TILLY BAILEY & IRVINE LLP

Efficient enough (conveyancing) service though at times it felt disaggregated in delivery and unclear in the process. Completed within 6 weeks which was good as it was a straightforward sale and no chain on either side to consider. Had a disagreement at the end before completion which was upsetting and very much took the shine off the end point which, sadly, means I will not continue to use this company, but as there are other recommended companies out there for my remaining conveyancing needs, I'm not worrying about it. Can't comment on any other aspect of other services offered. Handy location (Barnard Castle) for appointments or signing documents. Reception staff friendly.

DO NOT USE. It has taken over 6 months to get a house conpletetion and over 6 weeks of waiting for a completion date. The staff are incredibly rude and are incompetent with communication. They cost a fortune and I say from experience. No solicitor should cost as much as they do for the level of service they provide. While the sale had a chain. They are definitely the weak link. They have held this sale and buy up at every heardle. Not only holding up communication with the client, but also other solicitors involved with this purchase, risking the whole chain to break. I cannot believe how expensive they are for the service. Its a scam. Having the phone hung up on you for simply asking a question, I have never dealt with such rudness. Shocking & disgusting.

We had an extremely poor service from TBI. Forms not being submitted then submitted incorrectly resulting in a worrying time of having to contact TBI and the Land Registry to chase up the registration of our purchase which according to TBI was all down to Covid ? Still have an outstanding complaint which has not been sorted out and we are not receiving replies to emails. Very poor .

Not so solicitous solicitors

We have used the services of TBI in the past and have found Helen Dexter very helpful and efficient when setting up our wills and Ian Cowan when we needed advice on a property lease.

However, yesterday I contacted TBI for some advice of a dispute we are having on the termination of our business property lease my experience was very different. The initial contact was courteous and helpful and said she would get the right person to phone me back. Later in the day I was contacted: there was no attempt to understand or briefly discuss the issue, only an immediate “laying down of the rules” of payment i.e.”our hourly rates are £….. “ and “it may cost you £……” and “we need a payment of account of £…..” before even a cursory consideration of my case could be made. Clearly, I was being “blown out” as a waste of time. I was too shocked and surprised to respond in any meaningful way so just expressed thanks for the call and the conversation was terminated.

I appreciate and agree that potential clients need to be appraised of the costs involved in any prospective action but in all my previous dealings with both TBI and other solicitors I have had an opportunity to briefly discuss the issue (often by phone but more likely via a brief interview in person) as to the viability of my case. Sadly, this experience has put me off TBI.

I have used TBI (Helen Dexter) for more than 10 years for a range of legal services. Helen recently completed a rather complicated sale for me and, despite many setbacks caused by third parties, she remained calm and professional at all times. Helen is approachable and friendly which makes dealing with the legal profession that much easier! In addition, TBI acted for my parents when they set us a trust, my parents were getting elderly and I know they appreciated the way they were dealt with and the sound advice given. I'd also like to mention the admin staff, who have always been very efficient and courteous. I wholeheartedly recommend TBI in Barney.