I joined SEN Legal in February 2018 as a Paralegal before starting my Training Contract and becoming a Trainee Solicitor. I qualified as a Solicitor in November 2020. Prior to joining SEN Legal, I obtained an LLB Second Class Honours, Upper Division (2:1) from Bangor University where I studied between 2009-2012. I then went on to work in management roles for a major retailer for 8 years primarily based in stores around East Anglia. I have always had a strong interest in Special Educational Needs which started at a young age due to my brother’s needs. This interest clearly grew further when I received my own diagnosis of Dyslexia on the 14th March 2004. My own personal journey having special educational needs, often allows me a unique insight into the minds of the young people we represent, from the perspective of having my own special educational needs and that of living with someone who has special educational needs, and the struggles they can face accessing the education system.
3-4 Forbes Business Centre, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7AR
Licensed for 3 years
Education
Richard Nettleton and the SEN Legal team are gold standard. They know their stuff inside and out. They are pragmatic and outcomes orientated. They are smart, informed, experienced, on top of their brief at all times, always available and in touch, straightforward and lovely to deal with. I'm so grateful to them for their support and for the result they achieved.
Was this review helpful? Yes
We used Richard's firm as we had already been through a protracted, painful process to get our eldest son assessed under the EHCP with our local authority. This had been a slow process, (often outside of the statutory milestones), with poor communication and little understanding of how we would get to the right outcome for our child. Whilst we had better experience with some of the individual practitioners who assessed our child, we also had frustrating experiences including an educational psychologist who did not actually see our child in person.
This resulted in an assessment and initial plan where we simply did not have any guidance as to what the right educational placement was and significant delays in even naming a placement even after most children already had their school places decided. Richard was a recommendation from the manager of the special needs playschool our child had been attending, and was an excellent one. He quickly assessed the situation, patiently and cogently set out our options and took us through the process of issuing a pre-action letter to the local authority to force them to name a placement.
Richard then took us through the process of both appealing against the placement named by the local authority, which was blatantly inappropriate, and into the tribunal process. He was diligent, patient with us and excellent at taking us through the process step by step. He was also excellent at dealing with the local authority and identifying when they were pushing boundaries and when to push back.
As a result of Richards and Bethans input, we were able to get the right assessments done independently, identify the right placement and get our child into an excellent specialist school that is already benefiting our son. Was it cheap? Probably not, although I suspect you could spend a lot more as well. But, more importantly, was it good value for money? Completely. Whilst we are lucky we can afford to do so, I fully believe that we would not have been able to achieve the outcome we did without Richard and his team, and our son would not have the placement and package of care that he did. Highly recommended.
Was this review helpful? Yes
I only have positive things to say. Very professional and responsive and a pleasure to deal with. The LA backed down on every issue prior to Tribunal. I dealt with Richard Nettleton & Bethan Hone.
Was this review helpful? Yes
I joined SEN Legal in February 2018 as a Paralegal before starting my Training Contract and becoming a Trainee Solicitor. I qualified as a Solicitor in November 2020. Prior to joining SEN Legal, I obtained an LLB Second Class Honours, Upper Division (2:1) from Bangor University where I studied between 2009-2012. I then went on to work in management roles for a major retailer for 8 years primarily based in stores around East Anglia. I have always had a strong interest in Special Educational Needs which started at a young age due to my brother’s needs. This interest clearly grew further when I received my own diagnosis of Dyslexia on the 14th March 2004. My own personal journey having special educational needs, often allows me a unique insight into the minds of the young people we represent, from the perspective of having my own special educational needs and that of living with someone who has special educational needs, and the struggles they can face accessing the education system.
Languages Spoken: English
SEN Legal Limited
3-4 Forbes Business Centre
Kempson Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP32 7AR
Phone 1284723952
Website
Thank you
Richard and Allys, I couldn't thank you enough for the outstanding service, support and reassurance you provided throughout the appeal process. Your expertise in this field is unmatched, and you are deeply committed to advocating for the rights of individuals with special educational needs. With compassion and a thorough understanding of the legal intricacies involved, you both ensured that my son received the best outcome we could have ever hoped for.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 24 April, 2024
Thank you, Keren! We're honoured by your kind words and grateful for the opportunity to support you and your son. Your appreciation means a lot to Richard and Allys. Best Regards, SEN Legal Limited
Was this review helpful? Yes
Totally wonderful and kept us sane in an insane proses .
