Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors is a law firm that employs highly talented legal experts across nine locations in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
From our locations in Accrington, Bacup, Blackburn, Bury, Clitheroe, Great Harwood, Haslingden, Rawtenstall and Salford we have teams of specialist, friendly lawyers committed to delivering outstanding results and service to businesses, individuals and families.
The range of legal services available at Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall is comprehensive.
If you’re a business, we have a dedicated employment law team that can help prevent and deal with people issues should they arise. Protection is a key theme for our business law team which helps clients on a variety of matters including corporate structures, terms and conditions, contracts and legal policies.
Our corporate team advises clients on buying and selling businesses while we also advise on commercial property transactions. When things don’t go to plan our commercial property disputes and business disputes teams are on hand to help.
Our solicitors who advise individuals and families provide an expert and sympathetic approach. Our expertise ranges from buying and selling a house and financial advice to complex and sensitive matters involving family law, civil disputes, employment problems, asset planning, landlord tenant and housing, personal injury, medical negligence.
Our qualities lie in our people and their experiences. Our specialists have helped thousands of clients get the best possible legal result. Visit our people section to find out more.
This leads us up to the present day, when on the 20th September 2012 we became one firm under the name of Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall.
Woodcocks' History
Woodcocks (previously known as Woodcock & Sons) was established over 200 years ago and was the oldest family firm of solicitors in England, in which the original founding family has maintained its involvement throughout the whole of its history. Although Woodcocks was an amalgam of two firms each originally founded by separate branches of the Woodcock family.
Samuel Woodcock (1764 to 1843) began practicing in Bury in February 1791 after an apprenticeship in Preston. This business was continued by his direct descendants under the title of Samuel Woodcock & Sons in Broad Street, Bury. The nephew of Samuel Woodcock, James Woodcock (1798 to 1835) began to practice as a solicitor in Haslingden in 1821 and that firm later became known as Woodcock & Sons
The two firms continued their separate ways until the Second World War, when the sole principal of the Bury firm, Major Fred Woodcock died in 1944.
As his son John had not then qualified as a solicitor, a merger of the two firms took place and the two practices amalgamated as one firm under the name of Woodcock & Sons. An interesting family tree of the Woodcock family is displayed at our main offices.
Over the years Woodcock & Sons expanded in Ramsbottom in 1872, into Rawtenstall in 1982 and then into Bacup in 1988. Woodcock & Sons also took over the practices of Whiteside and Lord in Rawtenstall, Cotton & Garnett in Haslingden and JV Pilling of Bacup
In 1993 Woodcocks took the major step of opening a Financial Services Department in order to expand its expertise and to assist clients in the difficult and complex field of financial advice.
The firm continued to offer services from its three offices until it merged with Woodcocks in September 2012, becoming Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall
Haworth & Nuttall's history
Haworth & Nuttall was a combination of well known and long established local firms.
In 1878 two brothers Eli and Bancroft Haworth set up in practice together as solicitors in their home town of Blackburn. For over 100 years the firm which they founded occupied premises at 7 Lord Street West originally near the fashionable town houses on King Street and close to the Cathedral and now close to the town centre precinct.
A branch office in Great Harwood opened over 85 years ago and this remains open for business today.
The premises and the practice expanded further and in 1931 George Nuttall, an Accrington solicitor joined the firm and the office in his home town was opened.
In May 1993 Haworth & Nuttall merged with Blackburn’s Riley and Co to strengthen and increase its expertise in commercial property work and then in May 1999 it merged with Whittaker Pratt and Hudson, the most senior law firm in Accrington.
Giving back policy
Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall’s people go the extra mile. Not only for our clients but for the many communities in which we operate.
We have helped raised tens of thousands of pounds for charities across the region as well as giving legal advice to charitable bodies on a pro-bono basis.
Education also plays a key role in the firm’s giving back policy. We work closely with local schools and colleges helping young people gain valuable work experience.
Below are some of the organisations we are proud to support.
