A formal lease or licence for a church hall or church must be drawn up by a solicitor and parishes are advised to ensure that any firm of solicitors appointed is conversant with ecclesiastical and charity law. Parishes will also need to instruct the Diocesan Solicitors, Winckworth Sherwood to act on behalf of the Diocese as custodian trustee. In order to save duplication of fees, most parishes prefer to use the Diocesan solicitors who have expert knowledge of church hall trusts and other parish property matters.
Parishes need to ensure that they are aware of the cost of legal fees and how these costs may be minimised by providing the right information in timely fashion. It may be possible to agree that legal costs should be the responsibility of the licensee.
The Diocese recommends that parishes, when considering a formal letting of their property, seek professional advice in order to ensure that the best possible return is achieved. Biscoe Craig Hall have extensive experience of letting parish property and can provide useful advice.
