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How Douglas Silas Solicitors Compares

Value for money

This firm - 100%
National Average
Poor Competitive Excellent

Excellent does not necessarily mean ‘cheap’. It means that clients thought that the level of service received was Excellent for what they paid.

This score has been calculated using up to the last 300 reviews left by clients of Douglas Silas Solicitors on ReviewSolicitors.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask reviewer questions about the value for money they felt they received by using Douglas Silas Solicitors. These questions include:

  • Value for money (a rating of 1-5)
  • How much were you initially quoted or how much did you expect to pay?
  • Approximately how much did you end up spending for the legal services provided (ignoring disbursements and court fees)
  • Did you think this was underpriced, overpriced or about right?
  • Overall experience

We use data science to amalgamate the answers to these questions and create a ‘ReviewSolicitors score’ out of 100. The above chart representation score is a simple percentage representation of the averaged score across those who have reviewed this law firm.

Underpriced 0%
Overpriced 0%
About Right 100%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Would recommend to
friends and family

This firm - 100%
National Average
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

ReviewSolicitors uses our community data to show you how many clients used Douglas Silas Solicitors and have had a satisfactory experience where they have indicated that they would recommend the services of the law firm to their friends and family.

You can use this data to see how Douglas Silas Solicitors performs against other law firms nationally. A score close to 100% indicates that this firm is highly valued by their clients.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask the question:

"Would you recommend this firm to somebody else?"

The reviewer can select either “Yes” or “No”.

The above score is a simple percentage representation of the total amount of clients who selected the “Yes” option:

Yes 100%
No 0%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Satisfied with
outcome of matter

This firm - 100%
National Average
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

ReviewSolicitors uses our community data to show you how many clients used Douglas Silas Solicitors and were satisfied with the outcome of their matter. Being satisfied with the outcome of your matter is an important consideration to have in mind.

You can use this data to see how Douglas Silas Solicitors compares to the national average of clients being satisfied with the outcome of their matter after instructing a solicitor.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask the question:

"Were you satisfied with the outcome of your case?"

The reviewer can select either “Yes” or “No”.

The above score is a simple percentage representation of the total amount of clients who selected the “Yes” option:

Yes 100%
No 0%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Rankings by area of expertise

The rankings below show the areas of expertise that Douglas Silas Solicitors offers to clients. You can see how good the service offered is in comparison to all other law firms nationally.

Data shown above is based on the reviews and client feedback collected by ReviewSolicitors over the last 12 months.

Review Sources

Client Reviews

5.0/5

Reviews summary

  • Excellent

    180
  • Very Good

    1
  • Average

    0
  • Poor

    0
  • Awful

    0

Overall experience

  • Value For Money
  • Communication
  • Initial Impressions
  • Approachability
  • Documentation Accuracy
  • Legal knowledge
Anonymous

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Anonymous

July 13, 2025

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Excellent support

Douglas and the whole team were excellent throughout.

Offering personal and very responsive advice and help.

They understand the process in depth and can alleviate concerns.

Thanks for your help (and a successful outcome)!

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Jennie and Jason

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Jennie and Jason

July 04, 2025

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Supporting life changing outcomes

Douglas, Adam and Sam,

We wanted to extend our sincere thanks for the support you provided during our recent dispute with the LA. Your knowledge, professionalism and steady guidance made a real difference, not only in the outcome but in helping us navigate a difficult period.

Thanks to your support, the right provision is now in place for our son, giving him the opportunity to flourish. We’re genuinely grateful for the clarity and reassurance you brought throughout.

The positive impact of your support has been significant for our whole family, and we are keen to write this review to reflect our appreciation and assist other families in similar situations.

Thank you, Douglas and Team DSS

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Julie Gilmore

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Julie Gilmore

June 20, 2025

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20.06.2025

We had a wonderful experience with Douglas Silas Solicitors. Douglas, Adam and Sam were so helpful, professional and hard working and they made the whole experience understandable. Douglas supported us through very challenging times and was always one step ahead filling us with such confidence. We are so grateful for the support they provided.

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Veks

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Veks

June 04, 2025

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Unbelievable support in stressful times

We are incredibly grateful to Douglas and his team for their exceptional support throughout our recent SEN tribunal process. This was the second time we’ve used their services and the second time we’ve had a successful outcome.
Douglas is highly knowledgeable, honest in his advice, and brings a calm professionalism that’s both reassuring and effective. He genuinely understands what families go through and always made us feel heard and supported. His amazing support team; Adam and Sam, have been fantastic—always professional, prompt in their responses, and meticulous with follow-ups and deadlines.
The tribunal process is incredibly stressful, but their legal expertise and unbelievable support in stressful times made a world of difference. We cannot recommend them highly enough to any parent needing expert guidance and trusted support in SEN matters.

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Anonymous

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Anonymous

May 12, 2025

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Absolutely Amazing

Douglas and his team, Adam and Sam are absolutely fantastic. Skilled, knowledgeable, prompt and empathetic. We were trying to get our child placed in a specialist school as it was very clear that mainstream setting will be impossible to attend. We decided to engage Douglas’ services and this was the best possible decision.

