Plain English, fixed quotes, one named solicitor.
Three commitments that shape everything else about how this firm runs.
Two partners who left a large firm to do fewer things properly.
We both spent a decade in regional practices where the billing target shaped the advice more than we were comfortable with. Hallward & Co was set up to be small enough that the person you speak to is the person doing the work.
Six of us now, in one office, above what was once a printer’s shop in Spring Hill. We have deliberately not opened a second branch, because the thing clients value most is the bit that does not scale.
Four things you can hold us to
These are in our client care letter as well as on this page, which is the difference between a value and a marketing line.
A written quote first
No work starts without an agreed figure or a clear hourly estimate with a cap you have approved.
One named solicitor
You get a person and their direct line. If they are away you will be told who is covering and why.
Calls returned same day
Every working day, before we go home. If there is no news we will ring and tell you there is no news.
We will say if it is not worth it
Sometimes the legal costs outweigh what is at stake. We would rather lose the instruction than take it without saying so.
From first call to first invoice
A free half-hour conversation, in person or on the phone, to work out what you actually need and whether we are the right firm.
A written client care letter with the scope, the fee or the estimate, and who will be doing the work. Nothing starts until you agree it.
Regular updates at agreed points, and a bill that matches the quote. If circumstances change the cost, you hear about it before the work is done.
Who you would be working with
Everyone here is qualified and regulated. Ask for anyone by name.
Nathan Hallward
Legal practitioner director — property, conveyancing and employment matters
Priya Chandra
Solicitor — practises in family law, separation and parenting arrangements
Ben Okafor
Solicitor — wills, estates and powers of attorney
The first half hour costs nothing and is not a sales call.
Plenty of those conversations end with us telling someone they do not need a solicitor yet.