Let Down
Dangerous and defensive. Avoid.
Avoid this firm at all costs, particularly if you are a vulnerable client navigating the Family Court system. I instructed Biscoes for a complex domestic abuse case, and their conduct has been nothing short of a dereliction of duty. The Head of Family Law, Stephanie Bellchambers, utilised punitive silence as a weapon, refusing to draft my core court documents (including my Witness Statement and Scott Schedule). She abandoned me to draft and file these traumatic, highly technical documents myself while facing a hard court deadline, only to later complain to her management that I had done so. Worse still, when my abuser's solicitors missed a critical deadline to serve their evidence, Stephanie unilaterally granted them an extension without my knowledge, instructions, or consent, actively prejudicing my ability to prepare my defence. Throughout the case, she completely ignored severe safeguarding evidence, and consistently refused to engage with me on it. When I escalated these severe SRA Code of Conduct breaches to the Managing Director and Compliance Officer (COLP), Alison Lee, the response was appalling. She completely rubber-stamped the negligence, fabricated a narrative that directly contradicted her own Head of Department's written emails, and could not even be bothered to spell my surname correctly in her formal response. Instead of taking accountability for actively prejudicing a live case, they will try to deflect you to the Legal Ombudsman. They mimic the exact dynamics of coercive control—punishing clients who ask questions and demanding unquestioning compliance while failing to execute basic legal duties. If you need a firm that will actually advocate for the safety of you and your children, look elsewhere.
A representative from Biscoes Legal Services Limited responded to this review
We are sorry that you have felt the need to complain about our advice and representation of you in this very emotional and complex matter in which we have sought to offer expert advice from our highly experienced team. We have responded as best we can to your instructions however it is the role of a good lawyer to try and guide clients for the best outcome.
