David Bridge
The worst possible experience
Without doubt the worst professional services firm I have ever encountered. They estimated that administering my relative’s estate would take 9-12 months. Now, four and a half year’s later, they are holding my family’s money and paying almost no interest on it, while refusing to answer my emails or return my calls. Along the way they have got the law wrong (admitted), neglected to claim the nil rate band for inheritance tax, provided an incorrect IHT reference number so the payment could not be traced by HMRC, taken money from our client account for a bill which they hadn’t showed us (and which proved to be grossly inflated), failed to request the deceased’s money from banks for over two years and consistently failed to respond when asked for updates. There are clear breaches of the SRA rules here: taking money before invoices are sent to the client, holding money in client account without good reason, communicating with government agencies contrary to the client’s interests and without their knowledge, failing to respond to a complaint for over 8 months. This firm should not be in business. The ombudsman process is glacial, doubtless because Sparlings are deliberately dragging it out as much as they can. If this doesn’t sound like the sort of experience you are looking for, avoid Sparlings like the plague.
