Darren Bowen

Head of Residential conveyancing

Conveyancing

Whether you choose to instruct us on your purchase/sale will depend on what’s most important to you:

  • the cost, or
  • the quality of service you receive.

If it’s cost, there are plenty of cheap conveyancers out there.

But we believe that we get what we pay for.  And with something as pivotal as a house purchase or sale, a professional and reliable job is not only sensible; it’s essential.

What you'll get from us

  • You’ll have your own team working for you, headed by a specialist and highly experienced lawyer, and you’ll have the direct phone number and email address of all members of your team; so you’ll have a personal service.
  • You’ll have the right mix of skilled legal insight, practical proactive action and friendly, efficient service.
  • You’ll have a team with superb back up in terms of I.T., banking services, and practice management.

All our Clients’ comments are uploaded, every month, onto this website.
Have a look at them; they speak for us better than we ever could.

We’re not expensive; just realistic. So if you think we might be what you're looking for, ask us for a quote without obligation.

For price transparency information click here.

We promise that we will

  1. listen to you,
  2. communicate with you,
  3. advise you and, above all -
  4. get you moved

Contact us by phone or email.

Our Conveyancing Team

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Darren Bowen

Solicitor and Partner

Head of Residential Conveyancing

Darren Bowen

Direct Dial:01252 550419

Email Darren Bowen

Darren qualified as a Solicitor in 1994 and has been an equity Partner since 1998.

He is Head of Residential Conveyancing and his particular areas of interest are equity release schemes and leasehold extensions.

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Emma Fairbairn

Fellow Institute Legal Executives

Partner - Assistant Head of Residential Conveyancing

Emma Fairbairn

Direct Dial:01252 550417

Email Emma Fairbairn

Emma has been a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives since 1996 and an equity Partner since 2013.

She specialises in residential conveyancing and has a particular interest in old properties with difficult Titles.

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Sally Digweed

Licensed Conveyancer

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Sally Digweed

Direct Dial:01252 550416

Email Sally Digweed

Sally is a Licenced Conveyancer and has been a Partner since 2015. She specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Jo Elliott

Fellow Institute of Legal Executives

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Jo Elliott

Direct Dial:01252 550406

Email Jo Elliott

Joanna is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, having qualified in 2008, and has been a Partner since 2015.

She specialises in residential conveyancing and has a particular specialism in new builds and the Help to Buy Scheme.

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Georgina Short

Fellow Institute Legal Executives

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Georgina Short

Direct Dial:01252 550449

Email Georgina Short

Georgie manages one of our residential conveyancing teams.

After a Degree from the University of Nottingham in politics. She trained and qualified as a licenced conveyancer in 2012 and then as a chartered legal executive in 2014.

She trained in residential conveyancing with a local firm, Harrison Li, and then moved to a large specialist property firm in Guildford, GCL.   There, she worked closely with developers and purchasers and was chosen to spend 4 years working in Hong Kong as an appointed lawyer acting for purchasers at property exhibitions.

She joined us as a team manager in July 2018. 

Georgie is skilled in all aspects of residential conveyancing including shared ownership and help to buy assisted properties, new builds, auctions, re-mortgages and transfers of equity.

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Jane Gray

Solicitor

Salaried Partner – Residential Conveyancer

Jane Gray

Direct Dial:01252 550420

Email Jane Gray

Jane qualified as a Solicitor in 2006 and has been a Partner since 2021.

Jane specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Sarah Coy

Fellow Institute of Legal Executives

Residential Conveyancer

Sarah Coy

Direct Dial:01252 550404

Email Sarah Coy

Sarah is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, having qualified in 2023.

Sarah specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Kate Reid

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Kate Reid

Direct Dial:01252 550402

Email Kate Reid

Kate specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Megan Appleton

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Megan Appleton

Direct Dial:01252 550430

Email Megan Appleton

Megan specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Nimmi Bains

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Nimmi Bains

Direct Dial:01252 550427

Email Nimmi Bains

Nimmi specialises in residential conveyancing.

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Sudesh Ghere

Residential Conveyancing Executive

Sudesh Ghere

Direct Dial:01252 550435

Email Sudesh Ghere

Sudesh specialises in residential conveyancing.

As always Woodford Stauffer provide a first-class service.

Case Ref. JG/RES60462

Would like to thank Jane and Maryanne for their excellent service and efficiency.

