Mary Monson Solicitors | Criminal Defence Law Firm Avis 

From our first contact with Mary Monson solicitors, we knew we had made the right decision to employ their services on behalf of our son. We dealt with both Nick and Molly who displayed sympathy, empathy and the highest standard of professionalism throughout the entire process. The level of communication we received throughout the case bought so much reassurance to our family, they worked alongside us so closely, making us feel part of the team. We were never made to feel a burden, as the they were always on hand to answer calls, emails, and explain any legal proceedings we were unsure on. The service we received from Nick and Molly far outweighed our expectations and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone in the future.

We paid around £50,000 to Mary Monson Solicitors and received almost no proper legal support. Communication was poor, promises of in-person visits and hearing attendance were broken, and professionalism was seriously lacking — including a director dismissing our concerns and failing to take meetings seriously. My father was pressured to plead guilty to charges he denies, case details were misrepresented in court, and vital case materials have been withheld even after legal aid was granted. Independent professionals have confirmed the service was wholly inadequate, leaving us misled, exploited, and distressed. In our experience, this firm failed in their duty of care, contractual obligations, and basic responsibility to represent their client — we strongly advise others to avoid them.

Very professional and excellent firm, especially Matthew and Nicola. They were extremely helpful and professional throughout my case and got me the best outcome I could. Their communication was excellent and kept me informed throughout the whole process. I would definitely recommend this firm and cannot thank Matthew and Nicola enough!

Alex has been incredibly supportive, kind, clear in his advice and responsive to all my queries and concerns over the last six months. I would not hesitate in recommending him and the team at Mary Monson to anyone who needs legal support and advice.

I cannot say how truly grateful I am that I happened to stumble upon Nick Ives when in a panic searching for representation. To note i had never had any interaction with the police or defence solicitors before and I am a professional who had his whole career to lose. Having rang around a number of firms, I knew straight away Nick was the right person - he didnt sugar coat and he was up front about how long this process can be. From the point of interview to what eventually ended up in trial (with successful outcome) Nick was my rock. His advice along the way was always spot on - reflecting back it is even more impressive how he calmly dealt with the scenario at each point. I would also note at one stage I was extremely wobbly and thinking there was more we could do, this was wrong. Nick expertly guided me through this point and also instructed a KC barrister who got us across the line. Again, I asked Nick for the best and he delivered. We went into trial knowing we were prepared and ready to which we got unanimous not guilty within 30 minutes.

I want to also call out Emily Featonby-Lyons who was the junior solicitor and provided such care and comfort to my family. Emily was also superb at talking through any of the stages we are at and she gave me huge confidence each time we had to take the next step. Emily moved firm just before the trial whereby Molly Lafferty stepped in and slotted in perfectly. Molly had such a calm and controlled approach which was exactly what was needed at the final stages. You never want your team to change towards the end but because of all the work done and the skill of Molly, we sailed along through.

As also mentioned Nick asked Ali Naseem Bajwa KC to represent me. This man is incredible and to witness that level of skill and precision was an honour. I would trust Nick and Ali with my life.

Finally to call out the staff at mary monson who were always courteous with any telephone conversation or arrangements. Throughout my entire experience Mary Monson went above and beyond. I am unbelievably grateful to my whole team and words cannot describe how indebted I am to them.

Couldn't be more happier with the outcome of my offence last year with Bradley Hayes and Nicola tyres fighting my case being told I was looking at 3 year custodial minimum but came out with a suspended sentence on the day couldn't thank them anymore and very grateful for what they did for me

Nick and Jessica were just brilliant and I highly recommend them. Thanks to their exceptional work and meticulous precision, the matter was resolved. Nick and Jessica were meticulous, responsive, and very committed to my case. They read every detail I sent including long notes and documents and always came back with clear, thoughtful advice. Their communication was exceptional and very proactive in chasing of the other side. They balanced strategy with empathy and care, which made a difficult period bearable.

Worst solicitor in the whole of Manchester call themselfs British ripping down our flags discusting

I cannot thank the team at Mary Monson enough for what they have done for us over the last 5 months. Never having needed the help of a defence lawyer before, we didn’t know where to turn and we were recommended Joseph Monson and the team. Alex Chowdhury was incredible, highly professional, knowledgeable with immense technical understanding of the law and the judicial system we needed to navigate. Alex consistently kept us updated on the status of the case, and was always patient going over things, next steps and what to possibly expect even though there was never any certainty to the conclusion. The ultimate outcome was better than we could have wished for and thanks to Alex and the team we now have our lives back, and can once again look to the future. We can never thank you enough!

I was charged with two crimes I did not commit. I hired this company as it says they aim to get cases discontinued early.

In my case, none of the evidence was ultimately admissible, but this was not raised early on by my solicitors even though at the start I showed them I had called first but the police report said the victim did, in the end I did call first in distress and the victim 3-4 minutes later on the police report it said the victim called first and me later on. The CPS later told me themselves that the case was built on inadmissible evidence, and the case was eventually discontinued.

I was quoted a fixed cost of £10,800. I paid an initial instalment of £3,600, but due to financial hardship I was unable to make the second payment. At that point the firm stopped representing me. From the government defence cost order I had to apply for I later received £497 back.

