Debenhams Ottaway LLP

4.9 | 99 Reviews 99 Reviews | Housing & Property

345 Total Company Reviews

Housing & Property |

345 Total Company Reviews Housing & Property |

345 Total Company Reviews

Ivy House, 107 St. Peters Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3EW

01727837161

Not accepting new clients via ReviewSolicitors

Regulated by:

The Solicitors Regulation Authority

Regulator ID: 567621

Debenhams Ottaway LLP |

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Debenhams Ottaway LLP only have 345 reviews listed.

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4.9

Excellent

99 Reviews

Value for
Money

Success
Rate

Would
Recommend

Communication 4.9/5

Initial Impressions 4.9/5

Approachability 4.9/5

Documentation Accuracy 4.9/5

Legal Knowledge 4.9/5

Value for money 4.7/5

Accreditations

Trading names:

• Debenhams Ottaway

Rankings by area of expertise

Local 1 / 3

National 260 / 11,168

Contact details

01727837161

lawyers@debenhamsottaway.co.uk

www.debenhamsottaway.co.uk

Ivy House, 107 St. Peters Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3EW

Debenhams Ottaway LLP

4.9 | 345 Reviews

This law firm has 2 branches

Head office

Ivy House, 107 St. Peters Street, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3EW

21 Solicitors

The Corn Works, Station Road, Radlett, WD7 8JY

4 Solicitors

Visit

Clients say

Clients praise the firm’s breadth of specialisms—wills, probate, LPAs, conveyancing, employment, family, insolvency and commercial/property work—with clear, practical, and timely legal advice. Valued soft skills include approachability, professionalism, responsiveness, attention to detail, clear communication and empathy during stressful matters. Recurrent positives are fixed/transparent fees, efficient processes and strong client support. Negative feedback is limited but includes occasional delays, some confusion over who was handling a case, and at least one unresolved mediation outcome — causing frustration where expectations about timescales or final resolution were not met.

Friendly service

Professional staff

Clear communication

Prompt responses

Knowledgeable solicitors

Attention to detail

Efficient process

Supportive approach

Fixed fees

Confusing staffing

Ahmed

11 Feb 2021

Housing & Property

Asking for money several month afters end of service

I was about to use their service to buy a house, and had to cancel the process in the middle. And notified them and everything was settled. Only 6 months after I started receiving emails from them to pay outstanding invoice and when asked why, they say because they charged me 450GBP for the environment search that they applied for during the process and later learned it costs more. Which is weird and unacceptable. How come they come they didn't know that before applying for the searches? and how come they assume I am okay to be charged more without telling me before hand? For this alone I wouldn't recommend them as this kinda of behavior feels like scam

Solicitors tagged in
this review

Karen Ann Harding

A representative from Debenhams Ottaway LLP responded to this review

03/03/2021

Dear Ahmed. Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. I am sorry to hear that your purchase didn’t go ahead. I know how frustrating and disappointing this can be. Providing great client service is very important to the team at Debenhams Ottaway. If you would like to understand why we delayed sending you the invoice for the searches, I would be very happy to explain. Please contact me, Julia Taylor, on 01727 738257.

Stuart

13 Jul 2020

Housing & Property

Incredible service in challenging times

I would like to share with anyone who reads this review what I effectively wrote to our solicitor and her team we were tremendously lucky to have on our side at Debenhams Ottaway... In addition to yourself (Ruth Boulton), I would also like to share with you just how fantastic your colleagues Karen (Harding), Natalie (Clarke) and Lisa (Ambler) are. They really are an absolute credit to Debenhams Ottaway and the profession. We found Karen to be very friendly, responsive, professional and very good counsel for us as we struggled through a frustrating previous chain that all started in June last year. Not only did she quickly ready us for sale on our first buyer, but also readied us for our purchase on the first property as well as getting us pretty much ready for our sale with our second buyer after we lost our first one! Fast forward. Your firm along with the wider society went into lockdown. We then find a house that we think could be an amazing home for our family for the next 30 years, and we need to move quickly on it. The logistical challenges of multiple parties working on reduced staff capacity and often working from home, this could all have been a disaster! Firstly Ruth, we would like you to know how grateful we were that you were able to prepare your report so quickly and efficiently in very difficult circumstances. I would like to make a special mention for Natalie, who was our main contact throughout this immensely challenging time. Natalie has been simply incredible for us. She has always been available, communicative, professional, consultative and empathetic. She had to deal with so many difficulties generated by other parties in our chain. And Natalie has had to deal with us and what all this was doing to us! Natalie is the very definition of going above and beyond, she is a credit to the firm and to the profession. We are very lucky to have had her as our link! I’d also like to mention Lisa, with whom we had our main contact during Exchange and Completion. There was a very tight turnaround in between Exchange and Completion - magnified by the context of lockdown. Yet Lisa was very responsive and diligent with all that was involved with the Completion statement. Overall, I would urge anyone to choose this team at Debenhams Ottaway for buying/selling your home. It is critically important to have high quality, responsive, reliable and empathetic solicitors in your corner.

