Charities & Ecclesiastical Law

Formation

Whether you’re considering setting up a charitable company, community interest company, unincorporated association, charitable trust or voluntary organisation, we can advise you on the most suitable structure and draft the required documentation.

Registration

We can make the application for registration with the Charity Commission.

Administration

We understand the pressures involved in the day to day operation of running a charity. We are on hand to support and advise on all aspects of procedure and compliance in areas such as employment and risk management.

Incorporation

We can help you to make the move from an unincorporated body to a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, by adapting your charity’s existing constitution to form Memorandum and Articles of Association, registering the new company with Companies House and ensuring a smooth transfer from one organisation to the other with the Charity Commission.

We are also there to advise on any larger transactions which may take place from time to time such as buying or leasing property, takeovers and amalgamations of charitable organisations.

Our dedicated team of specialist Solicitors work closely with their contacts in planning, surveying, accounting and banking to provide you with complete access to the expertise you require.

Ecclesiastical Law

We have special expertise in the Ecclesiastical Law, especially as it relates to the Church in Wales. The Church in Wales was created in 1920, following the disestablishment of the Church of England in the Province. Its affairs, and those of its component bodies, are governed by detailed and complex rules requiring specialist legal knowledge.

Swayne Johnson Solicitors is proud to have been associated with the Diocesan Registry of the Diocese of St Asaph for over 200 years. We and our predecessor firms have acted as Diocesan Registrars since about 1808, and we therefore have a breadth and depth of knowledge in this particular specialised area of work that is unsurpassed.

Mr David Hooson was Registrar for the Diocese of St Asaph (a role that also incorporates the position of Legal Secretary to the Bishop of St Asaph) for 38 years and was, until his retirement in 2011, the senior Registrar in the Church in Wales. In March 2011, Mr Llyr Williams succeeded Mr Hooson to the role of Diocesan Registrar, thereby extending Swayne Johnson Solicitors’ association with the post.  Llyr has completed a Master’s Degree Course in Canon Law at Cardiff University in order to extend his expertise and to be able to provide an even greater level of service and knowledge to our clients in this complex area of law. Consequently, even if Llyr doesn’t know the answers, he does know where to look for the same, and even knows the people who wrote the books!

This type of work incorporates a mixture of non-contentious and contentious work, together with property and charity work. Due to the diverse components, please contact one of our solicitors to discuss your individual requirements.