Darren Bowen

Head of Residential conveyancing

Conveyancing

Whether you choose to instruct us on your purchase/sale will depend on what’s most important to you:

  • the cost, or
  • the quality of service you receive.

If it’s cost, there are plenty of cheap conveyancers out there.

But we believe that we get what we pay for.  And with something as pivotal as a house purchase or sale, a professional and reliable job is not only sensible; it’s essential.

What you'll get from us

  • You’ll have your own team working for you, headed by a specialist and highly experienced lawyer, and you’ll have the direct phone number and email address of all members of your team; so you’ll have a personal service.
  • You’ll have the right mix of skilled legal insight, practical proactive action and friendly, efficient service.
  • You’ll have a team with superb back up in terms of I.T., banking services, and practice management.

All our Clients’ comments are uploaded, every month, onto this website.
Have a look at them; they speak for us better than we ever could.

We’re not expensive; just realistic. So if you think we might be what you're looking for, ask us for a quote without obligation.

For price transparency information click here.

We promise that we will

  1. listen to you,
  2. communicate with you,
  3. advise you and, above all -
  4. get you moved

Contact us by phone or email.

Our Conveyancing Team

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Darren Bowen

Solicitor and Partner

Head of Residential Conveyancing

Darren Bowen

Direct Dial:01252 550419

Email Darren Bowen

Darren qualified as a Solicitor in 1994 and has been an equity Partner since 1998.

He is Head of Residential Conveyancing and his particular areas of interest are equity release schemes and leasehold extensions.

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Emma Fairbairn

Fellow Institute Legal Executives

Partner - Assistant Head of Residential Conveyancing

Emma Fairbairn

Direct Dial:01252 550417

Email Emma Fairbairn

Emma has been a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives since 1996 and an equity Partner since 2013.

She specialises in residential conveyancing and has a particular interest in old properties with difficult Titles.

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Sally Digweed

Licensed Conveyancer

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Sally Digweed

Direct Dial:01252 550416

Email Sally Digweed

Sally is a Licenced Conveyancer and has been a Partner since 2015. She specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Jo Elliott

Fellow Institute of Legal Executives

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Jo Elliott

Direct Dial:01252 550406

Email Jo Elliott

Joanna is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, having qualified in 2008, and has been a Partner since 2015.

She specialises in residential conveyancing and has a particular specialism in new builds and the Help to Buy Scheme.

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Georgina Short

Fellow Institute Legal Executives

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Georgina Short

Direct Dial:01252 550449

Email Georgina Short

Georgie manages one of our residential conveyancing teams.

After a Degree from the University of Nottingham in politics. She trained and qualified as a licenced conveyancer in 2012 and then as a chartered legal executive in 2014.

She trained in residential conveyancing with a local firm, Harrison Li, and then moved to a large specialist property firm in Guildford, GCL.   There, she worked closely with developers and purchasers and was chosen to spend 4 years working in Hong Kong as an appointed lawyer acting for purchasers at property exhibitions.

She joined us as a team manager in July 2018. 

Georgie is skilled in all aspects of residential conveyancing including shared ownership and help to buy assisted properties, new builds, auctions, re-mortgages and transfers of equity.

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Jane Gray

Solicitor

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Jane Gray

Direct Dial:01252 550420

Email Jane Gray

Jane qualified as a Solicitor in 2006 and has been a Partner since 2021.

Jane specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Sarah Coy

Fellow Institute of Legal Executives

Residential Conveyancer

Sarah Coy

Direct Dial:01252 550404

Email Sarah Coy

Sarah is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, having qualified in 2023.

Sarah specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Kate Reid

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Kate Reid

Direct Dial:01252 550402

Email Kate Reid

Kate specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Megan Appleton

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Megan Appleton

Direct Dial:01252 550430

Email Megan Appleton

Megan specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Nimmi Bains

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Nimmi Bains

Direct Dial:01252 550427

Email Nimmi Bains

Nimmi specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Sudesh Ghere

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Sudesh Ghere

Direct Dial:01252 550435

Email Sudesh Ghere

Sudesh specialises in residential conveyancing.