Solicitors tagged in
this review

Ruth Louise Boulton

Karen Ann Harding

Ewen Rose

13 Aug 2026

Buying and selling your home

Thank you for your help and support with what can be a stressful experience. Laila and Stuart kept us well informed and responded quickly to any concerns.

Anonymous

6 Aug 2026

Housing & Property

Buying and selling your home

Ruth was very approachable and gave correct advise

C Townsend

10 Jul 2026

Buying and selling your home

Third time we have dealt with Debenhams Ottaway and second time with Ms Natalie Clarke over the last 6 mths, as handled a probate sale for our family, and also our recent property purchase. Very responsive, professional advice and swift in action. A pleasure to work with..

Chris

29 Jun 2026

Buying and selling your home

Good service overall. Stuart and Laila’s calm, gentle and knowledgeable advice was very welcome during what was a very difficult life transition for me. Thank you

Anonymous

28 Jun 2026

Buying and selling your home

The process was smooth from the outset. Fees were fixed and clearly laid out. All communications were prompt and accurate, with additional explanations provided when required.

Clients say

Friendly service

Professional staff

Clear communication

Prompt responses

Knowledgeable solicitors

Attention to detail

Efficient process

Supportive approach

Fixed fees

Confusing staffing

Jonathan

31 Oct 2024

Sale of business

Excellent professional advise, great attention to detail and a willingness to ensure that all was completed by a very tight deadline.

Solicitors tagged in
this review

James Brawn

Vhd

1 Oct 2023

Employment

Lack of professionalism, they just after your money

I was a client to Michael Karrigan an employment solicitor at this firm, be very very careful about them as they plot against you to take as much money as they can take from you , a lot of trick a lot of hidden charges and if you question them or refuse to pay what you don’t owe them they send bailiffs at your door , I would avoid this company at any price . Stay away there is lack of client care , morality , integrity, extremely bad

Solicitors tagged in
this review

Michael Patrick Kerrigan

Jonathan

3 Mar 2023

Great Solicitor

As local Estate Agents down the road at Aitchisons, we are often asked to recommend a good conveyancer. With DB looking after you , you have nothing to worry about. Great service, communication and speed. Keep it up !

Solicitors tagged in
this review

Ruth Louise Boulton

Nicola

23 Feb 2021

Friendly and helpful

Always replied to calls or emails promptly. Friendly and helpful staff.

Sandra

19 Feb 2021

Professional and efficient

My matter was dealt with quickly and efficiently and as well as direct contact with the lawyer, the support staff were equally as professional and efficient

Ewen Rose

13 Aug 2026

Buying and selling your home

Thank you for your help and support with what can be a stressful experience. Laila and Stuart kept us well informed and responded quickly to any concerns.

Susanne Krysl

12 Aug 2026

Family law and divorce

I would recommend Debenhams Ottaway to anyone who is in family proceedings. Especially long lasting and complex cases are being dealt with in a sensitive and time efficient way.

Anonymous

11 Aug 2026

Court of Protection

I used Debenhams Ottaway to help me with a power of attorney and found their Court of Protection Manager friendly, willing to listen to any concerns, understanding, reassuring, accommodating and helpful.

Anonymous

11 Aug 2026

Other

I needed advice and support on a delicate and threatening matter and needed to engage yu at short notice. You came up trumps throughout right to a satisfactory conclusion. You delivered in a caring manner too and I am grateful. I would recommend Simon Tucker and Debenhams Ottaway without hesitation.

Anonymous

9 Aug 2026

Wills, trusts, inheritance and probate

Debenhams Ottaway provides a breadth of legal services, all of which are delivered in an exemplary manner. High levels of attention to detail, understanding of needs, clarity of communication, and practical advice and solutions are to be expected. I have no hesitation in highly recommending the firm.

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Debenhams Ottaway LLP

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