Real Estate & Construction

Construction Disputes

Delay, defective work, unpaid milestones and terminated contracts — assessed on the documents and the site, then pursued through the route that actually pays.

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Tell us the situation and we will tell you what we think you should do — and what it will cost.

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Owners facing defects, delay or an abandoned site
Contractors with unpaid progress payments
Parties on either side of a contract termination
Owners and builders in defect-liability-period disputes

Delay claims and defences — liquidated damages and extensions of time

Defect claims, with expert inspection coordinated

Recovery of unpaid progress payments and final accounts

Wrongful termination and abandonment claims

Completion-cost claims after replacing a contractor

Settlements structured around completing the works, not just the money

Assess the contract, the records and the state of the works
Secure the evidence — site records, photographs and the expert inspection
Issue or answer the formal notices the contract requires
Quantify the claim — remedy cost, delay and lost value
Negotiate a completion-focused settlement where possible
Litigate or arbitrate, and enforce the award

Documents to prepare

The construction contract, drawings and specifications
Payment certificates, invoices and proof of payments made
Site correspondence, reports and meeting minutes
Photographs and videos of the works and the defects, with dates
Any expert or inspection reports already obtained

Yes — but the sequence decides the claim. Terminate properly on notice, document the state of the works and the defects before the new contractor touches anything, and keep the replacement cost reasonable. Done in the wrong order, the abandoning contractor gets arguments he does not deserve.

Certify the work done to date, demand formally, and use the contract’s suspension rights rather than simply walking off — leaving site without following the steps converts your payment claim into their abandonment claim. The paperwork before departure is what your case will stand on.

Often not — construction carries statutory defect-liability periods that run for years after delivery, longer again for structural failure, and the contract may extend them. What matters now is notifying the defect in writing promptly and recording it before repairs alter the evidence.

In defect and delay cases, usually yes — the technical cause and the cost to remedy are what the court is deciding, and an independent inspection made early, before repairs, is worth several made later. We brief the expert on the legal issues so the report answers the questions the case will actually turn on.

The contract may already have chosen for you — arbitration clauses bind. Where the route is open, the debtor’s solvency, the amount and the need to finish the works decide it. Proceedings run with our Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice; the strategy is set before the first filing, not discovered during it.

Lawyers for this matter

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