This review is for a different branch.
I hired this firm for a number of years and, now that our business is concluded, I am ultimately left with a poor impression of them. Getting in touch with solicitors to discuss even minor points in a case has been far more difficult than it should be. Weeks could pass without even the acknowledgement of receiving an email, sometimes about fairly urgent matters. Out of frustration with the promptness of responses I received I sometimes visited other family legal advice services, desperate for the input of a solicitor. Having to turn to other sources to get straight information that the solicitor you have paid will not provide in a timely manner... there is something wrong with that.
But it is the evasiveness on issues of importance to me that ultimately has me feeling let down by this firm. I conveyed to my solicitor my expectations of the outcome of the legal process. It was only a year afterwards that I found these expectations, once challenged, to be unrealistic. I put forward at various points my expectations as bluntly as I could, and found myself again and again unsure what to do with the answer received. Replies were conservative to the point of being anodyne; the lack of candor and directness, even in private email discussions, could be infuriating. On key substantive points of the case I was often unsure of where I stood and as a result unable to plan my next move going forward.
While my overall impression of the firm is negative, there were some positive aspects. When my solicitor was available she was very engaging to speak with, via the phone or on Skype (I do not live in Devon). While the cost of legal fees was substantial, I have no reason to believe it would have been cheaper at another firm. I was able to achieve quite a bit in the settlement, but ultimately the inability to communicate regularly with my solicitor in a timely manner and – crucially – her inability to provide me with clear information upon repeated request have left a bitter taste.
