Housing

I had a complicated case when I approached Mr Blumenthal. My understanding from him is : A good listener – to find out if my life story got a point for this case- , keep updating me, takes his time to explain things in simple English, his case preparation is at excellent level. He is a bit pessimistic but at the same time his attitude is positive to turn a lemon to lemonade. He also takes initiative to solve my difficulties to generate new ideas and obtain new evidence . He takes my case seriously and is also approachable.

Housing law client advised by Jasper Blumenthal

What I most liked about working with Miles & Partners is Rajea’s understanding, effort and willingness to actually help. Most professionals just do their job, however my experience with Rajea is that she genuinely wants her clients to receive the best outcome.

Housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

I don’t even know where to start with this review. I have so much to say about Rajea Sultana, but I also want to keep this a readable length – not sure if I’ll succeed at that.

My family and I got evicted in March 2022 (due to our landlord wanting his house back for renovation). We got placed in a hotel by the council and had to move rooms or hotels every 28 days. Me having a medical condition made this a nightmare and the council did not understand this.

In May 2022 I was advised by my support worker at DEBRA (organisation for my medical condition), to get in touch with Rajea and see if she could help me with my case. From the very beginning Rajea was an extremely good listener, caring, supportive and professional at her job. She listened to all my concerns, read my super lengthy emails and started fighting for me and my family against the council. She tried so many different approaches but the council would not budge in terms of housing us in a stable place, but Rajea never gave up on us. She never gave us an impression that there was nothing more she could do, instead, she kept giving me hope and reassurance that she would keep trying.

She helped me so much along the way in regards to getting out of unsuitable hotels, communicating with the council on my behalf (which took an enormous amount of stress off my shoulders), and helping me get what I deserve from the council.
She has been incredibly patient through it all and never failed to comfort and support me in times of stress where the council would stress me out with a phone call/email or move me somewhere that made my medical condition deteriorate.

It has been over a year now working with Rajea (15 months in hotels) and we are finally moving into what will be our permanent home today. Throughout this past year, Rajea Sultana has gone above and beyond for my and my family’s needs and making sure we feel safe and secure. I know for sure we wouldn’t have been nearly as close to the end of this horrible situation if it hadn’t been for Rajea. Despite not having much experience with Birmingham City council, she still came through with it with such success.

I will without hesitation recommend Rajea to anyone who needs a solicitor in their housing case and I believe she will succeed with every single one of their cases.

One thing I know for sure is that I will never forget the way Rajea Sultana changed my life for the better. Thank you ever so much for everything you have done for me and my family. I wish you and your family the best in life.

Maryam Ahmadi, housing client advised by Rajea Sultana

I cannot thank Rajea Sultana enough for the exceptional work she did on my housing case. From start to finish, she was incredibly knowledgeable and attentive to detail. Her legal expertise was evident throughout the entire process, and she always kept me informed and up-to-date on the progress of my case.

Thanks to Rajea’s hard work and dedication, we were able to win the case. Not only is she an outstanding solicitor, but she is also a genuinely great person who truly cares about her clients.

I would highly recommend Rajea Sultana to anyone in need of housing assistance, and I will forever be grateful to her for everything she did for me.

 

Homaune Islam, a housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

Really happy to have had Rajea Sultana help me with my case. She was really supportive, efficient and, most of all, pleasant to work with. Top notch firm!

Carla Prata, a housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rajea Sultana for all her hard work on my case. I will highly recommend you to friends and colleagues.

Samira Asefi, a housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

Rajea and Kate are such amazing people – they helped me a lot with my housing. I highly recommend Miles & Partners to anyone who has housing or other issues. Thanks so much for standing with me.

Debora Haile, a housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana and Kate Downing

Very good, hard working and fought hard to win my case. Had to go an appeal and won it hands down.

Highly likely to recommend Miles & Partners to a friend or colleague.

Matthew Daly advised by housing lawyer Jasper Blumenthal

Amazing service from this law firm. My solicitor was Rajea Sultana and she was so supportive, knowledgeable and efficient. Worth every penny. I am very glad I hired her. If you have a housing issue, this firm is the one to go for. I highly recommend them.

Really happy with the service I received. No hidden costs, never dealt with a solicitor before but I’d say the price was worth it. A consultation at the beginning and I was kept informed of the process.

Thanks again Lou & Kate

Housing law client advised by Lou Crisfield and Kate Downing

If you are looking for legal advice this is the right place to choose, they are good at their job and good at resolving housing, financial issues etc. Lou Crisfield from Miles & Partners helped me so much with my case –  thank you to Lou and all Miles & Partners staff. Their service is fantastic you won’t regret it!

Rosaline D, a housing law client advised by Lou Crisfield

I would like to thank Rajea Sultana for incredible and tireless work she has done for me and my children. She was always there when I needed to speak to her, no matter what time of the day. She’s honest and dedicated to her role and also very helpful and easy to speak to at all times.

Thank you once again.

Amina Ali, housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

I had an exceptionally positive experience when unexpected circumstances required us to use Miles & Partners legal services.

