Since 2009 Ashford Dale has advised businesses and private clients from its offices in Holborn, acting in commercial, employment, family, property and data protection matters and in disputes that reach the courts.
The firm grew out of a partnership that Helen Ashford and Thomas Dale began in 2009, in two rooms off Lamb's Conduit Street, with a single commercial dispute. Today we are eleven solicitors and two trainees, still working in the same part of London and on the same principle.
In the early years most of our work came from family-owned companies in dispute with suppliers, customers or one another. Before long their employees, shareholders and families were bringing us their questions as well, and that is how our employment, family and property teams came about.
Every matter has one responsible solicitor, and every client one point of contact. You hear how your case is progressing from us directly, without having to chase.
Helen Ashford & Thomas Dale Founding partners
Each area is led by a solicitor with at least ten years' experience in it. Where a matter touches more than one area the teams work on it together, and you still deal with one person.
Our principle
We tell our clients the truth first; hope comes second.
We explain the law without jargon and set out the risks without rounding them down.
The same solicitor handles your matter from the first day to the final outcome.
Our professional duty of confidentiality applies from your first phone call, whether or not you instruct us.
We confirm our fees in writing before any work begins, and itemise every disbursement.
All of our solicitors hold current practising certificates and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Below are our partners and the senior solicitors you are most likely to meet.
Founding partner
Founding partner
Senior associate
Senior associate
Associate
The firm in figures
From your first call to the close of the file, you will know in advance what happens at each stage. Timescales vary with the nature of the case; the path we follow does not.
We hear your account and go through the documents you have with you. By the end of the meeting we will have agreed which questions need answering.
45 minutes · in person or by videoWe review the matter against the legislation and current case law, then set out the options, the risks and a realistic timescale in writing.
3-5 working daysProceedings, a negotiated settlement or mediation: we decide together which route makes sense for you, and confirm our terms in a client care letter.
A joint decisionThrough hearings, expert reports and decisions we report to you regularly, and tell you about any significant development on the day it happens.
Until the file closesShort pieces on the questions we are asked most often and on recent case law. They are general information only and are no substitute for advice on your own circumstances.
From our clients
Comments are published with our clients' written consent and without their names.
If your question is not answered here, please call us during office hours on any weekday.
The first meeting is charged at a fixed fee of £250 plus VAT. If you go on to instruct us on the same matter, that fee is credited against our first invoice.
Most of our work is charged at hourly rates of between £240 and £450 plus VAT, depending on the seniority of the solicitor. Some matters, such as residential conveyancing or an uncontested divorce, can be done for a fixed fee. Before we start, our client care letter sets out the fees, an estimate of the overall cost and the disbursements you are likely to incur, such as court and Land Registry fees.
Copies of any relevant contracts, correspondence, notices, title documents or court papers are enough. We will also ask for photographic ID and proof of address, as the money laundering regulations require. If something is missing, don't worry; we will work out together what else is needed.
Yes. We regularly meet clients who live outside London or abroad by video call. In most cases identity checks and the signing of documents can also be dealt with remotely.
Solicitors owe their clients a professional duty of confidentiality under the SRA Code of Conduct, and communications made for the purpose of obtaining legal advice are generally protected by legal professional privilege. The duty applies even if you decide not to instruct us.
That depends on the court's workload, whether expert evidence is needed and whether either side appeals. We will not promise you a date, but our written assessment tells you how long comparable matters have typically taken.
Please complete the form. A solicitor in the relevant team will review your request and contact you within one working day, in the way you prefer, to arrange a time.
Sending this form does not make you a client of the firm. Please do not include detailed personal information, health details or the contents of documents in your message.
Reference AD-2026-0000
We will be in touch within one working day.