WEIGHTMANS LLP

Very low quality service i spoke to witten unprofessional

A deeply unpleasant and harrowing experience.

In late 2023 my wife and I requested a lease extension from our freeholder represented by Weightmans. Our solicitor served notice to the Freeholder via Weightmans in September of that year. It should have been a simple transaction - the remaining leasehold was at the outset of this debacle well over 80 years, and we have/had good relations with the freeholder.

Yesterday (late December 2024), we completed the extension, but instead of exhaling, perhaps contemplating a modest whisky, we sit here, dusting ourselves off, checking for entry and exit wounds and generally wondering how anything so basic and procedural can have left us feeling that we have been robbed, whist being defendants facing a serious criminal charge.

I won’t go into detail, let’s face it that’s not why we are here, but very macro, the entire process was a nightmare for us, the reasons sitting largely in two camps: The appalling lack of professionalism on Weightmans part – comprising of but not limited to; sclerotic communications; long periods of silence; poor attention to detail; out of date legal knowledge (our opinion and only in as much as we understand it); a sudden and abrupt notice that they had been disinstructed by their client (which we believe was due to the freeholder thinking we were the ones dragging our feet), and secondly, their utterly outrageous fee for a simple lease extension amounting to £6,409.20 inc VAT!!! It should be a third of that and even that would be a disgrace.

We have requested that our solicitor seeks a detailed breakdown from Weightmans, but we know what it is. Their incredibly poor handling of the process from beginning to end necessitated constant ‘polite reminders’ from us (via our solicitor) in an attempt to keep this lease extension from seizing up altogether. In no world can this size of bill be appropriate for a lease extension, but if it is due anywhere, it is to our champion solicitor, as it was he that really did the work. We are going to send him a fancy bottle of Gin by the way, but he probably needs something stronger. As do we.

In the end, yesterday we decided to pay their bill despite the absurd fee produced by Weightmans just to get it over the line before 2025. I won’t overshare, but to be honest, their hostile attitude to us (as we felt it) was affecting us.

We have sent a note to a senior partner, at Weightmans urging him to look into this injustice. He says it has been passed to the complaint partner which is decent of him.

As for us, well now I have my life back and have some time on my hands, I’m sharpening my pencil. And my teeth.

Weightmans were employed by Bradford Local Authority as representatives in a tribunal case against us. Identifying information has been omitted from this review.

Weightmans missed several key deadlines specified in the legal Tribunal procedure document, whereas my wife and I (with no legal background) did not struggle with this.

The evidence pack created by Weightmans focussed on resources aimed at 3 year olds; the case concerned a 6 year old.

At one point the worker assigned the case offered her personal opinion in response to our evidence from medical professionals, which was concerning and unprofessional.

Had the case ended up going to Tribunal then the balance of evidence suggests that Weightmans would not have had a leg to stand on when comparing quality of evidence submitted, which was reassuring (but frustrating) to us.

Bradford Local Authority eventually backed down after we jumped through the right hoops, however we feel our evidence was strong enough from the start - which Weightmans failed to recognise.

Overall, a very shoddy service, which likely cost Bradford Local Authority more than it would have done to overturn their original decision in the first place. This is upsetting considering the financial state of the local council currently, especially considering the effect on the child concerned as this case was unnecessarily prolonged.

Would not recommend.

Went for an interview ,but unsuccessful, however they are a very successful Law firm. As had experience if Law l tried to get employment but was not to standard. If you want a Law Firm for anything legal, this is where to go.

Dealing with similar organisations for most of my life I have to say the tactics of this firm seem at time holstile, unruly, bullying and on a lower par to most. Seek alternative advisor's... their is something not quite on the level with this business