance or a regularisation certificate, but these solutions take time to arrange.

Properties with a history

Blackpool has a particularly varied housing stock. Many properties in the town were originally built as guest houses or hotels and have since been converted into family homes or flats. Others have been extended or altered several times over the years.

Where a property has been converted or changed its use, buyers' solicitors will want to see evidence that the necessary planning permission and building regulations approval were obtained. For flats in converted buildings, there may also be detailed questions about the lease, the management of the building, service charges and responsibility for repairs to the structure and roof.

If you own a property of this kind, it is particularly important to speak to your solicitor at the outset. Identifying any gaps in the paperwork early gives the best chance of resolving them before they hold up the sale.

Selling a leasehold flat

If you are selling a leasehold property, your buyer's solicitor will need a management information pack from the landlord or managing agent. This sets out details of the service charge, ground rent, building insurance, planned major works and any disputes.

Managing agents can take several weeks to provide this pack and will usually charge a fee. Ordering it as soon as your property goes on the market, rather than waiting for a buyer, is one of the most effective ways to avoid delay in a leasehold sale.

It is also worth checking how many years remain on your lease. A short lease can affect a buyer's ability to obtain a mortgage and may need to be extended, which is a process in itself.

Selling a property as an executor

Many properties on the Fylde Coast are sold as part of the administration of an estate. If you are selling a property as an executor, you can put the property on the market and agree a sale before the grant of probate has been issued. However, you will not be able to complete the sale until the grant has been obtained.

Make sure your estate agent and buyer understand where you are in the probate process and keep your solicitor informed so that the timetable is realistic.

How Blackhurst Budd can help

Blackhurst Budd has been helping the people of Blackpool move home for 150 years. If you are thinking of selling this winter, please contact our residential property team for a quote and get your sale off to the best possible start.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. You should take advice on your own circumstances before acting.

Why Later Life Planning Deserves a Place at the Top of Your To Do List

Most of us are very good at planning for the things we can see coming. We save for holidays, we plan birthday parties and we book the car in for its service well before the MOT is due. Yet when it comes to some of the most important decisions we will ever make, the ones about what happens to our money, our home and our care if we become unable to make decisions ourselves, it is remarkably common to put things off.

At Blackhurst Budd Solicitors we speak to people in Blackpool and across the Fylde coast every week who tell us the same thing. They always meant to sort out a Will. They always meant to think about a Lasting Power of Attorney. Life simply got in the way. This blog looks at why private client planning matters, what can go wrong when it is left too late and how our team can help you put things right, often more simply and affordably than people expect.

A Will is not just for the wealthy or the elderly

One of the most persistent myths we hear in our Blackpool office is that a Will is only really necessary once you reach a certain age or once your estate reaches a certain value. This simply is not true. If you own a home, have savings, run a business or have children, a Will is one of the most important documents you will ever sign.

Without a valid Will your estate is distributed according to the rules of intestacy. These rules are rigid and they take no account of your actual wishes. An unmarried partner, however long you have been together, has no automatic right to inherit under intestacy. Stepchildren are often left out entirely. Friends, charities and causes close to your heart receive nothing unless you have named them.

A properly drafted Will lets you decide who benefits, in what proportions and under what conditions. It lets you appoint guardians for young children, set up trusts to protect vulnerable beneficiaries and plan sensibly around inheritance tax. It also gives your family clarity and reduces the risk of disputes at an already difficult time.

Lasting Powers of Attorney protect you while you are still here

A Will deals with what happens after you die. A Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, deals with what happens while you are still alive but no longer able to make certain decisions yourself. This could follow an accident, a stroke, a diagnosis of dementia or simply the gradual effects of ageing.

There are two types of LPA. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows someone you trust to manage your bank accounts, pay your bills and deal with your property on your behalf. A Health and Welfare LPA allows them to make decisions about your medical treatment and daily care, including where you live, if you become unable to make those decisions yourself.

Without an LPA in place, your family cannot simply step in if you lose capacity. Instead they must apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order, a process that is far slower, far more expensive and considerably more stressful than putting an LPA in place while you are well. We regularly help clients in Blackpool set up LPAs alongside their Wills, giving real peace of mind to the whole family.

