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Skype: mikhail_charles
Phone: 1-784-527-2036
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PRACTICE AREAS
Mixed common law practice with particular interest in Commercial, Insolvency, Fraud and Financial Crime. Below are just a few more examples.
Qualified and Licensed Real Estate Valuer in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Opinion Writing
Within our islands particularly those with an English Colonial past, we practice an interesting system of English common law except where expressly modified by local statute.
Opinions are often needed on various points of law to assist foreign or other third parties in planning their affairs.
The common law Bar remains an attractive option for those who believe that variety is the spice of life. Typically, common law chambers are multi-disciplinary. Areas of practice can include actions against the police, employment disputes, landlord and tenant, personal injury, professional negligence, family law and criminal law.
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Family Law
Legal matters relating to marriage, separation, divorce and cohabitation, as well as issues relating to children, including contact arrangements, care, custody and maintenance orders, or adoption.
Family law also encompasses financial negotiations upon divorce, inheritance issues and disputes between cohabitants.
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One must be aware of the difficult and sensitive nature of the proceedings and the emotional and financial impact that this can have on their clients.
One must understand the importance of being able to cover matters from the initial stages to final orders, aiming to achieve the best possible result for all clients.
Criminal Law
Prosecution of all crime within the islands is usually within the remit of the State and while private prosecutions are possible, it is very rare that Counsel at the private Bar would take on such a brief.
Defense is really where at least 90% of Counsel work.
From station visits, to preliminary inquiries or paper committals / sufficiency hearings (in those islands that have them), to magistrates court (summary offences or either-way offences that are elected to be tried in this lower court) or High Court, to the Court of Appeal or Privy Council, the cut and thrust of criminal work in the Eastern Caribbean is indeed varied and intriguiging at times.
Property Law and Valuation
Valuation is usually at the market value or open market value rate for most property transactions.
Fees for valuation are usually dependent on the estimated value of the property in question.
Property lawyers act for a variety of domestic and international clients - including property investors and developers, farmers, government, landowners and public sector bodies - on a wide range of transactions and disputes, involving anything from offices and housing to retail developments and industrial units.
The common legal issues arising for commercial property lawyers include acquisitions and disposals of land, investments, landlord and tenant matters, developments and contracts, and environmental law and associated liabilities.
Within the islands the concept of an Alien Land Holding License has taken root, in essence if a foreigner (i.e. not a citizen of the OECS or CARICOM) wants to hold property, there is an additional tax that must be paid via an application done by a local lawyer.
​Shipping / Admiralty
Shipping law is one of the oldest and most developed branches of commercial law.
It falls into two areas: 'dry' shipping involves contractual issues, such as bill of lading and charterparty disputes, whereas 'wet shipping involves disputes over the ship itself (eg, collision and salvage).
Frankly, within the islands it doesn't get overly complex, usual applications are usually for ship registration, opinions and drafting of mortgages (registration as well) and other contractual documentation.
Civil Law
Civil law involves relations between persons and organisations.
It encompasses a very broad range of legal issues, including those related to contract, tort, probate and trusts.
More specifically, civil law covers disputes that range from employment to professional negligence, and from education to property.
Within the islands more specifically the Eastern Caribbean - civil procedure is governed by the Civil Procedure Code (CPR 2000) in the higher courts, whilst in the lower court (i.e. Magistrate Court) there is usually a statute governing procedural matters.