The SEN school legal proses varies from county to county and frustratingly East Sussex is one of if not the worst most unprofessional to deal with in everyone I know who has had to experience.
Richard and his team kept us in the loop enough and as balanced as we could be in the whirlwind of crazy that is this process.
I’m not going to lye this was stressful and expensive but SEN legal got us over the finish line as quickly as they could and knew exactly what to do were we would have failed just through Lack of experience on this process. My advise is do use a Lawer from the start and do use SEN legal they are friendly and professional and kind
( you will need that to get through it )
We worked with Richard,Jame and Bethan and I can’t fault any of there work it was thorough and Richard knew what to do and when to do it for the best result and also what to say when we lost the plot and talked us down several times . Thank you Richard and your team. We also talked allot with Carl in accounts who was also professional and helpful all the way through this proses and made it possible when things got tight towards the end and endured my rubbish email management without judgment
( outwardly anyway )
We are forever grateful thank you all
Shelly Gez Blue and Pepper
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 19 April, 2024
Thank you, Shelly! We're grateful for your kind words about Richard, Jamyi, Bethan, and Karl's professionalism and support throughout the challenging SEN legal process. We're glad we could assist you through the whirlwind and get you over the finish line. Your feedback means a lot, and we're here for you whenever you need us. Best Regards, SEN Legal Limited
Was this review helpful? Yes
Excellent service!
Richard Nettleton and the SEN Legal team are absolutely amazing!
They made what was an extremely worrying and stressful time, so much easier to deal with and we were successful!
I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 14 March, 2024
Thank you, Shazia, for your kind words. We're delighted to hear that Richard Nettleton and our team were able to support you during what can be a stressful time, and that we achieved a successful outcome for you.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Richard Nettledon and Annabel Moore
My husband and I contacted SEN legal to help us fight the LA to get our son into the correct school! Richard Nettledon was absolutely superb and explained the whole process all the way through in a manner we could understand. From our very first meeting with a Richard he filled us with confidence and managed to win our case 8 months before it was meant to go to tribunal. Annabel Moore, Richards Para Legal was very good at explaining the process and responding to emails promptly. The whole process was stress free and actually worked out to be cheaper than what we first expected.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 21 February, 2024
Dear Suzy, Thank you for sharing your experience with SEN Legal and highlighting Richard Nettledon's superb guidance and Annabel Moore's diligent support. We're thrilled to have been able to resolve your case efficiently and cost-effectively, providing you with a stress-free experience. Your satisfaction and the successful outcome for your son mean the world to us.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Experience with SEN Legal
We used SEN Legal to appeal against our atrocious Local Authority for their handling of our son’s secondary school placement. From the first day, SEN Legal with the team assigned to us - Richard Nettleton and Annabel were exceptional.
They were friendly, approachable, meticulous and methodical with their explanation of legal strategy, their production of documents and preparation of the groundwork and paperwork and took us step by step patiently through the entire process.
Their recommendations and advice at every step of the way was accurate, to the point and clear. We put our trust in them and they absolutely delivered.
It is expensive, no doubt. But my wife and I knew that it was money well spent from the quality of the work they did.
We won our case with the Local Authority settling the days before the tribunal. They didn’t have a leg to stand on. We couldn’t have achieved this result on our own. It was clear from the legal weight, approach and strategy utilised by SEN Legal, that by ourselves we would have struggled.
