Bates Wells & Braithwaite

01473 219282

Bates, Wells & Braithwaite is one of Ipswich’s leading law firms. We offer a friendly, efficient, and professional service, whether you are looking for a family law solicitor or local conveyancer. We can help you to write a will or choose a power of attorney, and our team of experienced lawyers can settle any disputes. We have a long history of helping our clients, their families, and their businesses, with a wide range of private and commercial legal services. Our ethos is to offer clear and straightforward legal advice. We assist our clients every step of the way to reach a successful outcome. Our team of approachable and experienced lawyers have the expertise to see through each transaction or resolve legal issues, speedily and efficiently. We put our clients’ interests at the forefront of everything that we do. Read more...

Address
29 Lower Brook Street
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP4 1AQ
01473 219282
www.bates-wells.co.uk

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Accreditations

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Available lawyers at Bates Wells & Braithwaite

Rhian Snell

Hannah Mitchell

Chartered Legal Executive

Denise Head

Jane Brooker

Chartered Legal Executive

Karen Healy

Scott Emsden

Christopher Mason

Chartered Legal Executive

Rebecca Minns

5.0 out of 5

(1)

Private Client Executive

Adam Muldoon

Nicky Coates

Zoe Chittock

Chartered Legal Executive

How Bates Wells & Braithwaite Compares

Value for money

This firm - 98%

National Average

Poor Competitive Excellent

Excellent does not necessarily mean ‘cheap’. It means that clients thought that the level of service received was Excellent for what they paid.

This score has been calculated using up to the last 300 reviews left by clients of Bates Wells & Braithwaite on ReviewSolicitors.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask reviewer questions about the value for money they felt they received by using Bates Wells & Braithwaite. These questions include:

Value for money (a rating of 1-5)
How much were you initially quoted or how much did you expect to pay?
Approximately how much did you end up spending for the legal services provided (ignoring disbursements and court fees)
Did you think this was underpriced, overpriced or about right?
Overall experience

We use data science to amalgamate the answers to these questions and create a ‘ReviewSolicitors score’ out of 100. The above chart representation score is a simple percentage representation of the averaged score across those who have reviewed this law firm.

Underpriced 3%

Overpriced 0%

About Right 96%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

Satisfied with
outcome of matter

This firm - 99%

National Average

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

ReviewSolicitors uses our community data to show you how many clients used Bates Wells & Braithwaite and were satisfied with the outcome of their matter. Being satisfied with the outcome of your matter is an important consideration to have in mind.

You can use this data to see how Bates Wells & Braithwaite compares to the national average of clients being satisfied with the outcome of their matter after instructing a solicitor.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask the question:

"Were you satisfied with the outcome of your case?"

The reviewer can select either “Yes” or “No”.

The above score is a simple percentage representation of the total amount of clients who selected the “Yes” option:

Yes 99%

No 1%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

Rankings by area of expertise

The rankings below show the areas of expertise that Bates Wells & Braithwaite offers to clients. You can see how good the service offered is in comparison to all other law firms nationally.

Consumer

4th / 14

320th / 4527

Company & Commercial

8th / 17

356th / 4303

Housing & Property

7th / 18

383rd / 4220

Family Law

4th / 15

257th / 3827

Wills, Trusts & Probate

4th / 17

162nd / 3472

Commercial Property

8th / 16

393rd / 3278

Employment

9th / 16

336th / 3068

Regulations

2nd / 6

151st / 2517

Personal Injury

2nd / 7

52nd / 2351

Money & Tax

7th / 13

181st / 1834

Dispute Resolution

2nd / 5

192nd / 1032

Clinical Negligence

2nd / 4

164th / 937

Charities

2nd / 4

88th / 562

Data shown above is based on the reviews and client feedback collected by ReviewSolicitors over the last 12 months.

Review Sources

Client Reviews

4.9/5

Reviews summary

Excellent

238
Very Good

9
Average

1
Poor

1
Awful

2

Overall experience

Value For Money
Communication
Initial Impressions
Approachability
Documentation Accuracy
Legal knowledge

Verified review

Ian last

June 03, 2025

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Collected on:

Wills

Excellent service very happy 😊 helpful and very quick

Lawyer named in this review:
Rhian Snell

Rhian Snell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 05 June, 2025:

Thank you for your lovely feedback, Ian! We're delighted to hear that you were happy with the service and found our team helpful and efficient. It’s always a pleasure to support our clients, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

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Wills, Trusts & Probate

Verified review

Matter Type:

Wills

Mrs Miller

June 02, 2025

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Collected on:

Wills completed by Miss Snell

Outstanding service. Thank you

Lawyer named in this review:
Rhian Snell

Rhian Snell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 04 June, 2025:

Thank you for your kind feedback. We're glad you had an outstanding experience with Rhian.

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Wills, Trusts & Probate

Verified review

Matter Type:

Wills

Mrs Hyde

May 22, 2025

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Collected on:

Wills

Rhian made the writing of the Wills seem very easy indeed. Thank you again.

Lawyer named in this review:
Rhian Snell

Rhian Snell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 27 May, 2025:

Thank you for your kind words, Mrs Hyde. We're glad Rhian made the process easy for you.

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Verified review

Mr and Mrs Runacles

April 22, 2025

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Wills prepared by Miss Snell

Excellent Service.

Lawyer named in this review:
Rhian Snell

Rhian Snell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 24 April, 2025:

Thank you, Mr and Mrs Runacles, for your kind words! We're glad you were pleased with the service Rhian provided—it’s very much appreciated!

