Anthony
Terrible service from start to finish. Communication throughout my purchase was poor. Emails regularly went unanswered, I was passed between multiple members of staff, and I constantly had to chase for updates. As a first-time buyer, I was relying on my conveyancer to guide me through the process, but I was often left completely in the dark. For weeks I was told my chain-free purchase was being delayed because Core Legal were waiting for the leasehold information pack. When I contacted the freeholder responsible for providing it (who was also my landlord at the time), she said she hadn't even been asked for it. After finally completing, the problems continued. Core Legal submitted my SDLT return late, resulting in HMRC issuing me a £100 penalty. They accepted responsibility and promised to reimburse me, but only did so after I chased over the span of a year, and only once I explained I would have no option but to use their formal complaints procedure and, if necessary, refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman. I received no apology or explanation, just the refund. I also discovered my property still hadn't been registered with HM Land Registry. After my emails requesting an update were ignored, I contacted Land Registry myself. They confirmed Core Legal did not lodge the application until 3 June 2026, more than 19 months after completion, and several weeks after my original enquiry to Core Legal, which was never answered. Having to constantly chase for updates and investigate my own conveyancing because nobody would answer straightforward questions is not what anyone should expect from a conveyancing solicitor. This review relates to my experience with the Stockton branch, although the conveyancers I dealt with were based in Wakefield.