Phoebe
Would not recommend for conveyancing
Unfortunately, our experience with Bennett Oakley fell well short of what we expected. Despite our best efforts, we encountered repeated delays, poor communication, and an ongoing need to chase for updates and progress which ultimately left us questioning what we were actually paying for. The main issues we experienced were: - Through the process we regularly asked whether there was anything outstanding on our files and were either told there was nothing requiring action or didn't get a clear answer. We then repeatedly found items were unresolved at critical moments in the process. If the file had been reviewed thoroughly a lot of unnecessary costs, stress and uncertainty could have been avoided. - We found ourselves researching and suggesting solutions to move the sale forward. For example, an issue with outstanding building accounts led to weeks of back-and-forth. After doing our own research, we suggested a retention which resolved the issue. We have since completed another property transaction with a different solicitor, who immediately proposed this to us when faced with a similar situation. This made us question why it hadn't been suggested to us by Bennett Oakley and what other items could have been resolved swiftly with more comprehensive legal advice. - We understand that solicitors can't control how quickly third parties respond, but we expected them to be our advocate, follow up properly and make clear requests. Instead, emails sent by BO lacked sufficient context and common sense, which undoubtedly added to the delays and confusion. - On one occasion, confidential information relating to another client was sent to us. Although they apologised for this, we felt it was hugely symptomatic of the lack of care being taken. More recently a bill was sent to us and subsequently retracted only after we questioned it. All of the above led us to make two formal complaints during the process, we felt that these were brushed off with no significant redress or improvement in the quality of the service. The only positive interaction we had was with Sasha during the completion week. She communicated clearly, acted quickly and clearly knew what needed to be done. We really appreciated her help and all credit to her for representing the firm better than the senior partners. Buying and selling property is stressful enough and ultimately we felt that Bennett Oakley was a hindrance rather than a help and that their actions often put us on the backfoot with our buyer and seller. We spent more time and energy chasing and managing our solicitors than being represented by them. Based on this experience, we would not recommend Bennett Oakley for conveyancing.
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