Woolliscrofts solicitors - do not use!!!
WOOLLISCROFTS SOLICITORS - INCOMPETENT and UNPROFESSIONAL -
The following refers to Woolliscrofts Solicitors based in Hanley and Stone,S-O-T. The three solicitors named are all still working at Woolliscrofts Solicitors.
My father-in-law sadly passed away on 29/10/25. My husband, as Executor of his father’s estate, contacted Woolliscrofts Solicitors who held the Will and secured their next earliest appointment, which was on 14/11/25 with a Mr Andrew Willott, his sole intention being to collect the Will for the purpose of the Grant of Probate Application. At this appointment it was discovered that a ‘typo’ existed on my father-in-law’s will, which had to be addressed before the Grant of Probate could be processed. To address this issue, we were advised that a letter needed to be drafted by Woolliscrofts Solicitors, which would then accompany the Will along with other necessary paperwork required for the Grant of Probate process.
We subsequently discovered that this letter had to be signed by Ms Caroline Carnes, the Solicitor who had drawn up the Will and counter signed by another solicitor whose role was to witness this signature. As the error was originally due to Woolliscrofts Solicitors they apologised and stated it would be given their highest priority and dealt with immediately. Perhaps therefore, you can imagine our frustration that as of 26/01/26 this letter is yet to materialise, despite numerous phone calls, emails and even guaranteed assurances that this letter would in the post by 23/12/25; this shockingly was complete untrue, Woolliscrofts Solicitors had deliberately misled us. On 23/12/25 we now know the letter had not even been signed let alone posted, indeed we have subsequently discovered that it has not been signed as of our last communication with them on 18/01/26 and frankly I even have my reservations if the letter has been drawn up at all, despite and I quote, being told that all parties are “…aware of the need for this matter to receive attention as expeditiously as possible”. Initially, despite our numerous phone calls to inquire on the progress of this matter and having been given assurances that we would be contacted with an update, we were never phoned back, except the once just before Christmas to give us false information about the letter being posted. Eventually, we started to send emails to which we have had replies. A Mr Andrew Barnett has picked up and responded to our emails, not with direct answers to our queries, but with long rambling emails giving long winded excuses which in short could have simply said, ‘we have done nothing and are no further forward!!’ I have therefore, decided to post my experience and dealings with Woolliscrofts Solicitors.
Woolliscrofts Solicitors have themselves suggested that our situation will be addressed by their internal complaints department, but frankly if this department works to the same time scale, I dread to think how long we will be waiting for a resolution. I am therefore, hopeful that armed with the knowledge that their utter incompetence and lack of providing a professional service, along with their inability to remedy their own mistakes at pace is now in the public arena and will be regularly updated with any progress, may give them the proverbial ‘kick up the behind’ that is obviously needed and we will see a resolution to this matter. One can but hope! But more importantly we want to give perspective to potential customers and provide a full picture of the kind of service they can expect, if they choose to use Woolliscrofts Solicitors to represent them for all those important legal matters, where competent, capable professionals are required and not those who make mistakes, then fail to correct them in a timely manner or indeed with any sense of urgency, but simply provide excuse after excuse for their incompetence and still do nothing.
I will keep you updated on our progress. I have also emailed a copy of this posting to the Ombudsman for Solicitors.