Excellent service from both Sarah Coy and Megan Donelan. Thank you! We are so glad our Estate Agent recommended Woodford Stauffer. We would not hesitate to use their services again in the future.

Case Ref. RES61754/SC

Thank you very much for your service and support throughout the sale process. We will certainly recommend your services to others.

Case Ref. RES62409/DAB

Georgina Short worked tirelessly for us, especially during some very fraught times. Her advice was sound. She was a joy to deal with. Luke Compton was very helpful with the finances and diligent in keeping us informed.

Case Ref. RES61983/GS

Aiden Keay has been excellent throughout the process of my sale and purchase, he has always responded quickly and efficiently. I have been kept up to date with the process at all times and everything has been explained to me with regard to the next stage(s). Every member of the team I have had dealings with has been very professional and knowledgeable, with special thanks to Aiden, Annette and Tina. I would definitely recommend Woodford Stauffer.

Case Ref. RES61886/DAB

Emma Fairbairn – Her professionalism, knowledge and support has made this very difficult process significantly easier. I thoroughly recommend her and will use her in any future purchases.

Case Ref. RES61872/EF

Annette Jameson guided me through the sale of my property and made the entire process stress free. Professional knowledgeable and most kind. I have used Woodford Stauffer for various conveyancing matters. I have always found them to be approachable, professional with competitive prices. A big thank you to all.

Case Ref. RES61966/DAB

Everyone I dealt with was very polite and professional. Great service, made everything easy as we lived 200 miles away. Thank you.

Case Ref. RES62024/DAB

Sarah Coy was very helpful and did an excellent job.

Case Ref. RES61778/SC

The whole team were excellent. It was great that our agent recommended a local solicitor for our conveyancing. This made it so easy and personal to be able to pop down to the office with any paperwork, ID, payment etc.

Case Ref. RES61031/SC

Tasman has been brilliant. I had excellent service from beginning to end.

Case Ref. RES61271/JG

Lorna Horrill provided a friendly and professional service especially in consideration of the hurdles we had to get over for what should have been a straightforward sale.

Case Ref. RES61652/NB

Annette was outstanding despite a tricky sale. Very proactive. Hard working, proactive company. Fast, efficient, get things done!

Case Ref. RES60052/DAB

Hi Darren – I know we all do this job for the love of it !!! :-) . Joking aside, I wanted to let you know that I think Sarah [Coy] is an absolute diamond and a massive credit to your company. Not only is it very refreshing to work with someone who just gets on with things, but the real kicker is that I have never heard her be negative or downbeat, which I think is a real star quality.

Case Ref. Local Estate Agent

Jane - Huge, huge thanks for getting us to exchange. You are being amazing throughout our sale process. We are really impressed with how you’re handling both sales with considered and sensible advice throughout. Thanks also to the lovely Maryanne for her support on this sale too.

Case Ref. RES62235 JG

Dear Jane – Hugh huge thanks for getting us to exchange. You have been amazing throughout both our sales processes. We are really impressed with how you handled both sales with considered and sensible advice throughout. Thanks also to the lovely Maryanne for her support on this sale too!

Case Ref. RES62235 JG

All staff were excellent. The whole set up was unbelievably efficient. Everything was s dealt with in a timely fashion and explained clearly. It was always easy to email or phone and get to speak to someone who knew what was happening. It made everything so much less stressful than previous experiences with other solicitors.

Case Ref. RES62427 JG

The whole team were excellent. Even when Georgina Short went on annual leave her desk was managed efficiently by Shimron who sent all documents and reports to me. They continued to update my progress and communicate either by email or telephone throughout. This is the second time I have used Woodford Stauffer and will definitely use them again if required.

Case Ref. RES62381 GS

City quality legal service – professional and friendly.

Case Ref. RES61518 GS

Sarah Coy was most thorough. Tina McDonough was helpful. If you are looking for a thorough service then I would recommend this company.