Case Ref. JG/RES59578

Jane Gray and her team always at the end of the phone when I needed advice or reassurance. Most of the time it was not difficult to speak to a member of staff. If no one was available I was contracted fairly quickly with answers to my queries. Thank you.

Case Ref. JG/RES60447

Excellent pro-active service from the Team. Thank you.

Case Ref. JG/RES60517

Annette Jameson seemed to be my only contact but she was outstanding. Her communication was very clear and timely. She kept us informed and calm and was utterly professional. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. The sale of our house was totally painless, your service was first class.

Case Ref. DAB/RES60070

We are very grateful as a family to Darren Bowen, Annette Jameson and Sally Digweed and the young ladies on reception (who have been very kind). Thank you.

Case Ref. DAB/RES60140

I wish to take the time to thank your Team for completing my house sale. It all went smoothly and a particular thanks go to Tasman Cochrane.

Case Ref. SK/RES57420

I received an excellent service from Woodford Stauffer. I dealt primarily with Chloe Field but also with Anna Fewell, Lorna Horrill, Luke Compton, and occasionally with Georgina Short directly. Everyone was very helpful, particularly Chloe, and the fault for the delays in progressing clearly lies with the buyers’ solicitors, for whom I have a much lower opinion. Thanks again for all your work on this testing case and for getting it over the line.

Case Ref. GS/RES60096

We know that the purchase of the flat that we made was in safe hands with Emma Fairbairn.

Case Ref. EF/RES60481

Emma Fairbairn and her team acted with speed and professionalism throughout my purchase. Thank you for your excellent service.

Case Ref. EF/RES60175

Sarah Coy excellent – always very helpful.

Case Ref. SC/RES60573

My most sincere thanks to the team, Darren, Annette, Abby and Tina for an excellent level of service. Very highly recommended, professional, courteous, responsive, all with excellent communication skills. Thank you so much.

Case Ref. SC/RES60576

I worked with Jo Elliott who has been absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for a better service than the one I’ve received on buying my first home. Yes 100% I will come back to Jo next time I buy a house and will be recommending her to anyone I know who is buying a house in the future.

Case Ref. RES59258/JE

You have been informative, efficient and faultless throughout the process – very grateful for the service.

Case Ref. RES60737/SG

A special thanks to Darren, Aiden and Tina :) Excellent experience the entire way through, leading to a quick and smooth completion on our first home.

Case Ref. RES61057/DAB

Jo Elliott is so excellent and lovely, great service. Lindsey Haines is also wonderful and efficient. Excellent firm and always will recommend Woodford Stauffer. Thank you so much for your wonderful service.

Case Ref. RES60159/JE

Dear Annette – Thank you so much for all your hard work. It was a very efficient service and I was kept informed what was going on at all times. I am very grateful to you for your help.

Case Ref. RES60587/DAB

Sudesh was so helpful and communicative. We always felt informed where we were up to in the process, she was always so quick to respond with any queries. Thank you Sudesh. What can be an anxious time, is helped by communication and Sudesh excelled at this.

Case Ref. RES60669/SG

Emma Fairbairn and her team progressed my conveyancing very efficiently and handled my queries quickly. This was the second time I have used Woodford Stauffer and I knew everything would go well. Moving is very stressful but I knew that this was the area I did not have to worry about.

Case Ref. RES60934/EF

Excellent service from Sudesh!

Case Ref. RES60768/SG

I liaised mainly with Annette Jameson. A very nice lady who communicated with me well and pleasant throughout my dealings with WS regarding the sale of my property. WS did a great job, especially when dealing with the purchasers’ solicitors!

Case Ref. RES59881/DAB

Thank you very much for completing this process smoothly in good time. I will contact you if I need to in the future.

Case Ref. RES60700/JE

Emma Fairbairn, Emma Day, Carol Geering all gave an outstanding service. Simply the best! Our second experience with WS. Would not dream of using anyone else. Professional, efficient and great communication.

Case Ref. RES60120/EF

We felt we had to chase too often and hand out info through our estate agent rather than yourselves.

Case Ref. RES60443/JE

Felt that both Sarah and Megan responded very quickly and the whole process was organised. Would definitely recommend to others. Thank you for all your help!

Case Ref. RES60793/SC

To Tina – thank you all very much for all your assistance. Should we require legal assistance in the future, you will be the first we contact and recommend to others.