Thank you Richard and Annabel for all your help in our son’s case.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 17 January, 2024
Dear Dulanka, We sincerely appreciate your detailed feedback and are thrilled to have played a positive role in your son's case. Richard Nettleton and Annabel are indeed exceptional, and we're glad their meticulous approach and support were valuable to you. Your trust in SEN Legal is greatly valued, and we're delighted to have delivered a successful outcome. Thank you for choosing us.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Highly recommend SEN Legal
SEN Legal is gold standard. They know their stuff inside and out. They are pragmatic and outcomes orientated. And their team is best in class: smart, informed, experienced, on top of their brief at all times, always available and in touch, straightforward and lovely to deal with. Most importantly: they get results.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 03 January, 2024
Thank you for your glowing feedback! We're thrilled to be considered gold standard and appreciate your kind words about Richard, Annabel and our knowledgeable and results-oriented team. If you ever need further assistance, we're here for you. Best regards, SEN Legal Limited
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Excellence - from no school to independent specialist place
Before contacting SEN Legal, we were completely ignored by the local authority. Within a day of SEN Legal sending a pre-action letter, we had a response from the LA after there had been nothing but silence from them for months despite our trying to contact them repeatedly and their breaching legal deadlines. Richard skilfully navigated us through the appeal process when the LA did not name a school for our child. Without SEN Legal, our son would not be in school and not getting the support he needs. We are so very grateful to Richard, Sophie, and the SEN Legal team for making an exceedingly stressful and incomprehensibly thorny process, manageable - and most importantly, successful. Throughout the process, Richard and Sophie were fantastic at communicating our options, efficient and proactive at chasing loose ends and heading off anything that would have meant our son received less provision than he needs. Their guidance was always sound and frankly, invaluable. We truly appreciated their expertise and sensitivity when dealing with our case. We could not recommend SEN Legal more highly.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 06 December, 2023
We sincerely appreciate your heartfelt feedback. It's rewarding to know that we played a pivotal role in ensuring your child's rights were acknowledged and addressed by the local authority. We're pleased Richard, Sophie, and the entire team could guide you through the complex appeal process, making it not only manageable but successful. Your kind words about our communication, efficiency, and proactive approach mean a great deal to us. We understand the stress associated with such processes and are honored to have contributed to a positive outcome for your son. Thank you for recommending SEN Legal, and please know that we're here to support you in the future if needed.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Expert Advice and Support
We are extremely grateful for the expert advice and support during what was a very anxious and stressful time for us.
We were impressed with your highly professional and competent services and found the fast response reassuring.
The process was greatly helped by your insightful and accurate expertise.
Your hard work gained many results including your attendance at the emergency annual review meeting after exclusion, resolving issues with the Local Authority regarding the Educational Health Care Plan, success in securing HLTA 1-1 in her plan, having the exclusion rescinded and ultimately keeping her in her mainstream setting. You have achieved all this and avoided tribunal and for this we are extremely grateful.
Thank you Richard!
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 04 December, 2023
Thank you so much for your heartfelt and appreciative feedback! We are thrilled to hear that we were able to provide expert advice and support during what was undoubtedly a challenging and stressful time for you. Your kind words about our services, as well as our fast and reassuring responses, mean a lot to us.
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Support with tribunal and subsequent letter re transport
Richard and his team were helpful and supportive. I went to tribunal to get my son a place in specialist College (post 16). Despite him having an ehcp + specialist school, sen dept were trying to place him in mainstream and then an unsuitable specialist. Richard gave me pointers of people to do specialist reports etc for the tribunal when I couldn't find anyone and generally made the whole process less stressful than it would otherwise have been.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 06 November, 2023
We're glad to hear that Richard and his team provided helpful and supportive assistance during the tribunal process to secure the best placement for your son in a specialist college. Reducing stress and guiding you through the process are essential aspects of our service, and we're here to support you with any future legal needs or questions. Your trust in our services is greatly valued.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Prompt, thorough expert advice, highly professional and reassuring
We are sincerely grateful to Richard Nettleton and the team at Sen legal for all their help and advice on what has been a very difficult, personal family matter. Richard provided us with excellent first class service and expert advice in a very specific situation with the local authority. We needed prompt action and Sen legal delivered. Thank you for everything you've done for our son during what has been for us the most difficult of times.
Solicitor named in this review: Richard Nettleton
A representative from SEN Legal Limited responded to this review on 01 September, 2023
Thank you, Jan & Andrew, for your kind words. We are pleased to hear that Richard and Annabel provided you with excellent service and expert advice during a challenging family matter. Your gratitude is greatly appreciated. Have a great weekend, SEN Legal
Was this review helpful? Yes