Case Ref. RES62472 SC

The whole team have been fabulous, nothing is too much trouble.,

Case Ref. RES62369 DAB

Really helpful and professional, always replied to our emails and kept us updated. Highly recommend and will continue to use for the future.

Case Ref. RES63129 GS

Thank you. Everything went reasonably smoothly and I always got quick response to emails and phoning directly.

Case Ref. RES62302 EF

Jo and Yvonne did an amazing job with our sale and purchase of our new property. Thank you very much! Really supportive and very good at keeping us in the loop. Advising us along the way, getting the move done.

Case Ref. RES62368 JE

We recently used Woodford Stauffer for our home move. Having previously had a very poor experience with a national conveyancing company on our previous home move were skeptical with all the positive reviews. All I can say is we need not have been skeptical – we were very pleased with the service they provided! There was virtually no chasing required from us and they were proactive all the way through the process, removing a huge amount of stress for all of us. All I can say is we highly recommend them and we would absolutely use them again if the need arises.

Case Ref. RES U/K Google Review

Excellent service supporting a property sale and purchase. Jane, Tasman and team provided superb service throughout the process – thank you and highly recommended!

Case Ref. RES61319 JG

Sarah Coy is always helpful, knowledgeable and responsive helping us through our sales and purchase activities. It is always a pleasure to work with Woodford Stauffer.

Case Ref. RES62771 SC

Annette Jameson has been really good very responsive and helpful throughout the process. Woodford Stauffer was recommended by McKenzie Smith (Ash branch - Darren Allett)– and I have been very pleased with your service. I’ve also let Darren know that I was pleased. My experience with you has been good – diligent, expedient and communicative.

Case Ref. RES61445 DAB

We would highly recommend Woodford Staufer for any sale or purchases of homes.

Case Ref. RES61685 DAB

Aiden was very helpful in finalising exchange on this matter; despite the difficulties faced by other solicitor’s delays. Aiden also helped us understand the process by explaining things clearly. Thank you, Aiden.

Case Ref. RES62568 DAB

Sudesh was thoroughly efficient from start to finish, and very pleasant to deal with. We valued her advice. A refreshing service, thank you so much. She is a credit to your practice. Communication was excellent; just what you need when negotiating a stressful situation.

Case Ref. RES59401 SG

Dear Sudesh and Team – Thank you very much for being my solicitor and helping me to sell my property. The whole process has been efficient, swift and effortless.

Case Ref. RES62498 SG

I had the pleasure of working with Emma who came highly recommended from others. As a first time buyer the process was challenging which is why I am grateful for having Emma putting my best interests first.

Case Ref. RES61872 EF

Lorna Horrill was very good at her job and kept us informed right up to completion.

Case Ref. RES62167 NB

Everyone I dealt with was polite, helpful and responded in a timely fashion, particularly Georgina Short, Chloe Field and Luke Compton. I took a while to choose a solicitor, checking reviews and testimonials and I was not disappointed with the service received. Excellent all round.

Case Ref. RES62392 GS

We feel that Aiden Keay acted in our best interests at all times, he remained calm and professional throughout the process even under somewhat challenging circumstances. We have dealt with Woodford Stauffer many years ago, hence why we returned to make use of their services and we would thoroughly recommend them to anyone looking for an excellent conveyancing firm of solicitors!

Case Ref. RES61847 DAB

Aiden in the conveyancing department was brilliant. He kept matters moving and always returned calls/emails. First class service received; I am now using him again for another house purchase. Would definitely recommend.

Case Ref. RES60959 DAB

Both Jo Elliott and Yvonne Hill were excellent.

Case Ref. RES62341 JE

Dear Sarah – Thank you very much for the excellent work by you and your team through the selling and buying process. I very much appreciate your clear communications and the friendliness of everyone at the office.

Case Ref. RES61791 SC

Sarah Coy was incredibly helpful. Not only keeping us informed of the process but also in helping us understand each step and progress of the chain. We would recommend Woodford Stauffer based on our experiences with Sarah.

Case Ref. RES61968 SC

All of the people we dealt with who work for Woodford Stauffer have been excellent.

