Solicitors
Peter Doman LLB
QUB 1976, Patrick Barr LLB QUB 1985, Dermot Bowes LLB QUB 1986,John
Magee LLB QUB 2000
About Us
Peter
Dornan & Co. Solicitors.. that's
exactly what we are. Solicitors, who provide advice,
guidance and assistance on a very wide range of legal issues that can
affect
your daily lives. We do not employ para legals, legal executives or
conveyancers, opting instead to service
our customers with solicitors with a combined wealth of experience.
Conveyancing
On the house
purchase front we will check the title to the property you are buying
and obtain from the vendors solicitors
all the required searches and property certificates
to ensure everything is in order. Most purchases involve a mortgage and
here we
liaise with your lender to ensure purchase monies are available at the
required time. When acting in the sale of property we will
provide title deeds, searches and property certificates
to the purchaser's solicitor. We will attend to the redemption of any
mortgages secured
on the property. More often than not we will
handle simultaneously your sale and purchase
making sure, with the correct releasing of contracts, that you end up
with the desired property.
Our conveyancing service also includes remortgaging work whereby
we will handle your new mortgage instructions, secure your new advance
and redemption of
your existing mortgage.
Personal Injury claims
And Road Traffic Accidents 
We
have operated a
well organised and professional service
in this field for twenty years.
This involves
corresponding with the insurance company of the
driver responsible for your accident, arranging for you to be medically
examined,
arranging for your vehicle damage to be assessed and, if
needs be, organising
appropriate car hire. If your
injury involves a period off work and, as a consequence,
a wage loss, we will pursue this on your behalf. If negotiations with
the insurance
company are not productive then we will take formal court proceedings
to bring
matters to a satisfactory conclusion. All of your legal costs will be
paid by
the culpable defendant insurance company.
In
cases where the accident is not your
fault there is absolutely no need for you to instruct an insurance
company nominated firm of solicitors on the basis that the services of
these
solicitors, with whom you have no relationship, are free.
Your costs will
always be covered in such
instances by the defendant insurance
company.
Other Accidents
Much of
what we have said above relates to other accidents such as
injuries sustained at work and public
liability claims eg., trips and slips. Two of the partners in
the practice have considerable
experience in also advising insurance companies
on personal injury claims and accordingly we offer an experienced and well
balanced perspective on
the merits of client's claims.
Criminal (including on-call
emergency
representation at PSNI Stations)
All four
practitioners regularly appear in the various criminal
courts operating in Northern Ireland namely the
Magistrates Court, the Crown Court , and occasionally,
the Court of Appeal. We operate an on-call rota system whereby we can
be
contacted by police should clients be
arrested outside normal office hours. We
attend police interviews and operate with a select number of
experienced criminal
barristers whom we brief at the appropriate stage to represent your
interests at court.
Wills
A large
number of people still fail to take the
simple, inexpensive steps required to spell out their financial
wishes following their death. We can
provide advice on the
appointment of executors, guardians
and the appropriate
distribution of your assets. Here it may be necessary to consider the possible
implications of inheritance
tax. Again, advice is
available. We regularly call with
clients at their home if they are not well enough or fit enough to call with us.
Probate
The
correct and proper distribution of deceased
persons
assets usually requires a. formal application to the High Court for
either a Grant of Probate (if there is a Will)
or Letters of Administration (if there is no Will) and correspondence
to various financial institutions to quantify and eventually liquidate
the
estate. We will attend to all of the above and, if required, convey
property
previously belonging to the deceased. Once the estate has been
finalised we will distribute assets appropriately.
Separation
And Divorce
Marital
breakdown involves a whole host of legal issues such as maintenance,
child care and the
distribution of matrimonial assets 'such as property
savings and pension provision. Again this is an area where we have
extensive experience handling cases
covering couples with limited assets to those with extensive savings
and property portfolios.
Child
Care And Contact
Relationship
breakdown frequently leads to problems with
custody and contact with children. Dermot Bowes is a member of the
Children's Order Panel and, with
one of his colleagues, provides experience and
guidance in this area of law which also involves "Care Proceedings"
instigated by the local Health Care Trusts.
Non
Molestation And Domestic Orders
The Family Homes and Domestic Violence (NI) Under 1998 is a vital piece of
legislation dealing with
domestic violence. The Order enables the victims of domestic violence
to seek formal
protection from the Court against further incidents of domestic violence and if
appropriate actually
exclude or remove a person from
a property.
These Orders are granted by the Magistrate's Courts and we have
considerable experience
in dealing with this field.
Liquor
Licensing 
Having now handled the licensing requirements of no fewer than ten
bars and
restaurants for some years now
we offer a
comprehensive range of services from
protection orders,
renewals, transfers, the granting of new licences
and general licensing queries.
Commercial
Transactions
Here we are able to offer advice on the sale and acquisition of businesses and the
implications of commercial
leases in terms of duration,
rent, reviews,
permitted usage and repair and yield up' clauses.
Miscellaneous
If
you think your
query is legal then contact us and
we will advise if there is anything we can do.
Likewise,
we can attend to the simple signature
and
witnessing of documents on your behalf.
Legal
Aid
We deal with a
substantial Legal Aid work load. We will immediately advise whether or
not you may have entitlement to Legal Aid
and make the appropriate Legal
Aid application on your behalf.
Contact
Us
Bangor
Office
14 Hamilton Road, Bangor BT20 4LE
Tel: 028 9127 3054
Fax: 02891 470114
Click
for map
Belfast
Office
Metropole House
2/10 York Street, Belfast BT15 1AQ
Tel: 028 9023 4559
Click
for map
Our
opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, out of office hours by
appointment.
