John Hodge Solicitors LLP

James Gass and Charlotte Dursley were fantastic when we sold our house. Excellent service.

This is the second time we have gone to John Hodge Solicitors to look after us as we navigated the tortuous process of selling our house and buying another. Specifically we trusted James Gass and Sam Turner, who yet again were superb. They respond to emails promptly and return phone calls as soon as they can, unlike other solicitors we have dealt with over the years!
They were always available to provide sound advice and calm reassurance.
Somewhat like Nanny McPhee - Always there when we needed them :-).
I rarely recommend anyone to anyone, but, if you are buying or selling a property, I highly recommend you use James and Sam.

James Gass & Charlotte Dursley provided us with a first class service in selling our leasehold flat. Communication was at all times friendly and informative, indeed exemplary. Would highly recommend without hesitation.

John Hodge acted for my company in the sale of a residential flat. I dealt with James Gass and Charlotte Dursley and am giving a 5 star review as their communications were excellent and timely and they both instilled every confidence that they were working professionally and capably in my interest to get the transaction over the line. Would certainly instruct them again.

Negative experience with the law firm involved in a commercial property transaction

My experience with this law firm, which represented the opposing party in a commercial real estate negotiation, was extremely disappointing. From the very beginning, I encountered unjustified resistance in facilitating the process, with an excessively meticulous approach that did not seem appropriate for the nature of the transaction.

Over the course of six months, no constructive communication channel was ever established. Requests were repeated multiple times, often without clear explanations regarding their actual relevance or necessity. This behaviour significantly hindered the progress of the negotiation, causing considerable delays.

I had the impression that there was little genuine interest in reaching a positive outcome—perhaps because the firm’s fees would be paid by the buyer regardless. Supporting this impression, the buyer explicitly stated in written communication their intention to proceed with the purchase regardless of their legal advisors’ suggestions, noting that, the property had been purchased from us just a few years earlier without any such complications.

Among the more questionable demands was a request for the maintenance history of an alarm system that we had included in the sale price as a courtesy. This kind of attitude played a decisive role in the failure of the negotiation, which ultimately ended when the buyer, following the law firm’s advice, contacted the intermediary agency to express their intention to withdraw from the deal.

Based on this experience, I strongly advise caution to anyone who may find themselves dealing with this firm as a seller. The process risks becoming a maze of irrelevant and unnecessary requests, with avoidable obstacles that can negatively impact the final outcome.