Collective Legal Ltd

My experience with Collective Legal was extremely disappointing and turned what should have been an exciting experience of buying my first home into months of unnecessary stress and frustration. Throughout the conveyancing process, communication was extremely poor. Emails frequently went unanswered, calls were not returned, and I constantly had to chase simply to understand what was happening with my purchase. I always responded promptly and provided everything requested from me, yet I often felt that unless I chased, asked Fix My Legals to intervene or escalated the matter, very little happened. Even Fix My Legals repeatedly tried to contact Collective Legal by phone and email on my behalf and struggled to get responses. Another major issue was the additional fees added during the transaction. I disputed some of these charges, but as completion approached, I felt I had no real choice but to pay them under protest because I was afraid that refusing would cause further delays or jeopardise my completion. This was incredibly upsetting and added even more pressure to an already stressful situation. The delays also had real consequences for my family. I had planned approximately one month between completion and leaving my rented property to renovate the house. Because of the delays, I was left with only around 15 days. I am now having to move into my home with essential work unfinished, including the bathroom and bedroom flooring. The mental and physical toll of this experience has been enormous. Instead of enjoying such an important milestone, I spent months chasing emails and calls, worrying about completion and then physically rushing to complete renovations in half the time we had planned. I understand that conveyancing can involve unavoidable delays, but clients should not have to constantly chase simply to know what is happening with their own purchase. I finally have my home, but I am entering it mentally drained and physically exhausted. Based on my personal experience, I would not use Collective Legal again and could not recommend their conveyancing service.

I had a very disappointing experience with this conveyancing firm as a solo first-time buyer. After instructing them, I received no meaningful response for nearly a month despite repeated emails and phone calls. It then took around five weeks just to complete initial background and funds checks, which caused unnecessary delay from the outset. There were also issues with how my Lifetime ISA funds were handled. Despite clearly stating multiple times how much I wanted to withdraw, the firm withdrew the full amount without my consent. In addition, these funds were requested around three weeks before an exchange date had even been agreed, due to the firm not realising the seller’s onward purchase was still progressing. This suggests matters were not being managed or communicated effectively. The most concerning issue came at the end of the process. The day before completion, I was charged an unexpected £450 + VAT “expedite fee.” I was told this was due to completing before a 120-working-day deadline. They stated that this is an ‘unforeseen circumstance’ and so an additional fee can be charged despite previously being informed by the firm that they were aiming to complete within that timeframe. The deadline was also an 8 month period which I would argue is foreseeable that the sale would complete before exactly 120 working days. When I challenged this, I was eventually given a different explanation—that the fee related to meeting the seller’s solicitor’s newly proposed dates for exchange. At no point was I made aware that agreeing to proposed dates could result in additional charges. Furthermore, it appeared to me that my solicitors were ready before the sellers onward purchase as they took my LISA fund and stated that they are awaiting the sellers onward purchase final legal proceedings. I would also argue that a 5 month completion time is not ‘fast’ given my simple chain. Given the timing—immediately before completion—I felt I had no realistic option but to pay the fee in order to proceed with the purchase. No mention of these additional fees were stated in my client care letter or initial quote despite being aware of the 120 working day deadline. Overall, I found the service to be poorly communicated and lacking transparency, particularly around costs. I would strongly advise against using this firm.

We used Paramjit for our property sale. Amazing service from start to finish. Regular updates, no chasing required, a very reasonable fixed rate and generally just an extremely professional service, all handled via email, phone and video calls. I would strongly recommend Paramjit to anyone looking for a conveyancing solicitor.