They guided and supported us and we managed to get a placement for our child in that school. This wouldn’t have been possible without Douglas and his team.
They don’t over promise to parents, remain calm, firm and polite in interactions with LA.

Their payment plan is clear and you get detailed invoices on what their time has been spent on.

We recommend them whole heartedly and are so very grateful to them for giving us hope for the future. Thank you Douglas, Adam and Sam.

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Mr J Ford

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Mr J Ford

January 21, 2025

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EHCP Appeal

Douglas and the team were able to take our case through two appeals: one for appealing the decision not to issue an EHCP and one to appeal the EHCP's contents and the LA's failure to name the preferred independent school for our son. Although the appeals took time, Douglas and his team had extensive knowledge that could be applied to the case, which resulted in both appeals being successful and the full support needed in the EHCP being given. It was always positive dealing with Douglas and his team, and they always have the child's best interests at the centre of what they do, offering good, accurate advice throughout.

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Paul & Lisa Sedgwick

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Paul & Lisa Sedgwick

September 26, 2024

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EHCP appeal & tribunal

We are not sure where to start this review of Douglas and his team of Adam & Sam other than to say they are extraordinarily good!!

We had a complex (and at times daunting) case to try and secure a residential placement for our son Archie following leaving his school in June this year. We engaged Douglas in Summer 2023 and right from the outset he filled us with confidence. His considerable experience, obsessive attention to detail and cost effective fee solutions made us feel confident in our case. He took the time to really get to know us as a family and assembled a team of excellent experts to support our case. Douglas’s advice was spot on throughout in relation to both the strengths and weaknesses of our case. The tribunal was a success and the outcomes beyond our expectations and always at the centre of his advice, care and thoughts was our son Archie and achieving the best outcomes for him.

We would not hesitate to recommend Douglas - a truly exceptional and gifted SEN solicitor.

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Bali

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Bali

August 31, 2024

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Couldn’t recommend highly enough!

We contacted Douglas Silas after we lodged an appeal re our 4 year old son’s EHCP. The LA had stated he could go to mainstream, which we knew wasn’t the right place for him. We had such little knowledge about what to do, but Douglas stepped in and took over our appeal in the most friendly and professional manner. Not only is he extremely knowledgable, he is very personable, and put us at ease during every twist and turn of the appeals process. This process can be overwhelming for a parent, but Douglas was continuously reassuring us, as well as thorough with his work. There was never a time when we couldn’t contact him. We attended a tribunal hearing with Douglas in our corner, and within 5 minutes we had the school of our choice! The hard work that Douglas and his colleagues put in throughout the process meant the hearing was very quickly concluded. Our son’s EHCP now states the specialist school of our choice and has so much more provision to help him with his education. We would give 6 stars if we could!

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Yewande

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Douglas Silas Solicitors.

Matter Type:

Special Educational Needs

Yewande

August 30, 2024

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Legal Representation for Residential Placement

My experience with the firm was exceptional. The team was very professional and reliable. I must commend Douglas, Adam and also Sam for always responding to my every query. Simply put, the met all my needs and exceeded my expectations. I would have no reservation in recommending their service to anyone in need of their services

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Reviews collected from

Priyanka

Priyanka

May 30, 2024

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Priyanka

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for all your hard work and dedication in ensuring our tribunal appeal was successful. Your efforts have been instrumental in securing a favourable outcome and getting the school placement for our Daughter.

We are relieved and very grateful to you. Your expertise and commitment have made a significant difference for us.

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Bella

Bella

September 18, 2023

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Bella

Douglas Silas & his team are an incredible force to have on your side. Their mission is built around children with special educational needs, and the advice and support Douglas & team bring to the table is priceless.

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Oliver

Oliver

April 05, 2023

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Oliver

Wealth of knowledge and expertise. Thoroughly recommend

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Douglas Silas Solicitors are accredited by

accreditation

About this branch

Description

Douglas Silas Solicitors (DSS) is a small, niche, but nationally acclaimed and renowned firm of solicitors run by Douglas Silas. Douglas specialises exclusively in advising and representing parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and has done so successfully now for many years. Douglas has successfully represented thousands of parents of children with SEN and has helped them get the right provision or school for their child, even where they thought that there was no hope left. Douglas (who is himself physically disabled and uses a wheelchair to get around) has, over many years, become the foremost solicitor/firm in the country in the field of SEN (ranked by The Legal 500 amongst others). Douglas/our firm have also won numerous awards over many years, including: ‘SEN Law Firm Of The Year’, ‘Education Law Firm/Lawyer of the Year’, ‘Outstanding Achievement’ & ‘Niche Law Firm of the Year’ and he has also been shortlisted twice by the Law Society for its prestigious ‘Solicitor of the Year (Private Practice)’ award.

Practice areas

Special Educational Needs

Regulated by

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Legal services

Personal areas of law

  • Education
    • Special Educational Needs