Probate and the value of proper planning

When someone dies, their estate usually needs to go through probate before assets can be dealt with. Where there is a clear and up to date Will, this process tends to be far more straightforward. Where there is no Will, or where the Will is out of date, unclear or poorly drafted, the process can become drawn out and, in some cases, contested.

Good planning during your lifetime can also reduce the tax burden on your estate and make the practical job of administering it much easier for your executors. Our private client team supports families through probate with sensitivity as well as technical skill, understanding that behind every file is a family coping with loss.

A firm rooted in Blackpool for the long term

Blackhurst Budd Solicitors has been part of the Blackpool community for a great many years and our private client team takes real pride in supporting local families through every stage of life. We know that conversations about Wills, LPAs and later life planning can feel daunting so we take the time to explain things clearly, in plain English rather than legal jargon and at a pace that suits you.

Many of the families we work with come to us through a personal recommendation from a friend, a neighbour or a relative we have already helped. That says a great deal about the kind of relationship we try to build with our clients. We are not interested in rushing people through a standard process. We would rather sit down, listen properly to your circumstances and make sure the advice we give actually fits your family, your assets and your wishes.

Whether you are writing your first Will, updating an existing one, setting up LPAs for the first time or need advice on administering the estate of a loved one, our team is here to help. We offer clear guidance on costs from the outset and we will always tell you honestly what you need and what you do not.

Do not leave it for another day

The best time to sort out a Will or an LPA is while you are healthy and have plenty of time to think things through carefully. The worst time is in the middle of a crisis, when options are limited and decisions have to be rushed. If it has been on your list for a while, treat this as your reminder to finally tick it off.

To speak to our private client team about Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, probate or estate planning, get in touch with Blackhurst Budd Solicitors in Blackpool today. A short conversation now really could save your family a great deal of difficulty later on.

Call 01253 629300 to book your appointment.

Blackhurst Budd Lights Up Blackpool Tower to Mark 150 Years

Blackpool Tower was illuminated in purple last night as Blackhurst Budd Solicitors celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The striking display marked a major milestone for the firm, which has been serving individuals, families and businesses in Blackpool and across the Fylde Coast since 1876.

Purple, the firm’s signature colour, lit up one of Blackpool’s most recognisable landmarks in recognition of Blackhurst Budd’s long history and its continuing commitment to the town.

Warren Spencer, Managing Director at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors, said:

“Seeing Blackpool Tower illuminated in purple was a very special moment for everyone connected with the firm. Blackhurst Budd has been part of this community for 150 years and we are incredibly proud of our history, our people and the trust generations of clients have placed in us.

This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate everything the firm has achieved, but it is also about looking ahead and continuing to provide the personal, professional service for which Blackhurst Budd is known.”

The Tower illumination forms part of Blackhurst Budd’s anniversary celebrations, with further activities planned throughout the firm’s 150th year.

Blackpool Tower to Turn Purple for Blackhurst Budd's 150th Anniversary

Blackhurst Budd is delighted to announce that Blackpool Tower will be lit up in our signature purple next Thursday, 16th July, as part of our celebrations marking 150 years of serving the people and businesses of Blackpool and the wider Fylde coast.

Our roots trace back to 1876, when William Blackhurst established his practice on Church Street in Blackpool. The firm has stood alongside this town through generations of change ever since, operating under a number of partnerships as successive generations shaped its identity. In 2009, Blackhurst Budd was formed through the merger of Blackhursts LLP and John Budd & Co, later incorporating LSC Solicitors and Coope, Purvis and Taylor.

Reaching 150 years is a milestone few firms achieve and we wanted to mark it in a way that reflects our deep connection to Blackpool. There is no landmark more fitting than the Tower itself. William Blackhurst opened his doors in 1876, eighteen years before the Tower itself was completed in 1894 and it felt right to join our story with one of Blackpool's most recognisable symbols, if only for one night.

Keep an eye on our social media channels for photos and updates on the evening and join us in reflecting on 150 years of history and looking ahead to many more to come.

