Ackroyd Legal (London) Llp

I have never encountered such a chaotic and frustrating onboarding process from a conveyancing firm. Within days of instructing Genevieve Snow at Ackroyd Legal, I discovered multiple contradictions in their own paperwork. The engagement letter stated a £35 payment on account in one section and a £150 payment on account in another, leaving me to chase them to find out which figure was actually correct. The portal instructions were equally confusing, and the login credentials provided failed to work as instructed. What made matters worse was the complete lack of ownership when these issues were raised. Despite providing screenshots showing that I had followed the instructions and that the portal credentials did not work, I was repeatedly told to use the very same credentials and processes I had already tried. It felt as though nobody was actually reading my emails before responding. The communication was astonishingly poor. I was told to contact the phone team, only for the phone team to tell me to wait for an email response. When I eventually spoke to my case handler, I was met not with an apology or an attempt to resolve the problems, but with blame-shifting and defensiveness. Rather than acknowledging the errors and inconsistencies that were causing the issues, the impression given was that everything was somehow my fault. The most worrying aspect is that these problems occurred before the legal work had even properly started. If a firm cannot provide accurate paperwork, consistent instructions, or basic customer service during the onboarding stage, it does not inspire confidence in its ability to manage a property transaction involving hundreds of thousands of pounds. Based on my experience, I would strongly advise prospective clients to look elsewhere. There are too many conveyancing firms available to accept this level of incompetence, contradictory information, and poor client care.

I would not use this firm again. Buying a property is stressful enough without having to constantly chase your own solicitor for answers. Despite what the firm claims, our experience was one of confusion, poor communication and a complete lack of proactive support throughout the transaction. This was an auction purchase, yet it often felt as though we knew more about the process than the solicitor handling the file. We were left extremely concerned shortly before completion when it appeared we needed to find an additional £10,000, causing unnecessary stress at a crucial stage of the purchase. The problems didn't end after completion either. Months later, both ourselves and the management company were still chasing matters that should have been dealt with as part of the conveyancing process. The management company had no idea we had even completed and moved into the property, and repeated attempts to contact the firm went unanswered. What disappointed me most was the response to our formal complaint. Rather than acknowledging our experience, the firm chose to count the number of emails sent and effectively tell us that our expectations were unreasonable. Communication is not measured by the number of emails sent; it's measured by whether clients are kept informed, understand what is happening and feel supported throughout the process. The fact that I felt compelled to raise a formal complaint says everything about the service we received. Also the fact that Ackroyd Legal finished the complaint off with 'Please note that this reply closes the complaint.' On who's terms? Definitely not mine.

Hi, I am not kind of a person who leaves a bad review, but when it happens it means I have been pushed to my limits and beyond. It has been my bad luck to have to deal with Ackroyd Legal, who deserves less than 1 star if there was any. An incompetent solicitor was assigned to my case (Muaz Bajwa), who had the worst communication skills that I’ve seen in my whole professional life. Unable to respond to e-mails in a timely manner, needed constant reminders, unable to understand basic instructions. To that point I had to send e-mails to him, and put the other side’s solicitor in the CC just to ensure my e-mails would reach him, because I couldn’t trust the skills of this incompetent solicitor. I sent an e-mail to the firm last November (November 2026), requesting to have him replaced, yet nobody from the firm bothered to contact me to find out what’s going on. I even went to the firm, and met him in person, and told him bluntly and to his face that I’m not happy with his communication skills, still nothing changed. Throughout this engagement I couldn’t get a full funding for the property, because it was de-valued by the bank. I got funding but it was £30K short due to valuation. The disaster took place when the other side’ solicitor asked me bluntly not to put him in the loop of my e-mails. I obeyed that and stopped doing so. On 8/5/2026 the other solicitor sent me a new deal for the property in question and this incompetent solicitor sent it to me. I responded the same day, and told him that I couldn’t understand the specifics of the deal and requested clarification. Then he SLEPT on that e-mail for a WHOLE MONTH.On 8the of June the other solicitor has sent an e-mail suggesting that the developer is withdrawing from the sale. That meant losing my deposit of the £26K, whixh is lost because of this incompetent solicitor. Thanks to his POOR communication skills. The same day I sent him an email requesting a call to understand my legal position, no response. The following day I raised a complaint to this firm. Has he admitted and apologised for his failure? no, instead he became so unprofessional and demanded I withdraw my complaint. Not only that, but also the complaint manager (another incompetent solicitor) named Peter Benjamin, took a decision to side with his solicitor, and NOT to FOLLOW the Complaint Procedure, which states clearly that I should have the opportunity to present my evidence for their malpractice, and be invited to the office if needed, and that didn’t happen. I gave them several days to handle the matter professionally, and they failed to do so. Not only they cost me to lose my deposit of £26K, but also losing the fee that I paid them, and on top of all of that, they ended this engagement abruptly and unprofessionally. Still, I’ll complain to the Legal Ombudsmen. Totally not recommended and should be avoided at any coat. Happy to share more details in private if necessary.

