Chris Bryden#617

Chris Bryden

Chris was called to the Bar in 2003 and since that time has built a busy practice across a range of areas, with an emphasis on Chancery practice. He enjoys a well-deserved reputation for his knowledge and expertise in each area. He appears regularly in the County Court, Family Court and the High Court as well as various specialist Tribunals, and has been involved in cases up to and including the Supreme Court. He regularly is instructed at Appellate level. He has extensive and wide-ranging experience particularly in the areas of wills, probate and inheritance disputes; property including adverse possession, boundary disputes and issues arising out of trusts of land; company and commercial work and financial remedies. Chris is head of the Family Group and head of the Property Team at 4KBW.

Chris is the author of numerous articles in publications such as the New Law Journal, Counsel and Family Law, amongst many other titles, and is the co-author of Social Media in the Workplace: A Handbook (2015, Jordan Publishing).
Contributed to

1180

If an agreed form of transfer is purportedly attached to an option agreement (‘the transfer to X will be
If an agreed form of transfer is purportedly attached to an option agreement (‘the transfer to X will be
Q&A

This Q&A considers whether an agreed form of transfer that has supposedly been attached to an option agreement, however is not attached and does not exist, affects the validity of the option agreement.

If an agreement for a loan between two individuals does not contain any provision as to repayment, is the
If an agreement for a loan between two individuals does not contain any provision as to repayment, is the
Q&A

This Q&A considers the limitation period in relation to loan agreements where the date for repayment of the debt has not been specified.

If an application for a right to buy is received by a local authority, found to be incorrect, and
If an application for a right to buy is received by a local authority, found to be incorrect, and
Q&A

This Q&A considers the impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 reduction of the discount effective from 21 November 2024

If an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) shows the tenant’s name in short form, how should the name appear
If an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) shows the tenant’s name in short form, how should the name appear
Q&A

This Q&A considers how names should appear in notices under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

If an easement secured on the title following an express grant is infringed upon by another third party's
If an easement secured on the title following an express grant is infringed upon by another third party's
Q&A

This Q&A considers the situation where the exercise of an easement acquired by prescription by a third party conflicts with the terms of a prior express grant of an easement.

If an employee asks for a lump-sum to be paid to their pension instead of a payment in lieu of notice,
If an employee asks for a lump-sum to be paid to their pension instead of a payment in lieu of notice,
Q&A

This Q&A considers how a PENP calculation is affected when pension is paid as a lump sum.

If an employee raises a grievance in respect of sexual harassment, but does not want their employer to
If an employee raises a grievance in respect of sexual harassment, but does not want their employer to
Q&A

This Q&A considers whether, if an employee raises a grievance in respect of sexual harassment but does not want their employer to investigate, in response to the employee’s harassment claim it is a defence for the employer to say it failed to investigate because the employee did not want it to.

If an existing nil rate band will trust activated by the death of the testator has been varied once, eg
If an existing nil rate band will trust activated by the death of the testator has been varied once, eg
Q&A

This Q&A relates to the variation of nil rate band will trusts and the implications of a second variation.

If an initial deposit was taken at the start of an assured shorthold tenancy and thereafter the tenancy
If an initial deposit was taken at the start of an assured shorthold tenancy and thereafter the tenancy
Q&A

This Q&A considers when a landlord can request more money for a deposit where an assured shorthold tenancy has become a periodic tenancy.

If an interim possession order against trespassers was issued over land, pending a final order for
If an interim possession order against trespassers was issued over land, pending a final order for
Q&A

This Q&A considers whether a landowner with an interim possession order can enter into a consent order with the trespassers, granting the owner a final order for possession.

If an operator serves a notice pursuant to paragraph 33 to the new Electronic Communications Code seeking
If an operator serves a notice pursuant to paragraph 33 to the new Electronic Communications Code seeking
Q&A

This Q&A looks at whether a site provider can oppose on redevelopment grounds an operator's application for a new electronic communications code agreement following a paragraph 33 notice, where the site provider has not served its own notice under paragraph 31.

If an owner of a property in Wales creates a trust in respect of that property, whereby they are one of a
If an owner of a property in Wales creates a trust in respect of that property, whereby they are one of a
Q&A

This Q&A considers whether an owner of a property who creates a trust in respect of that property of which they are a beneficiary, can include that beneficial interest in a financial assessment for care home fees in Wales.

If care proceedings are to be commenced in relation to a number of children of the family, including
If care proceedings are to be commenced in relation to a number of children of the family, including
Q&A

This Q&A considers the form used to commence proceedings involving a number of children in the same family.

If documents have already been disclosed to a claimant employee as part of a tribunal claim (in
If documents have already been disclosed to a claimant employee as part of a tribunal claim (in
Q&A

This Q&A considers whether documents disclosed to a claimant employee as part of a tribunal claim (in accordance with the respondent employer's duty of disclosure) would need to be provided again in response to a data subject access request.

If land is subject to a forestry dedication covenant in what circumstances does this terminate, can it be
If land is subject to a forestry dedication covenant in what circumstances does this terminate, can it be
Q&A

This Q&A considers forestry dedication covenants and how they are terminated.

If local authority A has undertaken an age assessment and has assessed the subject to be an adult and the
If local authority A has undertaken an age assessment and has assessed the subject to be an adult and the
Q&A

This Q & A considers the circumstances when an asylum seeking individual has been assessed as an adult by one local authority but is living the in area of another, who has the responsibility to refer to Asylum Services.

If one party wishes to get divorced but their spouse lacks capacity (and has been detained for attacking
If one party wishes to get divorced but their spouse lacks capacity (and has been detained for attacking
Q&A

This Q&A considers the actions one party can take if they want to get divorced but their spouse lacks capacity and there is no one willing to act as a litigation friend.

If one spouse changes the locks to the jointly-owned matrimonial home, what action can the other spouse
If one spouse changes the locks to the jointly-owned matrimonial home, what action can the other spouse
Q&A

This Q&A considers the actions available to a spouse whose entry to the matrimonial home has been barred by the changing of locks.

If owners of land placed fencing on a public footpath, therefore causing footpath users to divert from
If owners of land placed fencing on a public footpath, therefore causing footpath users to divert from
Q&A

This Q & A considers whether owners of land who placed fencing on a public footpath, therefore causing footpath users to divert from the footpath onto a carriageway, constitutes an obstruction to the highway. It considers what remedies are available in the Highways Act 1980 to rectify the issue.

If peaceable re-entry is effected but the locks on the premises are not changed, has the lease not been
If peaceable re-entry is effected but the locks on the premises are not changed, has the lease not been
Q&A

This Q&A considers a case where a peaceable re-entry occurs without changing the locks on the premises and whether this situation results in the lease still being forfeited.

Practice Areas

Panels

  • Contributing Author
  • Q&A Panel

Qualified Year

  • 2003

Experience

  • 2 Gray’s Inn Square (2005 - 2009)

Membership

  • Family Law Bar Association
  • Property Bar Association
  • Society of Construction Lawyers
  • Public Access Bar Association (Vice-Chairman and Treasurer)
  • Visiting Fellow, University of Bedfordshire (2011 - )
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Qualifications

  • MA (Oxon) (2002)
  • LLM (2004)

Education

  • Magdalen College, University of Oxford (1999-2002)
  • BPP Law School (2002-2003)
  • University College London (2003-2004)

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