Blackpool families urged to act now as probate fees set to jump by 75% next month

Blackhurst Budd Solicitors is calling on families across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast who are currently dealing with a loved one's estate to seek advice without delay, ahead of a sharp increase to the government fee for obtaining a grant of probate on 13th July 2026.

From that date, the flat fee payable to HM Courts and Tribunals Service for a probate application rises from £300 to £526, an increase of more than 75%. The change applies to all estates valued above £5,000 and is subject to parliamentary approval.

Suzanne Leonard, Head of Private Client at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors, says the timing of the increase will be felt keenly in a community where the cost of living is already placing pressure on many households.

"For families in Blackpool and the surrounding area, an additional £226 in court fees is not a trivial sum. People are already navigating rising costs in every area of their lives, and dealing with a bereavement on top of that is an enormous strain. The last thing a family needs at that point is an unexpected and substantial increase in what it costs to administer the estate of someone they have just lost.

"We have seen this kind of deadline trigger a rush of applications before. In 2019 a similar proposed increase led to a surge in probate applications that put real pressure on the system and caused significant delays. We fully expect the same to happen again this time, which is why we are urging anyone who thinks they may need to apply for probate to get in touch with us now rather than waiting."

The fee increase forms part of a wider package of changes to court and tribunal fees announced by the Ministry of Justice on 19th June 2026. One element of the package brings a small saving: the cost of certified copies of the grant will fall from £16 per copy to £2 per copy, provided they are requested at the same time as the probate application. Because banks, pension providers and other financial institutions typically each require their own sealed copy before releasing funds, requesting everything needed at the point of application will save both time and money.

Blackhurst Budd Solicitors is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2026, marking a century and a half of serving the Blackpool community. The firm's Private Client team specialises in wills, probate, estate planning, lasting powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters.

What Did Blackpool Look Like In 1876?

This year, Blackhurst Budd marks 150 years since the Blackhurst practice was first established in Blackpool. To understand what that milestone really means, it helps to picture the town as it was in 1876, because the Blackpool of that year bore very little resemblance to the place we know today.

A Town Still Finding Its Feet

In 1871, Blackpool's population was just over 7,000 people. It was a growing resort town, attracting visitors from the mill towns of Lancashire who arrived by train seeking sea air and respite from industrial life. But it was still relatively modest in scale, and its identity as one of Britain's great seaside destinations was still being established.

1876 was a significant year in the town's development. It was the year Blackpool was incorporated as a municipal borough, gaining its own local governance for the first time. The town was, in a very real sense, formally establishing itself as a place, and it was into that environment that William Blackhurst set up his legal practice.

The Promenade and the Tower

The promenade that is so central to Blackpool's identity today existed in a much earlier form in 1876, but the grand Victorian seafront that most people picture was still decades away from completion. The promenade was extended and improved significantly through the 1870s and 1880s as the town grew, with the sea wall and walkway gradually taking the shape that would define the resort.

Blackpool Tower, perhaps the town's most iconic landmark, would not open until 1894, nearly two decades after the Blackhurst practice was established. The Winter Gardens, which opened in 1878, was among the early large scale entertainment venues beginning to shape the town's character as a destination for leisure and entertainment.

The illuminations, now a defining feature of Blackpool's autumn calendar, began in a very modest form in 1879 with just eight electric arc lamps. The spectacular display that draws millions of visitors today was a long way off.

Getting Around Town

In 1876, Blackpool's famous trams had not yet arrived. The tramway that would become one of the longest running in the world did not begin operating until 1885. Travel along the promenade and through the town was on foot, by horse drawn carriage, or by the railway that had connected Blackpool to Preston and the wider region since the 1840s.

It was the railway, more than anything else, that had driven Blackpool's growth. The arrival of direct services from Manchester and the mill towns of Lancashire had opened the resort up to working class visitors in a way that transformed the town's economy and character. By 1876, the railway was well established and the tourist trade was growing steadily.

Daily Life in 1876

For those living and working in Blackpool in 1876, daily life was shaped by realities that are difficult to fully appreciate from the vantage point of 2026. There was no electricity in the home. Gas lighting was available in wealthier households and along some streets, but candles and oil lamps remained the norm for most. There was no running hot water, no telephone, and no form of mass communication beyond the newspaper.