What I had hoped for was that the firm would have focused on getting the case discontinued at an earlier stage, especially as there was no admissible evidence against me. Instead, I felt pushed into a fixed-fee court case model as it’s “cheaper” and I was told by Thomas he believed there was a case to answer for, in my experience, did not reflect my needs as someone who was innocent and simply wanted the case shut down as quickly as possible. Once hired and CPS discontinued one charge but not the other (from cps letter nothing to do with anything apart from was not enough evidence) I instructed them to get my call, the first of the night (the police left out of report) they insisted on the remaining balance to total £10,800 for full court appearance to be paid before doing this 5 months before my trail. I asked via email what If it’s discontinued before disclosure and they said they would have done the work so the DCO would needed to be filed (estimated £1500 back of government) In my opinion if any work had been done with the £3600 I spent the case would have been discontinued straight away as we all discussed in the one meeting we had I called first. There was also another statement that confirmed what I said and this company must have seen it as I was able to obtain it from CPS after it was discontinued.

I was even told if I pay the next £3600 and you submit the call and it’s discontinued, will I get some money back and they said it doesn’t work like that it’s a fixed fee.

I also requested since the primary charge was discontinued as the victim and witnesses (who’s statement backed mine around accusations) didn’t want to stand up in court and be found out to have fabricated their stories which the evidence shows, could I just use one of the solicitors I’ve hired anyway for the second lesser charge as it didn’t warrant the money for a barrister anymore. The directors denied any changes even though the case had changed dramatically and my understanding the barrister for magistrates trail was around £4000.

After the case was discontinued and I got My DCO that I had to apply for myself I also asked the firm for all the information and data they held about my case but did not receive a response. The money goes back to this company from the courts and they did wave the % they take from the rebate.

Overall, my personal experience left me feeling unsupported at a very low point in my life. I would not personally use them again, and I would advise others to think carefully before doing so and not being pushed into a fixed fee as they have no incentive to get discontinued early.

I had a great experience with Mary Monson Solicitors, Thomas dealt with my case and was reassuring right from my first initial conversation through to the outcome. He achieved the desired result in the end and I’m so pleased.

I can not fault this firm, especially the hard work and efforts from Jamie Dickson, she conducts herself with
professionalism, she is diligent, knowledgeable and got the best outcome possible in my dealings with them,

I cannot say how grateful I am to Zarah for her help, being based in Ireland and needing advise from the UK was a struggle after contacting numerous solicitors with no joy I can say that my experience with Zarah was fantastic, professional, reassuring, and all my questions were answered I would highly recommend this Company.

Zahra helped us navigate an extremely stressful and difficult time when my son was named maliciously in an alleged incident.

Zahra was exceptionally professional, personable and empathetic.

She represented my 16 year old at the police station when he was being interviewed and helped to put him at ease, explaining everything . Zahra has also been in constant contact with police chasing for updates. No request ever went unanswered.

I have no hesitation at all in recommending Mary Monson to anyone.

We are so pleased to have had the support of Mary Monson Solicitors, and especially of Liam Kotrie and Zahra al-Falouji, who helped my family through an extremely difficult and stressful time.

From the moment we began, they were professional and genuinely compassionate, listening to us without judgement and making sure our voice was heard. Liam and Zahra took the time to explain complex legal processes clearly and patiently, always making sure we understood what was happening, so we knew that everything was under control.

What struck me most was their calmness and confidence, which helped us feel positive and reassured during an extremely stressful period. Their absolute dedication to getting the best outcome gave us absolute confidence that we were in good hands. They handled everything with such care and expertise, which made a huge difference to our wellbeing throughout.

Liam and Zahra were able to secure an even better outcome we were hoping for in our case. We would, without hesitation, use Mary Monson Solicitors again.

This company have always made me feel listened to, welcome and in safe hands. Over the numerous times I have used them over the years I have grew to know them and been looked after throughout my case’s and beyond by Mary Monson. They are well run structured organisation who know exactly what to do and more importantly how to do it and get results. I could not recommend this company enough if you are needing representation these are the people to assist you. I have recommended a countless amount of people to Mary Monson and have always been thanked for the outcomes which they have strived to achieve. Don’t think twice about ringing this firm and asking for the best within Liam and Joseph you will not be disappointed.

From the outset Nicola has been absolutely fantastic. She has always kept me informed as to what was going on and has displayed a very high level of professionalism in everything she has done.
From arranging barristers to supporting me and my family.
The end result was just the sweetener to all the hard work put in.
My family and I say a very heartfelt thank you.

I was recommended to change my solicitor after a matter that had already been running for two years. From the outset I recognised an efficient company who responded immediately and outlined clearly what they could offer and all the necessary details supplied. I was introduced to Thomas O'Brien who was supported by Jessica Smith. Mr O'Brien quickly took hold of the situation showed understanding and empathy to my matter. They both worked extraordinarily and efficiently with their investigating and kept me fully informed throughout their work. Nothing was too much trouble and in just over two months the matter was resolved. Until that point I felt that a just and fair outcome had been denied for more than two-and-a-half years. I remain indebted to the work of Thomas O'Brien and Jessica Smith and admired their professional and efficient approach to all that was undertaken for me.

Helped immensely with a problem I had with police. They were trying to bully me into something, Jaime and Molly were relentless and stopped this