Optima Legal Omdömen 

Our remortgage eventually completed, but dealing with Optima was an extremely frustrating experience.

To be fair, ours was a more complex transaction involving three titles and Land Registry delays. We understood this would take additional time, and that is not the reason for this review.

The issue was the subsequent case management and communication. For around seven weeks we repeatedly tried to establish what was preventing progress, despite responding promptly to every request. We were asked for information Optima already held, incorrectly told documents remained outstanding, received contradictory information and experienced unanswered messages and promised callbacks that didn't happen.

Eventually, after involving our broker and lender, Optima identified the document actually required. The issue was resolved the following day and we completed the day after that.

We formally complained. Optima ultimately acknowledged that its service had fallen below standard, assessed the impact on us as “significant” under the Legal Ombudsman framework, and paid £250 compensation. Unfortunately, even their final complaint response reduced what we considered wider case-management failures largely to a communication issue.

I would encourage anyone considering Optima to look beyond headline customer-satisfaction figures and read customer experiences across multiple independent review platforms. Many of the issues described by others were remarkably familiar to us.

Based on our experience, we would not choose to use Optima again.

Following Optima's response below stating that they could not identify our file, I provided my full contact details and Optima case reference through Trustpilot's verification process.

Better than most I've dealt with during mortgage/re-mortgage. They managed to get things turned around within 2 weeks which minimised the negative impact of being on an SVR after a broker screwed up a different application costing me 6 weeks.

Where do I begin, I have been told multiple different things by multiple Optima employees, my file has been in review but each time they provide an update the only thing that changes is the timescale, I was told 1 week from when they received the documents from me, they received it on 17th August, and since then i've been told a week, then 3 days till it moves to completion team, then 4 days for yet another 'review' and just today I've now been told another 10 working days and still nothing beyond 'under review'

One minutes its nearing the point of moving to the completions team within days, the next its seemingly gone backwards and now requires 10 days for the documents to be reviewed by the complex team, what have you been doing all this time then? By the time this 10 days is done they'll end up needing to request s redemption statement for the 3rd time simply as they are not doing what needs to be done within their own timescales, that will add another 5-10 days to get that and suddenly we now 2 months since I sent the original documents, i had sent these off the day after they were sent to me and yet im being given different information by different people.

Their so called messaging portal is crap as they do not get back to you within any reasonable timeframe, at one point i was replied to 2 weeks later and that was only as I had called in to chase it

My mortgage offer expires in January 2027 which seems a fair way away but given how long even the simplest of tasks seems to take, i wouldnt bank on this process being done by then. There is no sense of proactiveness to provide customers with an update, you constantly have to chase and its only when you show signs of natural frustration that they seem to speed up a bit

So far I am not impressed in the slightest, lack of clarity, disingenuous information and contradicting information depending on who you happen to speak to, I am going through a broker and they can even atest probably to the contradicting timescales.

My third review.

Three months and I'm still awaiting in a simple remortgage. It's always "in a week" but this never materializes. They take weeks to pick up new documents - everything is in order and done but Optima can't even be bothered to open the file.

I received one call from Charlotte - who was polite but unfortunately nothing has progressed in the file since then. Bear in mind that I was told my case had been flagged as priority...well that hasnt made any difference.

I will keep writing reviews until this is resolved.

Every worked like “clock work” for us , but we are computer iterate, others less experienced with Apps and computers may struggle, not an age thing ( I am 70 plus) but apps are the way of the world now and this is actually a good one

This firm has signed a contract to do fast track legals for remortgages with Barclays in 5 days. In an attempt to secure the lucrative contract they've ring fenced the work with Barclays to prove they can do the job, in doing so they've given up on there service to every other client as you can see from the amount of one star reviews in recent months.

The last 3 cases I've had go through Optima have meant financial loss to my clients which they are refusing to repay.

Optima should be closed down by the regulator.

DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY!

We had a very smooth, efficient experience with Optima. The online portal was user friendly & updated regularly and promptly so you knew exactly where you were in the process. Would definitely use Optima again. Very impressed.

The checks & overall process took a while to complete, although good communication from the team & the platform was easy to use & easy to view progress milestones / status

I was kept well informed at every step of the mortgage process right from the start. Everything was explained well which helped make it a very fluid process. Thanks for the excellent service provided.

great comms throughout, all items made very easy

Good communications, via the portal and by phone.
They missed the date for the end of my current mortgage but Lloyds delayed in sending the mortgage offer so it is hard to blame Opitima.
The portal which is very helpful needs updating as it often indicated a document I had sent was still outstanding.

Great efficient service

Very professional company. The people are very professional. The use of the portal is good . It is a two way communication . These guys are very thorough with their work. Pleasing to see.

Very efficient kept me up to date via the portal

All good, thanks Optima

Fantastic service

The Company successfully and professionally completed the remortgage process.

Optima was very slow at first did not respond to initial messages, but they did acknowledge them in the end and were very quick and informative and managed to turn around the remortgage extremely quick after that so I would recommend.

Easy t communicate through out the all process ‘

It was a dreadful and stressful going through the process. Having been through the process in the past this was almost as stressful as buying a new house. I hope to god we never have to engage with Optima Legal ever again. They oozed incompetence from the start to the finish.

The questionnaires are poorly worded and confusing and probably ended up costing an extra £500 in interest due to delayed completion. Even the completion statement they sent out at the end was conflicting within itself. (they used attached an old statement with different figures to the one in the same letter for example).

This process would put me off going with a company that use Optima to run their mortgages. I would urge Halifax to move their legal requirements elsewhere.