The working week was long, typically six days, and the concept of a paid holiday was not yet established for most workers. The people who visited Blackpool for their annual break were often doing so as a genuine luxury, and the town's economy was built around making the most of the summer season when the visitors came.

The Professional World

In that environment, the legal profession occupied a particular place in civic life. Solicitors were among the small number of professional men in a town like Blackpool, alongside doctors, clergymen and the emerging class of businessmen driving the resort's development. Legal services were not widely accessible to ordinary working people in the way they are today. Property transactions, business matters and disputes were the primary work of a solicitor in 1876.

When William Blackhurst established his practice on Church Street that year, he was setting up in a town that was growing rapidly and beginning to formalise its institutions. The timing was, in retrospect, significant.

150 Years On

The Blackpool of 2026 is a very different place from the borough of 1876, and yet the connections are there. The promenade, the tower, the trams, the illuminations: all of them came after Blackhurst Budd's story in the town had already begun.

As we mark 150 years this year, we do so as a firm that has been part of Blackpool's story through all of it, from a modest Victorian borough to the town it is today.

150 Years of Wills, Probate and Inheritance: How Much Has Changed?

Planning for the future and administering the estates of those we have lost are among the most important legal services a solicitor provides. At Blackhurst Budd, wills, probate and inheritance have been part of our work throughout our 150 years of practice in Blackpool. But the law in this area, and the people it serves, has changed enormously since William Blackhurst first opened his doors in 1876.

Wills and Inheritance in 1876

In Victorian England, making a will was largely the preserve of those with property and assets worth passing on. For the majority of the population, there was simply not enough to warrant the formality, and the cost of instructing a solicitor placed will-making out of reach for most ordinary working people.

The Wills Act 1837 had established the formal requirements for a valid will that still apply in large part today: the will must be in writing, signed by the testator, and witnessed by two independent witnesses. In that respect, the basic legal framework has shown remarkable continuity. But the social context in which wills were made in 1876 was very different.

Inheritance in Victorian England was also shaped by assumptions about gender and family that have since been dismantled. Married women could not own property independently until the Married Women's Property Act 1882, which meant that the entire question of what a wife might leave on her death was largely academic for most of the period. Estates passed through male lines, primogeniture governed the inheritance of land, and the legal treatment of illegitimate children was harsh and largely exclusionary.

Providing for Dependants

One of the most significant developments in inheritance law during the twentieth century was the introduction of the right for family members and dependants to make a claim against an estate where adequate provision had not been made for them.

Before this, the principle of testamentary freedom meant that a person could leave their estate to whoever they chose, with very limited recourse for those left without provision. The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 changed this, giving the courts the power to make reasonable financial provision for a spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependant where the will or the rules of intestacy failed to do so.

It was a reform that reflected a broader shift in how the law understood family relationships and financial dependency, and it remains a significant area of practice for solicitors advising on estate planning and disputes today.

Intestacy: Dying Without a Will

The rules that govern what happens when someone dies without a valid will have also changed significantly over 150 years. In 1876, the intestacy rules were heavily weighted in favour of male heirs and did not reflect the more varied family structures that are common today.

The modern intestacy rules, most recently updated by the Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act 2014, attempt to reflect contemporary expectations about how an estate should pass within a family. Surviving spouses and civil partners are better protected than they were historically, and the rules have been updated to reflect the legal recognition of civil partnerships introduced in 2004.

Cohabiting partners, however, still have no automatic entitlement under the intestacy rules, regardless of the length of the relationship. It is one of the most common misconceptions in estate planning, and one of the strongest arguments for making a will, that a long term partner has no right to inherit without one.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

No discussion of this area of practice would be complete without reference to Lasting Powers of Attorney, which allow a person to appoint someone they trust to make decisions on their behalf if they lose mental capacity. The LPA framework, introduced by the Mental Capacity Act 2005, replaced the older Enduring Power of Attorney system and significantly broadened the scope of planning available to individuals thinking ahead.

In 1876, there was no equivalent framework. The concept of planning formally for incapacity, as distinct from death, simply did not exist in the way it does today. The growth of LPAs as a routine part of estate planning reflects both an ageing population and a much greater awareness of the importance of planning ahead.

