CarpeDiem Legal - ct12qg

Dhairya A.

Extremely Dissatisfied – Money Taken with No Resolution.

I am writing this review with deep concern regarding our experience with Carpe Diem Paralegal. My partner, Tenna, entered into an agreement with this company and has since been charged over £10,000. Unfortunately, the service was not completed, and all communication from the company -specifically Maria, who is the owner, has now completely ceased.

Despite repeated attempts to reach out and resolve the matter, we have received no explanation or response. When we informed Maria that we would have no choice but to report this behaviour, her response was dismissive and unprofessional: “You’re more than welcome to do so.”

We expect better accountability and integrity from service providers, especially those handling sensitive legal matters. This experience has been both financially and emotionally draining. I strongly advise others to proceed with extreme caution when considering this company. We are still trying to recover the money.

Tenna V.

Avoid at All Costs!

Carpe Diem Legal is a complete fraud. I lost over £10,000 and the leasehold I'd spent four months trying to secure—all because I trusted this company. My business is now on the verge of collapse because I have no premises, and my savings are gone thanks to Maria and her team.

From the beginning, both the company and Maria herself came across as professional and trustworthy. But as the process dragged on, the cracks became painfully clear. Gloria initially handled my case—she seemed competent, but I later discovered she was listed as an apprentice on Indeed, not a solicitor. One day, she simply vanished, leaving a message that I should now contact someone named Prateek. No formal handover, no introduction—just me chasing a new contact I’d never heard of.

Maria reappeared briefly, only to pass me off to Prateek herself. To his credit, he seemed to try his best, but it all unraveled when I was finally due to collect the keys to the property. I was told the £6,500 deposit had been sent to the landlord’s solicitor, but they never received it. After a week of confusion and no answers, Prateek also disappeared.

That left me dealing with Maria again. She claimed the funds had gone to the wrong account due to mismatched names and account numbers—something that shouldn’t be possible with modern banking checks. She then promised the money would be returned within three days. I didn’t trust her at that point and requested the remaining funds (nearly £4,000 earmarked for land registry tax) be returned to me so I could sort things myself.

My partner left a review online calling her out as a scammer, which she didn’t appreciate. She contacted me, asked for the review to be taken down, and in return promised to refund all my money so I could hire a new solicitor. It took her two days just to process the so-called refund, and she claimed I’d have the money in another three days.

It’s now the fourth day—I’ve received nothing. Two emails sent yesterday were ignored, just like so many before. I’ve been left with nothing: no money, no leasehold, and no functioning business.

To make matters worse, trying to contact the company is nearly impossible. Phone calls always go straight to voicemail, and messages are never returned. Emails are routinely ignored unless it's convenient for them.

Carpe Diem Legal operates under the illusion of being a large firm. A quick look at their Companies House listing shows just three people on record, yet Maria insists there’s a full admin and accounting team. Strangely, when you message the company WhatsApp, Maria suddenly becomes responsive to emails again.

In my experience, this company is not just unprofessional—they are actively deceptive. If you value your time, money, and sanity, stay far away.

Ayesha R.

I had a deeply frustrating experience with this company, particularly with Maria Vonan. After taking full payment, she stopped responding to my emails and calls. No service was provided, and my property paperwork was returned by post without any explanation.

I felt misled and ignored. What’s worse, instead of resolving the issue or offering a refund, they started sending legal-style emails trying to pressure me into removing my review.

In my honest opinion, this is unprofessional and unacceptable. I believe potential customers deserve to know how I was treated. I would strongly advise others to be very cautious before dealing with this company.

Rachel G.

Be VERY wary - Extremely unprofessional behaviour and I strongly believe that they are not qualified to offer certain legal advice.
The advice I was given changed several times, after my decisions had already been impacted by the wrong guidance. They disclosed my personal contact details to the other party. They assured me that I would receive a refund if I decided not to proceed, then refused to return fees for said work, which was not carried out.

UPDATE 26 June 2025: I was offered a partial refund purely if I considered removing my review. I agreed to 'consider' this. Refund was still denied until I removed it. After some more fighting, I have received a nominal refund.

Yesterday (25th June 2025), Maria Vonan threatened me with legal action to remove my 'defamatory review'.

I will absolutely NOT be removing this review - it remains truthful and will hopefully help others avoid this situation.

I found this company through bark.com and have since realised that the majority of their positive reviews appear to be not genuine.

Records on Companies House make an interesting read - including misleading company name change, registered address change to a PO box, and a compulsory strike off warning in March 2025.

AVOID.

Isobel K.

Beware. Very poor service. I paid them up front and my circumstances changed they had not proceeded with anything. Refused to refund me and said I could have a credit note as i had signed a contrat with them i had never signed anything!!! . I constantly had to chase almost daily for an email to confirm the slcredit note Still nothing. Very surprised a law firm can act in this way. Be very very wary of this company. Im already looking for advice given their lack of professionalism

headed_for_hijrah

i am pleased with the service provided by Carpediem Legal. Everyone Ive interacted with at the firm has been really helpful and there is always someone to reply quickly to any questions or queries, have used them twice now will be back again for sure

Henry B.

Maria was amazing when sorting out a transfer of equity for my house. She was responsive, kind, clear and got the job done quickly which was very much required. I'd recommend her to everyone and she provided services at a competitive price

Anis Z.

Swift response, helpful and helped me to effectively manage my legal affairs with minimum fuss. I would recommend the firm to anyone.