The firm was established by John Charles Stewart Hudson in 1952 in the Durban CBD and has continued to practise in the Durban area ever since.
We pride ourselves in being accessible to our clients and have supported families and business (both large and small) for over six decades. Although our primary focus is on “people and their property”, we continue to represent a number of national and multi-national corporates.
In 1996 we relocated to 303 Florida Road Morningside, a location which is central, offers ample on site parking and which has proved to be convenient to our clients from the North and South Coasts as well as the Highway areas.
Selling or buying property can be a daunting process. Recognised as industry leaders in this field of Law our vast experience enables us to undertake and advise on all property transactions from Development Schemes to everyday transfers.
More often than not buyers and sellers are unaware of their rights and as a result expose themselves to unforeseen risks.
What you should know about YOUR rights:
1. AS A SELLER, you have the absolute right and power to appoint your own Conveyancer. It is common practice for Estate Agents to insist on the appointment of a Conveyancer not known to the Seller, often leaving Sellers feeling lost, uninvolved and distanced from this crucial process.
We encourage all our Clients, when selling property, to insist that we are recorded and appointed as the Conveyancers to attend to the transfer of the property.
The Legal Practice Act prohibits the automatic pre-printed inclusion of a Conveyancer’s Firm name on any sale agreement and we urge Sellers to be alive to this when presented with a standard form document.
2. AS A BUYER, you may wish to finance the purchase of your home or investment property. Appointed to Investec Bank’s bond registration and bond cancellation panel, clients can feel comforted in being able to request that their Bank appoint John Hudson and Company as the Bond Registration Attorney.
As a Buyer, you are entitled to propose or negotiate with the Seller regarding the appointment of the Conveyancers. You may very well, impose the nomination of the Conveyancers as a condition of the sale agreement, subject to the Seller’s approval.
Considering that we act as impartial and unbiased Conveyancers, a Seller can be assured that we will carry out our responsibilities with the highest level of integrity wherein the interests of both parties will be protected. It is trite in law, that a Conveyancer must “look after” the interests of both the Seller and Buyer and can not act exclusively for either party.
We assist in the preparation and negotiation of sale agreements and offer our clients the facility of carefully checking offers to purchase or sell before signature to avoid pitfalls.
In addition to the preparation and registration of mortgage bonds on behalf of a major financial institution, we also attend to the preparation and registration of mortgage bonds for private lenders.
We hold many Clients’ Security Documents safely in our secure Strong Room, protecting their most important of documents from loss, damage and theft. For over 67 years, Clients have entrusted us with the safekeeping of their Wills, Antenuptial Contracts, other personal papers, Title Deeds, Mortgage Bonds, Loan Documents, Divorce Orders, Sale Agreements and many more.
As industry leaders in this field of Law we advise on all aspects of Estate Planning, undertake the preparation of Wills and attend to all aspects pertaining to the administration of Estates, both nationally and worldwide.
Having specialised in this area of Law for almost 70 years, we offer to our Clients unparalleled expertise, insight and knowledge on matters of Estate Planning and the Administration of Estates.
The Administration of Estates is an area of Law (not accountancy, banking or anything else) which requires qualified legal skills.
The efficient and timeous winding up of an Estate assists enormously in dealing with the multitudinous stresses of a bereavement. We strive in matters of this nature to assist way beyond that which is required of an Executor. Above all else, we are people too.
We cannot over emphasise the importance of having a professionally prepared and up-to-date Will. Many people believe that because they have limited assets a Will is not required. This is simply not so.
The law of unintended consequences is probably never more relevant than dying intestate (without a Will). We believe it to be essential for every adult to have a valid and up to date Will at all times.
For the proper, professional and legal drafting of your Will please email, call us or come in to see us.
Antenuptial contracts, divorce, maintenance, care (custody), contact (access) disputes and all matters pertaining to Family Law are handled by the Firm.
Born of years of experience, a sensitive and caring, yet decisive and firm approach has seen our Clients comforted through very difficult and deeply personal times.
Recognised as one of Durban’s oldest family law firms, we continue to look after family affairs for our Clients.
Entrusted with your most private and personal affairs, the Firm’s unwavering approach to confidentiality and trust ensures that our Clients are cared for and comforted whilst their legal interests and rights are soundly and thoroughly protected.
As the nature of business changes with the increasing reliance on technology and the way we approach commerce, it becomes ever more important to protect, plan and prepare for commercial interactions.
In addition to contractual advice, we are positioned to advise on and consider risk, compliance and legal implications for business, small and large.
Advising numerous national and multinational Clients, our careful and thought out approach to commercial considerations provides our Clients with comfort and fortitude across the spectrum of commercial matters.
