Boutique counsel · Est. on Velvet Street
Careful advice, written in plain language.
Velvet Street Legal is a small practice for people facing a decision they would rather not face alone. We read the whole file, explain what is actually at stake, and tell you early if the matter is not one we should take.
Every enquiry is read by a solicitor, not a queue. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and point you toward the kind of practice that is.
- Fixed-scope engagements
- Written advice as standard
- One solicitor per matter
- Plain-language correspondence
Practice areas
Six areas, taken seriously
We keep the list short on purpose. These are the matters we handle regularly, with the depth that comes from doing the same work well rather than doing everything once.
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01
Family & separation
Separation agreements, parenting arrangements and the financial unwinding that follows. Negotiated first, litigated only when it must be.
Advice · Negotiation · Agreements -
02
Property & conveyancing
Purchases, sales and transfers of residential title, including the awkward ones: shared ownership, easements and boundary disagreements.
Title · Contracts · Completion -
03
Employment
Settlement terms, restrictive covenants, grievance and dismissal processes — advised from the employee's side of the table.
Review · Strategy · Settlement -
04
Wills & estates
Drafting wills, appointing attorneys and administering estates, with an eye on the family conversations the documents will have to survive.
Drafting · Probate · Administration -
05
Commercial contracts
Agreements for founders, freelancers and small companies: service terms, shareholder arrangements, licensing and supplier disputes.
Drafting · Review · Dispute -
06
Immigration
Work, family and settlement applications, including refusals that need a second, more careful set of eyes before any appeal is filed.
Applications · Appeals · Review
How we work
Three steps, no surprises
Most people who contact us have never instructed a solicitor before. This is the whole process, start to finish, so nothing about it has to be guessed at.
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I
The first conversation
You describe the situation in your own words. We listen, ask the questions that change the answer, and give an honest read on whether the matter is worth pursuing.
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II
A written plan
Before any work begins you receive a short document setting out the scope, the likely steps, what it will cost and where the risks sit. Nothing starts until you agree to it.
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III
Representation
One solicitor stays with the matter from first letter to final signature, updating you at each real development rather than filling the silence with paperwork.
The practice
A deliberately small room
Velvet Street Legal was founded by Marguerite Vale after fifteen years in larger firms, on a simple observation: the part of legal work that clients value most — attention — is the first thing volume takes away.
The practice stays small enough that every file is read by the person advising on it, and turns away more work than it accepts in order to keep it that way.
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Scope before spendFees are agreed in writing against a defined scope, so the cost of a matter is a decision rather than a discovery.
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Advice you can repeatIf you cannot explain our advice to the person it affects, it has not been written clearly enough yet.
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Honest declinesWhere another practice is better placed, or where the cost outweighs the outcome, we will tell you plainly and early.
Questions
Before you get in touch
How are fees structured?
Most matters are quoted as a fixed fee against a written scope. Where the work genuinely cannot be scoped in advance, we agree an hourly rate with an estimated range and tell you before that range is reached.
Is the first conversation confidential?
Yes. Everything you tell us is treated as confidential from the first message, whether or not you go on to instruct the practice.
How quickly will I hear back?
Enquiries are read on working days and answered in order. If a matter has a deadline attached — a court date, a response window, an offer that expires — say so in your message and it moves to the front.
What should I prepare for a first meeting?
A short timeline of what has happened, any correspondence you have already exchanged, and the outcome you would consider acceptable. Incomplete is fine; we would rather start early than start tidy.
What do you not take on?
Criminal defence, personal injury and large corporate transactions sit outside this practice. If your matter falls into one of those, we will say so in our reply and describe the kind of specialist to look for.
Request a consultation
Tell us what happened
Four fields and a few sentences is enough to begin. You will receive a reply with an honest view of the matter and, where we can help, a proposed scope.