The organisation, people and circumstances are invented to explain a possible assignment. No appointment, contract, saving or commercial outcome is claimed.
The client’s starting point
An overseas property owner is considering alterations to a London building. They already have a solicitor, but survey questions, cost estimates and project responsibilities are scattered across several conversations. They want a clear picture before deciding whether to commission further work.
The proposed assignment
A defined consultancy brief could begin by listing the owner’s objective, current advisers, documents available and unanswered questions. With permission, Jack could coordinate requests to the appointed professionals and identify gaps where further expertise may be needed. The assignment does not include surveying the building, obtaining permission or providing legal advice.
The practical outputs
The agreed outputs could be a project brief, a responsibility list, a document-request register and a decision schedule. Each item should distinguish confirmed facts from a professional opinion still awaited. A short update can show what has changed, who needs to respond and what decision remains with the owner.
Authority, confidentiality and fees
The owner would identify who can instruct work and approve additional costs. Information would be shared only with agreed recipients through an appropriate channel. Each professional confirms their own terms and remains responsible for their advice. Jack’s coordination scope, fees, reporting frequency and any referral remuneration would be disclosed and agreed separately.
When the work stops or changes
If surveys reveal a different project, the owner may pause, appoint another specialist or abandon the proposed works. A useful closing output is a handover showing completed coordination tasks and unresolved decisions. No purchase, permission, finance or construction outcome is claimed.
Deliverables to agree before work starts
- A brief showing the property objective and decisions required
- An adviser responsibility and document-request register
- A status update separating confirmed information from open questions
- A closing handover with next actions and their owners
Scope, exclusions, fees, authority, reporting recipients and third-party costs should be agreed before an assignment begins.
Prepare your own project brief
Start with your objective, the next decision, your existing team, timing and who can approve the assignment. Share an outline first; confidential documents can follow through an agreed secure route.
Prepared for Jack Cousins, Head of Mortgages at Lockhart Murphy. Updated 10 November 2026.
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