Case Ref. RES60198 SG

Many thanks too for the efficient and helpful manner you dealt with this process. I would certainly be happy to use your services in the future.

Case Ref. RES60940 MA

Annette Jameson excellent service and very dedicated to providing a great service.

Case Ref. RES62511 DAB

Joanna Elliott was excellent throughout – always quick to respond and showing immense patience through a very protracted transaction! Absolutely no hesitation in recommending Jo and her team!

Case Ref. RES60380 JE

Jo and her team were very efficient and very friendly.

Case Ref. RES61105 JE

Aiden Keay – excellent throughout both transactions. Tina McDonough accurate and efficient. Having now completed 2 transactions through your firm with hopefully more to follow.

Case Ref. RES62656 DAB

Annette was absolutely brilliant 10/10 :-)

Case Ref. RES62073 DAB

Thank you to Annette Jameson for a very efficient service.

Case Ref. RES62290 DAB

Annette was a great help in ensuring all documents were dealt with promptly. Her communication was great! Woodford Stauffer managed the sale and purchase of our home with excellent communication.

Case Ref. RES61623 DAB

Darren always communicated openly and honestly and provided sound advice. We are grateful to the team at Woodford Stauffer for their work and would highly recommend them.

Case Ref. RES61513 DAB

Emma Fairbairn; not the first time I have used Woodford Stauffer. The first time I received fantastic service and due to an issue caused by a third party I received service over and above what I could have expected. That is the reason I got in contact with WS again, Emma had a lot to live up to, and she did, fortunately this time around things went a lot smother so did not need to go above and beyond, but the service was fantastic. Clearly very good at what she does and something which is unfortunately unusual a lot of the time, she kept me well informed and did things when they needed to be done. Appreciate that sounds like the minimum, but my experiences elsewhere would suggest that most chains are held up by things not being done when they are supposed to be, I have no such concerns when dealing with Emma. All in all, she was fantastic and we will be back in contact when WS’ services are needed again.

Case Ref. RES62300 EF

We received a very efficient service , the team at Woodford Stauffer kept me informed at all times. An already very stressful situation was controlled and managed by the proactive efforts of the team. Woodford Stauffer were recommended to us by a family member and in turn I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone.

Case Ref. RES62340 JG

Excellent service from start to finish, thank you to Jane and her team for getting my sale across the line!

Case Ref. RES61875 - JG

Sarah Coy and Meghan Donelan, they were always extremely helpful and efficient. No hesitation in recommending as we received excellent service! Thank you very much

Case Ref. RES61930 - SC

We found Nimmi to be excellent. Moving is stressful and Nimmi made it easy for us. Our e-mails and phone calls were always answered on the day. Some of the questions I found confusing but Nimmi would always help us out.

Case Ref. RES61838 - NB

All the staff involved were fantastic. Special thanks to Emma F and Sally (who covered). We would definitely recommend and will highly likely use you again in the future.

Case Ref. RES62801 - EF

Special thanks to Annette for all her hard work and Aiden who came in at the end to push us over the finish line. I would certainly recommend Woodford Stauffer.

Case Ref. RES53903 - DAB

We had an outstanding experience with Woodford Stauffer during our house purchase. Nimmi Bains and her assistant Georgie Mark were incredibly responsive and patient, guiding us through the process as first time buyers. I appreciated having their direct lines and felt supported every step of the way – highly recommended!

Case Ref. RES62706 - NB

Darren Bowen was very helpful and efficient Abby Barbosa did a great job early on, keeping us informed and sending out documents. I was very pleased with the service provided and would recommend Woodford Stauffer. Thanks Darren and Team.

Case Ref. RES62419 - DAB

Kate has been amazing in relation to the sale of my flat. She is extremely efficient, and is always very fast to respond either via-email or telephone call. It was a pleasure dealing with her. I would only ever use Woodford Stauffer for my conveyancing needs. This is the second time I have used Woodford Stauffer and would never consider using another organisation.

Case Ref. RES60662 - EF

Sarah helped us through the process so well, during a very difficult time. I have already recommended.