Wills and Probate Today

Today, Blackhurst Budd advises clients on wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, estate planning and the administration of estates following bereavement. The legal framework is considerably more developed than anything a Victorian solicitor would have encountered, and the range of people who benefit from these services is vastly broader.

But the underlying purpose has not changed. Helping people plan for the future, protect those they care about, and navigate one of life's most difficult processes with clarity and support: that has been part of what we do throughout our 150 years in Blackpool and The Fylde Coast, and it remains as important today as it has ever been.

The Solicitor in 1876: What Did the Profession Actually Look Like?

When William Blackhurst established his practice in Blackpool in 1876, he was entering a profession that was recognisable in name but very different in almost every other respect from the legal practice of today. The solicitor of 1876 occupied a distinct place in Victorian society, operated within a very different legal framework, and served a much narrower section of the population than a modern firm like Blackhurst Budd does today.

As we mark 150 years of practice in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, it is worth reflecting on just how much the profession has changed.

Qualifying as a Solicitor in 1876

In 1876, the route into the legal profession was through articles, a form of apprenticeship in which a young man would be bound to a practising solicitor for a period of years, learning the work through direct involvement in practice. There were no formal examinations of the kind we would recognise today, and the quality of training depended largely on the firm to which an articled clerk was attached.

The Law Society had been established in 1825 and was gradually developing its role in regulating the profession, but the formal examination and qualification structure that now governs entry into practice was still in its early stages. The profession was, by modern standards, loosely regulated and entry was shaped as much by personal connection and social background as by demonstrated competence.

It is also worth noting that in 1876, the legal profession was exclusively male. Women were not admitted as solicitors until 1922, following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919. The idea of a female solicitor, a female partner, or a female managing director of a law firm would have been entirely outside the frame of possibility for William Blackhurst's contemporaries.

Who Used a Solicitor?

In 1876, legal services were not accessible to most people. The cost of instructing a solicitor was significant relative to average wages, and for the majority of the population, legal advice was simply not something they could afford to seek. The solicitor's client base was drawn largely from the propertied classes, businessmen, landowners, and those with estates to manage or disputes serious enough to warrant the expense.

This had practical implications for the work a solicitor in Blackpool would have been doing in 1876. Property transactions, wills and probate for those with assets worth administering, commercial matters for the town's growing business community, and litigation for those who could afford it: these were the staples of practice. The broad range of services that a modern high street firm provides to clients from all backgrounds was not yet the reality of legal practice.

The Work of a Victorian Solicitor

A solicitor's office in 1876 was a very different physical environment from a modern law firm. All documents were handwritten or, increasingly, produced on early typewriting machines. Files were paper based. There was no telephone until the 1880s, meaning that communication with clients, other solicitors, and courts was by letter, often with a day or more between correspondence.

The conveyancing work that was central to Victorian legal practice involved the physical examination of title deeds, often going back many decades, to establish that a seller had good title to land. There was no central land register. Every transaction required a detailed investigation of the documents, and a solicitor needed to be skilled in reading and interpreting historical legal instruments.

Court work in 1876 took place within a system that had been significantly reformed by the Judicature Acts of 1873 and 1875, which consolidated the various superior courts of England and Wales into the Supreme Court of Judicature. These were significant reforms, but the practical experience of litigation, the travel to court, the reliance on oral advocacy, and the formality of proceedings, retained a distinctly Victorian character.

How the Profession Has Changed

The transformation of the legal profession over 150 years has been profound. Formal academic and vocational qualifications are now required for entry. The profession is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with detailed conduct rules, client protection requirements, and oversight mechanisms that would have been unimaginable in 1876.

Women make up the majority of new entrants to the profession today. Legal aid, introduced after the Second World War, extended access to legal services to a much broader section of the population, though its scope has been reduced significantly in recent decades. Technology has transformed almost every aspect of how legal work is done, from document production and case management to the conduct of hearings and the registration of property.

The work itself has also expanded enormously. The complexity of modern commercial transactions, the development of employment law, consumer protection, data protection, and the range of regulatory frameworks that affect both individuals and businesses, means that the scope of legal practice today is vastly broader than anything a Victorian solicitor would have encountered.

