Herrington Carmichael Solicitors - Farnborough

Client Comments Summary: My experience with Sarah Speed and Herrington Carmichael was catastrophic both emotionally and financially. This wasn’t a billionaire divorce with companies, offshore trusts, or vast assets. I had one normal 3-bedroom house, no children, and a legal bill close to £180,000 over the course of the matter. When I eventually questioned the scale of the billing and refused to blindly accept it, the reaction was immediate and aggressive. Barristers were instructed against me, and the pressure mounted instead of any real effort to justify or reflect on the costs being charged. She tried to bill me £42,000 for a half-day preliminary hearing to examine her billing, which was described as "bonkers" by the judge. Importantly, during subsequent costs proceedings, the court reduced parts of the claimed costs, billing, and hourly rates. That speaks for itself. One letter she tried to bill me was for £6700 ex VAT for just 7hrs of alleged work which was slapped down by a costs judge. What I experienced was a relentless cycle of escalating fees, excessive charging for correspondence, a revolving door of trainees and junior staff, and a complete lack of proportionality or common sense. At times it genuinely felt like the priority was maximising invoices rather than resolving the case sensibly. At one stage she was literally screaming down the phone at me and saying "I need to be paid" and sent inappropriate messages from her personal phone. Sarah is about earning fees and your best interests are secondary. Family proceedings are stressful enough without feeling financially destroyed by your own solicitors. In my opinion, this firm lost sight of the client entirely. I also became uncomfortable with aspects of the professional boundaries during the retainer. Some communications sent to me via WhatsApp from a personal phone felt overly informal and, in my view, inappropriate within a solicitor-client relationship. The only decent lawyer was a trainee Toby Glass, who left the firm once he qualified. That speaks for itself. If you are considering instructing this firm, question every invoice, scrutinise every hourly rate, and do not assume that eye-watering fees equate to quality representation. We used this firm for our first house sale/purchase several years ago, and they were excellent. My experience was horrific, and I won’t be making the same mistake. A straightforward chain was made needlessly complicated, and no one ever left us feeling informed or confident. It took just over 16 weeks for the chain to complete, and the process was painfully slow from the start. People were constantly popping in and out of our chain, and we had several trainees involved throughout, which only added delays and confusion. Communication was also terrible - we had to chase up constantly for updates. It’s such a shame because five years ago I would have highly recommended this firm. However, the experience has changed significantly, and they have failed miserably. They have lost our custom for any future purchases or sales. It was convenient. Located close to my workplace. Avoid this firm like the plague! Mistake after mistake was made when handling my late father's will. Communication was terrible, and their fees ended up being over double what they originally quoted us. It was a really terrible experience and I hope no one else has to endure this pain. If I could submit 0 stars I would have. Avoid this firm like the plague! They made mistake after mistake when dealing with my Dad's simple will. Their communication was terrible and their fees ended up being over double what they originally quoted us. It was a really terrible experience and I hope no one else has to endure this pain. If I could submit 0 stars I would have Never use this firm again! Avoid if you can. Avoid this service. Rude and useless useless useless; will never use themJudge family law...