ABOUT US
Welcome from Eccles Heddon
Eccles Heddon Solicitors Ltd is an established and trusted legal practice for the people and businesses of North Yorkshire and beyond. We hold established offices in Ripon, Thirsk, and Bedale and provide services to wider areas, including Northallerton and Leyburn.
The business originally established in 1937 as a partnership, before incorporating in 2024. We have retained the traditional values upon which our success was built and continue to enjoy key working relationships with other professionals and trusted advisers in the area. We are dedicated to serving local communities with expert, tailored legal knowledge and advice.
We have represented families and businesses across North Yorkshire across a wide range of matters, and over the course of time, now find ourselves acting for the children and grandchildren of those families. The retention of our services is a testament to the high-level service we provide.
Whatever your situation and circumstance, contact one of our team of experienced and approachable solicitors to support you every step of the way.
History of the Firm
Founded in 1937
In 1937 John William Heddon and Stanley Brayshay formed the partnership known as Heddon & Brayshay at 24 North Street, Ripon, together with a third solicitor by the name of William Maylott Eccles. William was Mayor of Ripon at the time of the Queen’s coronation in 1953 and attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Having changed its name in 1970 to Eccles Heddon & Young, reflecting the names of the then partners, the firm became known by its current name of Eccles Heddon in 1975.
The firm continues to practice in Ripon, although its offices are now located on Westgate. In addition to its location in Ripon, the firm also has offices in the nearby market towns of Thirsk and Bedale.
The Bedale office was the creation of John Heddon in approximately 1942 and maintains a strong client base to this day, both within the town itself and further afield.
The firm also has occupied offices overlooking the Marketplace in Thirsk since 1974, from where it continues to provide a wide range of legal services to its clients.
The firm recently incorporated in 2024.
Our Services
Our team of dedicated and experienced solicitors provide expert, tailored advice across a wide range of legal services and, as such, are rated the number one legal firm in the local area*. Explore our comprehensive range of services at Eccles Heddon from Divorce Agreements to property sales and more:
* Source; based on reviews and client feedback collected by Review Solicitors over the last 12 months (correct as at 12/03/2024).
Locations Served
We have offices based in the heart of Ripon, Thirsk and Bedale and whilst a large proportion of our clients live or work within the middle part of North Yorkshire, including Leyburn and Northallerton, we do advise and act for many people in other parts of Great Britain and indeed throughout the World.
RIPON
THIRSK
BEDALE
Our Team
Our team of dedicated and highly qualified solicitors have considerable experience across a range of legal sectors and are very knowledgeable about the local area.
Most of our team have been with the firm for many years and we hold our relationships with our clients in the highest regard and we are committed to delivering high quality advice and levels of service. In our experience, many of our clients value continuity of individual service very highly.
Our solicitors have a personal, proactive, and pragmatic approach. We know your time is precious which is why our team will efficiently guide you through the legal process and will communicate regular updates throughout.
Explore our individual solicitor profiles and get to know our fantastic team and their specialisms, qualifications and more.
Our Accreditations & Memberships
At Eccles Heddon we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and we have several Solicitors/Chartered Legal Executives with specialist accreditations:
Our Accreditations
The quality of our service and expertise is formally accredited by a number of recognised schemes and recognised through national industry awards and surveys.
The Law Society CQS is the recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing legal work. To achieve this standard, our specialist conveyancing team has passed assessments relating to our legal expertise, our processes and our approach to client communication.
Individual accreditations
A number of specialist bodies have also formally accredited individual solicitors in our firm in recognition of expertise in particular areas of law, including:
Many of our solicitors are STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) qualified ensuring the highest standards of service are provided. STEP is an international professional organisation whose members are lawyers, accountants, and trustees, all of whom are dedicated to the highest professional standards in providing help to families to plan for their futures. Full STEP members are internationally recognised as experts in their field.
The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (formally known as SFE)
Alison Johnson and Claire Green are members of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers, formerly known as Solicitors for the Elderly, which is on a mission to support vulnerable and older people with the right legal advice.
Community
Supporting local charities, organisations and events is an key part of who we are. Here are just some of the local causes we currently financially support:
We also sponsor a wide range of local causes and events including:
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Northallerton Musical Theatre
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Dales Care Centre Bedale
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Bedale Christmas Festival
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Ripon BID Pumpkin Trail
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Charity Concert for St Mary’s Church Thirsk in aid of Cancer Research UK
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Pannal Primary School Summer Fair
We also have sponsored St Leonards Hospice by sponsoring Matthew Ainsworth, one of our Legal Executives and his partner Claire who danced in the "Strictly St Leonards" event, helping to raise over £15,000 for this amazing charity.
Testimonials from our valued clients
Get in touch
You can get in touch by email, phone or by popping into one of our three offices in Bedale, Thirsk and Ripon.
We also offer home visits for infirm clients who are not able to attend the office and all our lawyers are fully DBS checked, so you can feel confident in asking us to attend at your home to discuss your matter.
It’s important that you can speak to someone you can talk to and trust so if you would be more comfortable speaking with a male or female solicitor, just let us know.
Our Policies
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Referral Fees
Although we do not approve of the practice, our regulatory bodies now allow solicitors to give or receive so-called ‘referral fees’. These are payments to or from third parties in consideration of the referral of client business. Examples of this practice include solicitors paying estate agents in return for recommendation of people buying and selling houses or receiving benefits from financial advisers as a bonus for referring clients perceived as needing their advice. Until quite recently such practices were outlawed as likely to compromise the strict independence that was always regarded as the hallmark of a solicitor’s professional duty. Although the rules in this area have been relaxed, we still hold to the view that payment or receipt of referral fees is not in the public interest and therefore we do not participate in the practice. We prefer to retain and expand our client base on the foundation of client satisfaction and personal recommendation not the payment of ‘bungs’ to third parties. Equally, we will recommend other professionals solely on the basis of our judgment of their ability and not as the result of any undue influence arising from monetary benefit.
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