Our solicitor, Ms Rajea Sultana, was extremely understanding of our situation and carefully and considerately explained our options and provided invaluable advice and guidance. Her support made it easier to push through what was such a worrying time for us. She is a fantastic asset to Miles and Partners. She was also able to convey all the information in Bengali which was a huge help. My mother was incredibly stressed but Ms Sultana was able to relieve my mother’s anxiety.

We highly recommend the services of Miles & Partners and commend Ms Sultana for her excellence and professionalism. Thank you Ms Sultana.

Halima Begum, a housing client advised by Rajea Sultana

Excellent service, very friendly and helpful. I am glad that Rajea took on this case since the outcome was better than expected.

Shah Jabbar, housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

The best thing about working with Miles & Partners was the humanity and compassion of Lou Crisfield. I was never misled and all options were discussed to enable me to make informed decisions. I found Lou to be accessible, approachable, timely, honest, balanced and fair. I felt I had a case worker who was taking my plight seriously and would do everything that was feasibly possible to support my case.

I experienced her as my ‘body guard’ buffering and protecting me at a time of great vulnerability while having to face the threats from a large, intimidating organisation. I was fortunate and very grateful to her for her skills and application. I was highly satisfied with all aspects of service and at this point, I can’t think of anything that could be improved on. Thank you.

Housing law client advised by Lou Crisfield

The best thing about working with Miles & Partners is the massive support from the staff. Rajea Sultana was very kind and loving with maximum support. I really appreciate all efforts.

Gloria Owusu Agyemang, housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana

The best thing about working with Miles & Partners was the fact that Rajea was so patient and attentive to all my concerns. She was honest but didn’t dismiss my feelings at all.

Working with Rajea was such a blessing to me and family. If it wasn’t for her I don’t think we would have achieved the outcome we did and for that I’m so grateful.

Housing law client, advised by Rajea Sultana

I had been having housing issues for a while, me and my family were so stressed out and didn’t know what to do. Then a family member recommended Miles & Partners and said to contact Rajea Sultana.

I sent an email to Rajea explaining bit about my situation and my circumstances to which she said she will need all the evidence I had got and she would review.  I sent all the documents to Rajea and she said I had got a very good case which she was happy to take on, she just needed a few more things to make my case strong.

After the Council reviewed the letter and the evidence submitted by Rajea, they accepted what I was seeking.

If anyone having housing issue I would recommend to contact Rajea. From day 1 she been very supportive and listened what I have to say and always kept me informed with all the correspondent she been receiving form council. Thank you Rajea for all your help you don’t know how much it meant to us

Mohammed Rahman, housing law client

My case was very intricate and sensitive but Rajea of Miles and Partners was willing to take it on although many others had rejected it.

It took well over six months to achieve a resolution but Rajea was so professional and thorough throughout the whole process.

She was attentive and truly listened to my concerns as we worked together to get through the issue.

In the end we won a case, which on paper was near impossible, and ‘thank you’ will never be enough for all the work and hours she put in to see that through.

Joanne, housing law client

Brilliant professional service, brilliant outcome. Certain to recommend Miles & Partners to someone else if they needed legal advice.

Natasha Harriott, housing client advised by Lou Crisfield

I cannot express our gratitude enough for how much Miles & Partners helped us. Jasper was the nicest and most patient young man who was willing to listen. Honestly, I cannot not thank him enough. Finally, by the end of the day I received a call from Rajea Sultana that she would like to take the case. As soon as I first spoke with Rajea, her initiative and energy immediately made me feel better and gave me some hope. Most importantly, Rajea is the nicest and most helpful person I have met in legal circles. Her professional, but also human approach truly makes a difference. She helped us with the case, she listened, and she was always available. Simply put – if you ever need help, Rajea is your person!

Anu, housing law client advised by Rajea Sultana and Jasper Blumenthal

‘Lou Crisfield is really good with vulnerable people; easy to understand, passionate and a committed advocate for her clients.’

‘She’s very good, collaborative, approachable and smart.’

Chambers UK 2021

My solicitor that was assigned to my case named, Lou Crisfield. She was absolutely amazing when options seems limited. She was very professional and had a good level of communication. I was always informed about my case and she always took the time to break down and explain, every step that was happening in my case. She was very clear without using jargon words. Any advise I was given by Lou, I was always confident that it was in my best interest.

Overall I would recommend Lou Crisfield, as she has the ability of achieving satisfactory results. This is also contributed by her exceptional attention to details, good communication and understanding that she showed.

Client advised by Lou Crisfield

‘Thank you for all you have done for me, all the letters back and forth to council and the time you have spent on my case. I’m so grateful for all you have done.

Thanks again for all you said and did. You stuck with me, and your words all came true. I’m thankful for your help. You are amazing.’

Housing client advised by Lou Crisfield and Jasper Blumenthal

“Rajea Sultana was recommended by my friend. When I visited for the first time and talked with Rajea, she reflected my friend’s opinion of her sincerity to clients.

She made things easy for me. What she promised, happened. No fuss. As a family we are very much grateful to the solicitor and the firm.

The service was great. I must recommend my friends.”

Mohammad Hossain

“The solicitors I had before didn’t do much for my case until Rajea at Miles & Partners took over.