What Has Stayed the Same

And yet, at its core, the role of the solicitor has not fundamentally changed. People still need clear, honest advice from someone they can trust, at the moments in life when the stakes are highest. The relationship between a solicitor and their client, built on confidence and professional duty, is as central to legal practice today as it was when William Blackhurst first opened his doors in Blackpool in 1876.

That continuity, across 150 years of change, is something Blackhurst Budd reflects on with genuine pride as we mark this anniversary year.

150 Years of Family Law: How Much Has Changed?

Family law is one of the most personal areas of legal practice. It deals with the relationships and arrangements that matter most to people: marriage, separation, and children. At Blackhurst Budd, it has been a core part of what we do for generations.

But the family law of 2026 would be almost unrecognisable to the solicitors practising in 1876. The changes over 150 years reflect not just legal reform, but a fundamental shift in how society understands family life itself.

Marriage in 1876

In 1876, marriage was a largely permanent legal institution. Divorce existed, but it was expensive, socially stigmatising, and practically inaccessible to most people. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 had established a civil divorce court for the first time, removing the need for a private Act of Parliament, but the process remained beyond reach for the majority of the population.

Grounds for divorce were also heavily weighted against women. A husband could divorce his wife on the grounds of adultery alone. A wife seeking divorce needed to prove adultery combined with additional grounds such as cruelty or desertion. The law reflected the social assumptions of the time: that marriage was a contract in which the parties were not equal.

Laying the founding stone for Blackpool Tower

Married women had very limited legal rights in 1876. The Married Women's Property Act, which gave women the right to own property independently of their husbands, did not come until 1882. Before that, a woman's property passed to her husband on marriage. The legal identity of a married woman was, in most practical respects, subsumed into that of her husband.

How the Law Changed

The twentieth century brought profound change to family law. Divorce was made more accessible through successive reforms, and the grounds were gradually broadened. Legal aid, introduced after the Second World War, meant that access to legal services in family matters was no longer determined solely by the ability to pay.

The concept of irretrievable breakdown as the sole ground for divorce, introduced in England and Wales in 1973, represented a significant shift in how the law understood the end of a marriage. No longer was it necessary to establish fault or wrongdoing: the law began to recognise that marriages could simply end, without the need for one party to be found to blame.

More recently, no fault divorce became available in April 2022, removing the requirement to make allegations against a spouse even within the irretrievable breakdown framework. It was a reform that practitioners had advocated for many years, and one that has changed the way many family law matters are now handled in practice.

Children and Family Arrangements

In 1876, the legal framework around children was also very different. Fathers held almost absolute rights over their children. Mothers had very limited legal standing in disputes over custody, and the welfare of the child was not yet established as the central consideration it is today.

The principle that the child's best interests should be the paramount consideration in legal proceedings was developed through the twentieth century and is now fundamental to family law practice. The Children Act 1989 remains the cornerstone of modern child law in England and Wales, establishing a framework built around the welfare of the child rather than the rights of parents.

Family Law Today

At Blackhurst Budd, our family law team advises clients on divorce and separation, arrangements for children, and financial settlements. The legal framework within which we do that work is unrecognisable from 1876, but the need for clear, sensitive advice at some of life's most difficult moments has not changed at all.

As we mark 150 years of practice in Blackpool this year, that continuity is something we reflect on with both pride and a genuine sense of responsibility.

What Has Changed in Conveyancing Since 1876?

Conveyancing has always been at the heart of what Blackhurst Budd does.

From the earliest days of the Blackhurst practice in 1876 through to the thousands of property transactions we handle across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast today, helping people buy and sell property has been a constant thread running through 150 years of legal practice.

But the conveyancing process of 2026 would be almost unrecognisable to a solicitor practising in Blackpool in 1876.

View from Blackpool Tower c. 1899

The changes over that period reflect not just legal reform, but the transformation of Blackpool itself, the rise of home ownership, the development of the mortgage market, and the impact of technology on almost every stage of a property transaction.

Property in Blackpool in 1876

When William Blackhurst established his practice in Blackpool in 1876, the town was still in the early stages of its rapid growth.