Case Ref. RES60809/DAB

Dear Annette and Tina and Abbey – Firstly can we thank you for concluding the sale, your professionalism and understanding is most appreciated.

Case Ref. RES60769/DAB

Excellent service from Annette Jameson throughout. Professional service – highly recommend.

Case Ref. RES53296/DAB

The staff in the office were always polite and helpful and we built a good relationship with them. If you need help in any capacity I would recommend Woodford Stauffer.

Case Ref. RES61266/JG

Sarah Coy was excellent. Thank you.

Case Ref. RES55946/SC

Jane Gray and Team were helpful, responsive and efficient at all times. Very pleased with service. I would certainly recommend.

Case Ref. RES60865/JG

We would like to thank you very much for your advice and assistance with our sale and purchase. Please also pass our thanks onto your team who have all been really helpful and responsive. We are relieved it is all complete now and the unpacking begins :-)

Case Ref. RES60865/JG

We had excellent service from all involved from start to finish.

Case Ref. RES61066/JG

We would like to thank both Sarah (Coy) and Megan (Donelan) for their hard work, efficiency and friendly manner throughout this process. Thank you! Very professional and friendly at all times.

Case Ref. RES61316/SC

Abby Barbosa, Annette Jameson and Tina McDonough as well as Darren were very responsive, proactive and quick to respond.

Case Ref. RES61083/DAB

Both Sarah and Megan were helpful and kept me up to date with the whole process.

Case Ref. RES60635/SC

Jane and Maryanne were always available and helpful when needed either by phone or in person. Although I found the sales process stressful at times, they were reassuring and gave valuable advice.

Case Ref. RES60773/JG

All the staff are courteous and professional.

Case Ref. RES60860/DAB

Emma Fairbairn was excellent and helped us through our first home purchase. Thanks to her advice and expert knowledge, we pulled out of our original purchase, which prevented us from buying a home that could be unsaleable in the future. Throughout a long process of dealing with two separate properties, we were always kept in the loop and Emma was always contactable when we had questions.

Case Ref. RES60330/EF

Yvonne Hill was very professional, helpful with prompt service and made our process easy and smooth.

Case Ref. RES61351/JE

I am very grateful to Darren Bown and Annette Jameson for managing a complex process and providing sensible advice to us.

Case Ref. RES60043/DAB

Darren Bowen and Annette Jameson both provided excellent service. Always very reliable and efficient.

Case Ref. RES60795/DAB

Darren Bowen and his team helped us to successfully conclude a complex sale. We were grateful for their good advice and calm efficiency.

Case Ref. RES59047/DAB

Everyone I spoke to were excellent.

Case Ref. RES60137/JG

Kate Reid and Sudesh Ghere handled the probate sale of my late mother’s bungalow with efficiency professionalism, delicacy and care. Woodford Stauffer have handled two house sales and a house purchase for me. The experience was completely untaxing and any stress was absorbed by them, not me. I would never hesitate to use them again for a professional, easily contactable and courteous company, they are second to none.

Case Ref. RES61211/SG

Maryanne Young/Jane Gray – provided a prompt and professional service throughout their service. Any calls or queries were responded to in a timely manner and we were updated throughout.

Case Ref. RES60967/JG

Nimmi Bains and Luke Compton gave us excellent service throughout the process.

Case Ref. RES60765/NB

Megan – now that the dust has settled I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for your assistance and perseverance in bringing this about. There were clearly some complications that none of us had anticipated but your steady determination helped us to keep moving forwards during the moments when we were beginning to wonder if it was all worth the effort. The speed with which Clare effected the eventual completion meant that the move went more smoothly than we could have hoped for.

Case Ref. RES60047/MA

A huge, big thank you to you and all your team, for all your help in buying our new home! You were wonderful every step of the way and made it easy for us. It was a real pleasure working with you. We would like to wish you every happiness and success for the future.

Case Ref. RES60868/GS

Jo Elliott – another 5* service. Always helpful, polite and responsive.

Case Ref. RES60051/JE

Darren, I’m very pleased ……………..recommended you back when we sold ………and have appreciated your firm’s no nonsense, all diligence approach once again. Keep up the good work, and we’ll be speaking again when the project is done and our next move looms. In the meantime, thanks again, and I shall recommend you without hesitation.