I had an extremely disappointing experience with Ackroyd Legal, who were appointed by LSM. This is the second time I have had a poor experience with this firm, which makes it even more concerning. The service was consistently unprofessional, careless, and at times shockingly incompetent. I was repeatedly given incorrect and misleading information. Each time I called to follow up, I was given different answers, which only added to the confusion and lack of confidence. They also failed to switch the mortgage product on the agreed date and did not inform me of the delay. I only discovered this after chasing them myself more than two weeks later. This lack of communication and accountability caused unnecessary delays in transferring my mortgage product from Skipton to Leeds. As a direct result of their errors, I ended up paying additional interest, which should never have happened. Communication throughout was poor. Responses were irregular and often came at odd hours, sometimes around 3am, raising serious concerns about whether my case was being handled by staff outside the UK who may not be fully familiar with UK legal requirements. At no point did I feel confident that my case was being managed properly. The entire experience was frustrating, stressful, and entirely avoidable. Based on my experience, I would strongly advise others to think twice before using this firm. The level of service falls well below what any client should reasonably expect.

I usually do not leave negative reviews, but my recent experience with this firm has been so distressing, time‑consuming, and financially damaging that I feel compelled to share it so others can make informed decisions. 1. Serious mishandling of my remortgage process In my opinion, the firm demonstrated a concerning lack of competence in handling a very straightforward remortgage. Basic steps that any professional conveyancer should know — such as requesting a redemption statement, checking lender instructions, and redeeming the correct mortgage account — were either overlooked or completely ignored. As a result, the wrong mortgage account was redeemed, and the correct one was left active. 2. I was left paying two mortgages in the same month Because the firm failed to redeem the correct mortgage account in line with the lender’s instructions, I was charged an additional full mortgage payment on my old mortgage. This caused significant financial strain, all of which could have been avoided had the process been handled properly. 3. Poor communication and lack of accountability Despite raising concerns early, my initial complaint was closed without explanation, even though senior members of the firm were copied into the communication. This left me with no confidence that my case was being taken seriously. There were long delays, unanswered emails, and a complete lack of clarity. I found myself constantly chasing for updates while the situation worsened. 4. Incorrect information provided to the lender Even after a Barclays mortgage advisor personally contacted the solicitor to explain the correct process, the solicitor still acted incorrectly. In my opinion, this demonstrated either a lack of understanding or a lack of attention to detail — both unacceptable when dealing with clients’ finances. 5. Unexpected fee increase with no explanation My quoted solicitor fee was suddenly increased from £495 to £555 without any notice, justification, or invoice. This added to the overall lack of professionalism and transparency. 6. Severe stress and emotional impact The errors made by this firm caused weeks of unnecessary stress, uncertainty, and disruption. At several points, I felt completely lost and unsupported — especially when the person handling my case was unresponsive or dismissive. 7. Escalation became necessary Due to the lack of proper response, I felt I had no option but to escalate the matter all the way to the firm’s CEO just to get someone senior to take ownership. I do not take such steps lightly, but the experience left me with no confidence in the internal handling of my case.   ⭐ Conclusion Based on my personal experience, I cannot recommend this firm. What should have been a simple remortgage became a highly stressful and costly ordeal due to repeated mistakes, poor communication, and a lack of accountability. I hope no other client has to go through what I experienced.