Blackpool had only just become a borough and the population was little more than 7,000. Large parts of the Fylde Coast that are now heavily developed were still far more rural in character.

Property ownership was also very different from today.

Most people rented rather than owned their homes, and buying property was largely limited to wealthier individuals, landowners, and the businessmen helping develop Blackpool’s growing hotels, boarding houses and commercial premises.

The legal process itself was slow and heavily dependent on paperwork.

There was no central register of ownership. Instead, ownership had to be proven through bundles of title deeds, often stretching back decades. Every transaction required a solicitor to physically examine those documents, tracing ownership through long chains of paper records and checking for anything that might affect the buyer’s rights.

A conveyancing file in Victorian Blackpool would have looked very different from the digital systems used today.

The arrival of land registration

One of the biggest changes in conveyancing came with the gradual introduction of land registration.

The Land Registration Act 1925 established the framework for a central register of land ownership in England and Wales, administered by HM Land Registry.

However, compulsory registration was introduced gradually across the country over many decades rather than all at once. In many areas, including Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, property transactions continued to rely heavily on traditional title deeds for years afterwards.

Compulsory registration did not fully extend across all of England and Wales until 1990.

That means solicitors in Blackpool spent much of the twentieth century working through a mixture of registered and unregistered land, with older title deeds remaining an important part of conveyancing practice for generations.

Today, by contrast, the majority of property transactions involve electronically accessible title registers and plans held by HM Land Registry.

Mortgages changed everything

The way people buy property has also changed dramatically.

In 1876, mortgage borrowing was far less accessible than it is today. Home ownership was not viewed as a normal aspiration for much of the working population, and finance options were limited.

Modern conveyancing on the Fylde Coast is closely tied to the mortgage market.

Most residential purchases now involve a lender, meaning the solicitor acts not only for the buyer but also for the bank or building society. This brings additional checks, lender requirements and regulatory obligations into almost every transaction.

The modern conveyancing solicitor must balance the needs of multiple parties while ensuring strict compliance with lender instructions and anti-money laundering requirements.

Searches and investigations

Victorian solicitors would also be surprised by the number of searches involved in a modern property transaction.

Today, buyers in Blackpool and across the Fylde Coast routinely receive:

• Local authority searches

• Drainage and water searches

• Environmental searches

• Flood risk information

• Coal and mining reports in some areas

These searches provide information that simply would not have been available in 1876.

Modern conveyancing is as much about identifying hidden risk as it is transferring ownership.

SDLT and increasing complexity

Tax is another area that has become significantly more complicated.

Stamp duties have existed in various forms for centuries, but the modern Stamp Duty Land Tax regime bears little resemblance to anything a Victorian solicitor would have dealt with.

Rates, thresholds, surcharges and reliefs now create a level of complexity that requires careful analysis on almost every transaction.

What was once a relatively straightforward duty has evolved into a major part of the modern conveyancing process.

Technology and the modern transaction

Perhaps the most obvious difference between 1876 and 2026 is technology.

The Victorian conveyancing process relied entirely on handwritten documents, physical deeds and correspondence sent by post.

Today, transactions are driven by:

• Email and digital communication

• Online identity verification

• Electronic document sharing

• Digital case management systems

• Increasing use of electronic signatures

Clients now expect updates instantly rather than waiting days for letters to arrive.

Even so, despite the technology, property transactions have not necessarily become less pressured. If anything, the pace and expectations of modern conveyancing have increased significantly.

Some things have not changed

For all the change over the last 150 years, some things remain remarkably familiar.

Buying or selling property is still one of the most important financial decisions most people will ever make.

Clients still want reassurance.
They still want clarity.
And they still want someone to identify problems before they become expensive mistakes.

That was true when William Blackhurst first practised on Church Street in 1876, and it remains true today.

150 years of conveyancing in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast

As Blackhurst Budd marks 150 years of legal practice in Blackpool, conveyancing remains a core part of what we do.

The systems, laws and technology may have changed dramatically since 1876, but our role has remained consistent: helping people across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast move forward with confidence.

For a century and a half, property has been at the centre of people’s lives.

And for 150 years, it has been at the centre of ours.