Case Ref. RES61102/DAB

I would like to thank you for your support and above all your patience, as I know I was terribly stressed and you were always calm and supportive. You were brilliant!

Case Ref. RES60522/SC

Emma Fairbairn provided exceptional service throughout our purchase. Excellent communication, professionalism and availability. We were able to deal and escalate situations with the vendor quickly due to Emma’s response and communication.

Case Ref. RES61201/EF

Excellent service from Emma Fairbairn and Emma Day.

Case Ref. RES61873/EF

Having only ever moved once before we were a bit daunted, but the whole process was really smooth and we felt guided and informed by Woodford Stauffer throughout. I would specially mention Sarah, Megan and Tina.

Case Ref. RES60878/SC

Megan Appleton and Caitlin very helpful throughout the process.

Case Ref. RES60940/MA

The whole team were excellent!!

Case Ref. RES61507/JE

We met Caitlin Vorley-Lark as we were unsure about using the internet. She was so helpful and gave us confidence with the paperwork. Emma [Fairbairn] and her team made the whole process less stressful.

Case Ref. RES61449/EF

Although we would have liked more regular updates on progress/issues, we had a high level of confidence in the professional expertise and experience of our conveyancing solicitor Jane Gray. Ours was not a straightforward transaction but we got there in the end with the help of Jane and her support team…Thank you!

Case Ref. RES60620/JG

Joanna Elliott – Excellent service. Always responded in efficient manner timely. Always by return.

Case Ref. RES61133/JE

I was very pleased with the services of the company. The communication between us and the seller’s solicitors was great and on time. Big thank you.

Case Ref. RES60998/GS

Jo Elliott has been excellent, really practical, informative and straightforward to deal with which made everything lovely and simple.

Case Ref. RES60785/JE

All staff who worked on our case were efficient.

Case Ref. RES60485/GS

Excellent service from Sudesh Ghere and Emma Fairbairn.

Case Ref. EF/RES61796

All of your team did an excellent job. Thank you to Anna, Chloe and Georgina. I have used you twice now and would recommend you to anyone.

Case Ref. GS/RES61483

I was happy with the service and communication I received from everyone I spoke to and the efficient help received.

Case Ref. DAB/RES61306

Kate was absolutely fantastic – she helped us understand every facet of our house sale, answering our questions and guiding us through the process.

Case Ref. EF/RES61729

Sudesh dealt with our conveyancing in a very timely manner.

Case Ref. SG/RES61928

Many thanks to all of you but especially Megan [Donelan] who has been exceptionally helpful throughout the whole process.

Case Ref. SC/RES61667

All in Sarah’s Team were excellent.

Case Ref. SC/RES61140

Nimmi Bains was very understanding of the stress this difficult sale was causing for my wife and I. She answered all our questions in very good time and always kept us in the loop. I highly recommend Nimmi.

Case Ref. NB/RES59316

Sudesh was very helpful. Very proactive and responsive!

Case Ref. SG/RES61638

Thank you to the Woodford Stauffer team for your work and professionalism during the sale process. I would definitely use Woodford Stauffer again.

Case Ref. JG/RES61283

Everyone was helpful and well informed. I have used Woodford Stauffer for many years as has my son.

Case Ref. MA/RES61393

Tasman Cochrane – always helpful and efficient.

Case Ref. JG/RES58605

Tina and Annette were extremely helpful throughout the process. Excellent and very efficient through the whole process.

Case Ref. DAB/RES60585

Everyone that I spoke to regarding the purchase of my new home were very helpful and nothing was too much trouble as not bought or sold a house for 40 years

Case Ref. MA/RES61353

Sudesh has been very professional throughout. I am delighted with her work on the conveyancing for my property.

Case Ref. SG/RESxxxxx

Sudesh has been very professional throughout. I am delighted with her work on the conveyancing for my property.

Case Ref. SG/RES61695

Emma was fantastic at answering all of our questions and queries.

Case Ref. EF/RES60711

Many thanks for the excellent work of Darren and Annette. Professionals of the highest rank so thorough, persistent, fair and transparent. As first time buyers we have felt comfort and guidance at every stage of the process as they make details very clear to understand. All in all extremely glad that we picked them as our solicitors and wouldn’t mind doing business again in the future.

Case Ref. DAB/RES61750

Sudesh Ghere, always very quick to respond to emails and kept us informed every step of the way.

Case Ref. SG/RES60036