Q: My husband and I are tenant farmers. Now my dad is getting on he wants us to give up our farm next year and work for him on the family farm. He says it makes sense for us to take over the running now and if we do then we will inherit it when anything happens to him. The problem is, he’s not keen to go to a solicitor at this stage to legalise the arrangement and I’m worried that if we give up our farm and something goes wrong we will be left with nothing.

The busy private client team at one of the region’s top law firms has welcomed the appointment of a new solicitor to help cope with its ever increasing workload.

Q: My mum and step-dad married when I was two. Although he didn’t adopt me he’s the only dad I’ve ever known and he’s treated me exactly like my half siblings born to him and mum.

Q.  I separated from my husband last year and he has got a court order to see our son every week. My son has recently told me that his father is very often mean to him and if he does not do as he is told his father smacks him and locks him in his room. Can I stop the contact or will I be punished for breaching the Order?