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Verified review

Madeleine Blagden

April 17, 2025

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Helping with my divorce

Denise was very kind and listened to what I had to say, helped me through a very tough time and helped me resolve my situation, would highly recommend.

Lawyer named in this review:
Denise Head

Denise Head

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 22 April, 2025:

Thank you for your kind feedback, Madeleine. We're so glad Denise was able to support you through a difficult time and help bring resolution.

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Verified review

Mr G Gallant

March 27, 2025

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Amazing

The only person I would ever use to manage my property portfolio.
Very professional.
Very patient.
And goes the extra mile for you.
Thank you very much for all your help. Would always recommend.

Lawyer named in this review:
Karen Healy

Karen Healy

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 31 March, 2025:

Thank you for your amazing review, Mr. Gallant! We're thrilled to hear that you’ve had such a positive experience with Karen and the team, and that our service met your expectations. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to continuing to assist with your property portfolio!

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Verified review

Hannah

March 24, 2025

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Would highly recommend!

Karen was brilliant from start to finish. She answered all my questions. She responded to me in a timely manner. Prices were very competitive. Would highly recommend her.

Lawyer named in this review:
Karen Healy

Karen Healy

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 26 March, 2025:

Thank you for your great feedback, Hannah. We're so glad to hear Karen provided excellent service, and we truly appreciate your recommendation.

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Verified review

Rosemary freeman

March 13, 2025

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Collected on:

Accident

I have been using this solicitor for nearly 4years, and have had excellent service from the beginning to the end, if I wasn’t sure of anything it was never to much trouble for Hannah to speak to me and talk me through it, if I ever needed to use a solicitor again I would definitely give them a call, I’m so glad I got Hannah as my solicitor.

Lawyer named in this review:
Hannah Mitchell

Hannah Mitchell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 17 March, 2025:

Thank you for your kind words, Rosemary. We're so glad to hear that Hannah has been able to assist you over the years. We truly appreciate your trust and would be happy to help again in the future.

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Verified review

Charlie Benstead

March 12, 2025

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Outstanding Service – Highly Recommend!

I had the pleasure of working with Hannah Mitchell and I couldn’t be more impressed. From the very first consultation, it was clear that they are highly knowledgeable and experienced. They took the time to explain the legal process in simple terms, ensuring I understood every step along the way.

What really stood out to me was their professionalism and attention to detail. They were always prompt in responding to my queries and kept me updated throughout the entire process. I felt confident and reassured knowing that my case was in such capable hands.

Additionally, Hannah was incredibly empathetic and made me feel comfortable during a stressful time. They handled everything efficiently, and the outcome of my case was exactly what I had hoped for.

If you’re looking for a solicitor who is not only skilled but also genuinely cares about their clients, I highly recommend Hannah. They made a potentially daunting process much more manageable, and I’m truly grateful for their hard work and dedication.

Lawyer named in this review:
Hannah Mitchell

Hannah Mitchell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 14 March, 2025:

Thank you for your fantastic review, Charlie! We're thrilled to hear that Hannah's expertise, professionalism, and care made such a positive impact on your experience. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we're so happy we could provide the support you needed. If you ever need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out!

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Wills, Trusts & Probate

Verified review

Matter Type:

Wills

Mr and Mrs Hayes

March 10, 2025

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Collected on:

Wills

Very Helpful!

Will re-use for sure!

Thank you Rhian

Lawyer named in this review:
Rhian Snell

Rhian Snell

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 12 March, 2025:

Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you found the service helpful. Thank you again for the great review.

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Reviews collected from

Housing & Property

Matter Type:

Residential Conveyancing

Fiona

October 23, 2024

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Fiona

Slow response to emails and phone calls, misplaced documents and over all poor and unprofessional service. Having used Bates, Wells and Braithwait previously I was disappointed with the conveyancing service provided on this occasion. I will not be using BWB in future.

Lawyer named in this review:
Karen Healy

Karen Healy

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Housing & Property

Matter Type:

Residential Conveyancing

TCR

October 22, 2024

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TCR

After an awful experience with Tomasz burchan, almost cost us losing the property. Karen took over and was amazing throughout! Would highly recommend Karen

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 25 October, 2024:

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're so glad to hear that Karen was able to turn things around for you after your initial challenges. Her dedication and support make a significant difference, and we're proud to have her on our conveyancing team. We truly appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best in your new property!

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Greg

October 09, 2024

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Greg

Karen is amazing, the only person I trust for property's

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 14 October, 2024:

Thank you for your kind words, Greg. We're delighted to hear you trust Karen with your property matters.

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Family Law

Matter Type:

Child Custody

Andy

August 09, 2024

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Andy

Excellent service throughout.
Scott helped me with a significantly important case in Family Court regarding Child Arrangements, this was covered with the utmost humility and in a highly professional manner. The outcome was extremely positive for my Son & I.
Therefore I can't thank them enough for their kind assistance and making sure they left no stone unturned to ensure that Justice prevailed in my case.
Thoroughly recommend this firm.

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 12 August, 2024:

Thank you for your review, Andy. We’re thrilled to hear that Scott handled your Family Court case with professionalism and dedication, achieving a positive outcome for you and your son. Your recommendation is greatly appreciated.

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Nigel

February 17, 2024

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Nigel

Good friendly service.

A representative from Bates Wells & Braithwaite responded to this review on 20 February, 2024:

Dear Nigel, Thank you for your feedback. We're pleased to hear you experienced good and friendly service. Your satisfaction is important to us.

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