Case Ref. RES62375 – SC

Sarah Coy and her team. Yes - would use again and recommend to others. Very professional and excellent service.

Case Ref. RES62275 - SC

Sarah Coy provided excellent, professional and courteous service throughout. She was thorough, knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with. Excellent professional services received from Woodford Stauffer which is why we returned to them for assistance during our new house purchase. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone.

Case Ref. RES62414 - SC

Excellent service by the whole team. Namely Anna Fewell and Chloe Field whom I met personally. Along with Luke Compton and Partner Georgina Short I never had the good fortune to meet. Many thanks.

Case Ref. RES61704 - GS

I felt much better advised and in closer communication once Luke Compton took over the completion. Nimmi Bains and Georgie Mark were good and I’m sure excellent at the work, but I felt less sure about the process involved – I emailed early on asking for clarification of the process but did not receive a reply. I think it would be good to decode “solicitor speak/jargon” in written correspondence for laypeople. The most frustrating thing is that phone calls were never answered and there was a delay in response. But I’m happy overall!

Case Ref. RES61899 - NB

Anna, Chloe, Georgina were really great and always kept us updated will use again.

Case Ref. RES61989 - GS

Would definitely use again. Courteous, professional, efficient, pleasant, great customer service. Thank you.

Case Ref. RES62411 - JE

Darren and his team worked extremely hard and met my deadline date for completion.

Case Ref. RES62840 - DAB

WS provided good value for our property sale conveyancing work and are open and clear in their communications. Ours was an executor sale and they had to deal with 3 of us to provide documents and ID, sign papers and answer questions. This was all handled efficiently and clearly. My only VERY slight gripe is that in speaking to a senior partner he came across as a little brusque. However, to be fair, he took my call promptly and dealt with my query smoothly.

Case Ref. RES62309 - DAB

Jane Gray and Maryanne Young outstanding. We will be using Woodford Stauffer for future house sales/purchases.

Case Ref. RES62310 - JG

Kate Reid was excellent. Would use again and would recommend.

Case Ref. RES61947 - SG

Sarah Coy and Tina McDonough. Very professional and excellent service and would recommend Woodford Stauffer to others.

Case Ref. RES62276 - SC

Emma Fairbairn - excellent service.

Case Ref. RES61772 - EF

Emma Fairbairn makes the process of purchasing a property a much calmer and stress free experience. I would highly recommend them to others. Excellent professional service and by far the best conveyancing experience I’ve had across six house purchases.

Case Ref. RES62612 – EF

Thank you for making this process as simple as you have. Your attention to detail is very much appreciated.

Case Ref. RES62633 - DAB

Emma Fairbairn – approachable, professional, patient, objective – all round excellent. This is my second house moving using Emma for conveyancing – very happy with the service received and will recommend to friends and family. Thank you.

Case Ref. RES62094 – EF

I have worked with Emma Fairbairn on a sale many years ago and on this latest sale and purchase, including a failed sale and purchase in 2022, can’t recommend highly enough – excellent!

Case Ref. RES62738 – EF

Emma Fairbairn provided us with outstanding service throughout our home buying process. Emma's professionalism, patience and dedication even when the process stretched out much longer than anticipated. Emma went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. Emma is skilled, knowledgeable and also truly cares about her clients. We are so grateful.

Case Ref. RES61619 - EF

Woodford Stauffer was recommended to us and would definitely recommend them. We will be forever grateful for the way they dealt with an extremely stressful house sale and supported us during a very dark period.

Case Ref. RES60872 - DAB

Thank you so much for helping us through every step of selling my flat to buying and moving to our first house. Everyone says it's very stressful moving but everyone has been so helpful. The service we have received from everyone involved has been amazing.

Case Ref. RES62640 - DAB

Many thanks for your comprehensive and timely conveyancing service which you recently provided. Georgina your advice and guidance was first class and always communicated with a smile and in a positive manner. Thank you very much for your hard work. I will most definitely recommend your excellent service in the progression of my purchase.