She was very dedicated to my case and she always made sure I was involved and updated.

The information and advice that provided was very easy to understand and it was very easy to contact Rajea when needed.

I would be certain to recommend Miles & Partners to someone else if they needed legal advice.”

Anonymous housing law client

“Rajea is an amazing solicitor who not only listens but genuinely cares about her clients and the case she is working on. I felt comfortable, confident and strong along the journey of my housing case. Having a strong solicitor by you with your situation makes you feel at ease. Rajea ensured I stayed stress-free. I had faith in Rajea and she delivered on her promises to me.

Thank you Rajea for showing me that there are solicitors out there who genuinely care and help. I would 100% recommend.”

Fateha Choudhury

“I’m so thankful to Lou Crisfield for the great assistance she provided all through this long, stressful journey. She wasn’t only professional, she really empathised with the overall difficult time I went through. She remained determined to help me, despite sometimes not being able to contact me directly on the phone. She assiduously engaged with my landlord an myself by calls, emails and letters sent to my home address.

Lou is a great person with a lot of psychology. I only had a chance to speak to Hira Rauf on the phone, followed by emails to consistently update and advise me in regards to my case, Finally, Osman the barrister was so nice and helpful the day of the hearing.

I am so thankful to this great team with such talented professionals and people with good hearts who helped me keep my house this winter. Thank you one more time for bringing a smile to my face and giving me new hope through your excellent job as I was on the verge of being homeless!”

Abdramane Sangare Coulibaly advised by Lou Crisfield and Hira Rauf in the housing team.

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help with my case. Soon after moving into supported accommodation I successfully bid on a housing association property and moved in before Christmas.

It couldn’t have happened without your work and support, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Anonymous client

“Amazing service. Definitely will recommend. Rajea was fantastic at dealing with our housing case and we reached an extremely positive outcome.”

Runa Begum

“God bless you for the good job you are doing for us.”

Samuel Afrifa

“Great service from Rajea. Was given sound advice and given realistic time scales. I can’t thank you enough as I now am in a flat (albeit temporary), but it is a vast improvement from where I was. Any time I needed anything she was just an email or call away and sorted the problem. Would definitely recommend.”

Anonymous client

“The service was very thorough and friendly. Rajea was approachable and very professional. We were very distressed with our housing matter; however, Miles & Partners have a great team who were both reassuring and reliable. They were always easy to reach and answered any questions we have promptly.”

Rezia Rashid

“At a very difficult time for me after the death of my partner, Rajea was the best I could have hoped for. Excellent service from her and her team.”

Anonymous client

“During my difficult time of loneliness, anxiety and tears, you provided me with full support and offered a great legal service, advice and guidance. You provided for me like a mother! My family and I would like to sincerely thank honourable Rajea Sultana from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for your sincere and dedicated hard work.”

Anonymous homeless client

“Thank you so much for the effort you made to fight for me during my housing issues. I really appreciate it as you put a smile on my face.”

Anonymous trainee nurse

“I wanted formally to note how impressed I have been with the way that Rajea has dealt with this matter and how grateful I have been and am for all of her input and hard work on the case.

The matter is long-running and difficult. At a relatively early stage, it was necessary to get extensive and detailed evidence from a large number of witnesses some of whom did not have English as a first language then to go back to those witnesses to ask additional questions. Rajea managed this efficiently and never failed to go back to ask the questions that needed to be asked. The statements were produced and filed in line with deadlines, which was an achievement in itself in the context of some of the witnesses working irregular hours and the difficulties of getting the statements signed. Without this work, I am completely confident that we would not have won before DJ Sterlini.

The matter has not been straightforward procedurally and it was also much longer at the first stage (trial) than could ever have been envisaged. It was necessary to apply for a number of extensions from the legal aid agency, including some at very much the last minute. Again, Rajea has dealt with all of this calmly and efficiently and so put me in a position where I could do what I needed to do in order to get the best result for the client. The matter became a high costs case between the two stages of the initial hearing of the claim (on the last day of the trial, before the hearing on relief) and this has brought further bureaucratic issues into play. Again, Rajea has dealt with them so that they have not been a trouble to the case (or to me!). Staying with procedural matters, it was necessary on two occasions to arrange for service of an injunction – once on a company’s directors and once on an unwilling and potentially belligerent party (the claimant). Rajea ensured that service was effected.

The housing association’s (sadly) successful appeal did not entail so much hands-on work from Rajea but she has been a great support in the course of the preparation and, in preparing the order, was invaluable in obtaining financial details from the client and information regarding the workings of legal aid, which contributed hugely to the fact that we obtained a workable order in respect of time to appeal from HH Judge Parfitt yesterday.

I am very hopeful that we will be able to secure the assistance of a silk to take the matter forward to the Court of Appeal. Assuming that this is the case, I have no doubt that Rajea will continue to work as effectively as she has done to date. Your clients are really very lucky to have found her and I am lucky to have had her to work with on the matter.”

Anonymous counsel

“Lou has been great for the last two years – Lou listened to my concerns, she is such a great adviser to be persistent with the council. Thank you so much.”

Anonymous client advised by Lou Crisfield in the housing team