Case Ref. RES62044 - GS

Sarah Coy gave excellent service with swift replies to all our enquiries. The reception staff were always helpful and friendly.

Case Ref. RES62542 - SC

We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that we appreciated all the hard work that you completed on our behalf in a very diligent and professional manner.

Case Ref. RES55124 - NB

We would like to thank Maryanne and Jane for their service and all the help we received from them. We would highly recommend Woodford Stauffer's service to others. They were always prompt with our queries and always kept us informed about the progress. They made the whole process a very positive experience for us.

Case Ref. RES61670 - JG

A very helpful service. Emma and Sudesh were always quick to respond to queries and readily available to talk to if required.

Case Ref. RES62773 - EF

Sarah Coy and her admin team were very helpful. Efficient communications from start to finish, helpful guidance throughout the process.

Case Ref. RES62931 - SC

Good afternoon, Annette. We are just beginning to unwind after the house move. We wanted to say a big thank you to you and Darren for all your help in making everything happen on 1st November. I would definitely recommend your practice to anyone looking for excellent service.

Case Ref. RES62186 - DB

Special mention to Annette J - very helpful and friendly. Also to Darren for his no nonsense approach towards the buyer. I am very pleased with the way the whole team at Woodford Stauffer treated us and won't hesitate to recommend them to others.

Case Ref. RES62186 - DAB

Excellent service from Jane Gray and her lovely team. Excellent smooth experience with both the selling and buying process. Huge and sincere thanks!

Case Ref. RES62458 - JG

I wanted to say thank you very much for all of the work you did for me. You and your colleagues helped make the whole process so much easier with your professionalism and clear communication all the way along. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending you to my friends and family in the future. I'd like to wish you and your colleagues all the very best and thank you again.

Case Ref. RES62572 - MA

Both Kate and Emma have been superb from start to finish. Always respond quickly to any enquiries/questions - Extremely efficient. Thank you for everything.

Case Ref. RES60683 - EF

Jo Elliott - Excellent service and support. Very professional with clear communications. I used Woodford Stauffer for my previous move also and recommended Jo to my new partner who has used WS for our purchase of another house locally.

Case Ref. RES62811 - JE

The conveyancing team were all strong. I had a bit more to do with Leah and found her to be particularly helpful. I felt confident that our case was being handled competently at all times. Being fairly unwise to the moving process, I would have found a simple flow diagram (or something similar) that outlined the key steps involved to have been useful. However, the communication was generally very good and this made the process much easier. Thank you for your hard work.

Case Ref. RES63019 - GS

Annette Jameson for excellent and helpful service. I will come to you again if we decided to sell our house.

Case Ref. RES62476 - DAB

Nimmi, you've been tremendous throughout and I will have no doubt in recommending you and Woodford Stauffer going forward.

Case Ref. RES60372 - NB

Jane Gray always responded quickly and was available to talk over concerns.

Case Ref. RES62483 - JG

My initial contact with Annette Jameson went well up until she went on leave in September. Whilst I appreciate Annette is entitled to leave it would have been courteous to have been told. I understand that this was the extended further than the automated email stating when she was on leave until 30th September. During her absence I received very little correspondence until her return when I had an email with 14 attachments - a little overwhelming! I understand as a company you have many Clients, however, for the individual concerned selling the family home and purchasing a property is a very anxious and emotional time. I feel this was quite overlooked. The exception being the time Darren took to see me and talk though a number of issues. The day we exchanged I received a call from someone I hadn't even spoken to previously. This was also after I had been told and received communication from the estate agents first. Considering the fee I was paying for selling our home and fees for also buying, a slightly more personal and informed service would have been greatly appreciated.

Case Ref. RES63004 - DAB

Excellent service. Prompt, professional and efficient. Although there was a delay in my case, that was due to complexity of the case but mainly due to other solicitors who were dealing with the transferring property to company name.

Case Ref. RES62631 - DAB

Annette was particularly good with updates and communication. Good professional and value for money.

Case Ref. RES62972 - DAB

Jo Elliott is very professional and efficient.

Case Ref. RES61921 - JE