30.4.2025
Torbay Council Fined £8,400 for Failing Child’s Needs
Torbay Council ordered to pay £8,400 for year-long neglect of child’s needs The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman has...
Read moreSarah is an experienced housing and public law solicitor who is committed to achieving great results for her clients. She often acts in cases where clients lack litigation capacity, have autism or additional needs due to mental health conditions, and where clients require action to be taken at very short notice. She is also experienced at mediation and always considers settlement as early as possible in a case, where this is in her clients’ best interests.
Sarah undertakes all types of housing work especially where this involves public law issues. She has particular expertise in assisting those facing homelessness and in Judicial Review claims.
Sarah also has an interest in bringing challenges to the refusal of legal aid and to decisions of the Ombudsman or other public bodies.
Sarah is named in the Legal 500.
Sarah joined Osbornes in April 2025 after a career with the Government Legal Department followed by several years with a legal aid housing firm in south London.
Taylor a really good public lawyer.
Will is the best housing solicitor there is and he has the best housing law mind I have come across. He is really exceptional and incredibly helpful for both clients and people in the sector.
They are extremely good and diligent in their work - they are super amazing.
The lawyers at Osbornes Law work with passion, putting in all their best.
Osbornes has some very good quality lawyers doing very interesting work.
The Osbornes Law team is very solid quality across the board.
The lawyers provide good standards of practice.
They are one of the go-to firms for public law in London. They have real strength in the depth of their team and work hard for their clients.
Osbornes have a strong team with some truly excellent individuals.
Edward Taylor is an outstanding public law solicitor. He has particular skills in working with vulnerable clients and in complex and fast-moving cases.
They are tenacious, approachable, and extremely effective in representing the interests of their clients including in highly complex cases.
Osbornes Law are a truly excellent team. They cover a range of immigration, housing, and social care matters with a core commitment to representing vulnerable clients.
Osbornes has a particular strength in handling social housing challenges with a focus on homelessness and assisting children with disabilities.
William Ford has a forensic knowledge of housing law and is extremely intelligent, very thorough, and excellent with clients
Excellent communication at all stages of a claim and an emphasis on the needs of the client.
A thoroughly professional firm who have specialist knowledge of their areas of law.
Outstanding lawyers providing outstanding quality advice. They are one of the leaders in the field.
Alex McMahon is an extremely safe pair of hands for any housing issues.
William Ford has long been a leading individual in the housing law world.
Osbornes' social housing law team is very good and very well regarded within the field, with great solicitors across the full range of seniority.
The housing team at Osbornes is the best in England.
Alex McMahon is another notable team member who practices across housing law, public law, and community care.
Practice head William Ford is praised as ‘the best housing and social security lawyer in the sector.
The social housing team at Osbornes boasts extensive experience in representing clients with claims against local authorities and housing associations in mandates surrounding disrepair, possession, eviction warrants and illegal evictions, homelessness, and anti-social behaviour.
William Ford is the best housing and public law solicitor of his generation.
Osbornes are a fantastic team who really stand out in the market in the fields of housing and social care.
Their mix of private client work and legal aid means that legally aided clients are (unusually) able to access a professional and top-flight law firm and get treated with real respect
The social housing team at Osbornes is exceptional. The solicitors are highly competent, professional, and committed.
A large, experienced, and capable team with in-depth knowledge covering the entirety of housing and homelessness law
The group has developed expertise in several specialist areas, such as advising EU nationals on their legal status and bringing challenges in asylum age assessment cases.
The team has demonstrable experience in advising clients on issues involving vulnerable clients who have claims against local authorities and housing associations.
"The people I have worked with have been fantastic; they are truly passionate about the work they do and are exceptionally good at building good relationships."
"This is an outstanding firm with great attention to detail. They work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients. They have excellent client care skills and are extremely organised."
The social housing team is friendly, approachable and genuinely care about its clients.
A broad knowledge places the social housing department one step ahead of others when it comes to community care knowledge.
The social housing department always go the extra mile.
The social housing team has a strong track record in representing tenants in claims against local authorities and housing associations, with particular expertise in complex disrepair and possession cases.
Osbornes is commended for its 'rare level of commitment'.
Insights from Sarah VIEW ALL
24.4.2025Age Re-Assessment Ordered by High Court
‘Illogical’ and ‘unlawful’: High Court rules in favour of unaccompanied asylum-seeker against Local Authority On 16 April 2025, His Honour Judge Dight...
Read more- 2.4.2025
Significant Damages Secured in Disrepair Case
Significant Damages for Disrepair secured following breach of Court Order Our client approached Osbornes Law having previously brought a disrepair...
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6.3.2025Housing Cases: When Vulnerability Affects Capacity
When does vulnerability become an issue of capacity in housing cases? Things to consider Many clients seeking housing advice from...
Read more- 30.1.2025
Osbornes Wins Judicial Review on Legal Aid Fees
Osbornes successful in judicial review of Lord Chancellor over legal aid fees for Welfare Benefits On 28 January 2025 the High Court...
Read more - 13.1.2025
Osbornes Law Secures Mental Health Support for Asylum...
Home office backs down over decision to deny mental health support to suicidal torture victim seeking asylum The Home Office...
Read more - 7.11.2024
New DWP Scheme: Refunds for Recoverable Hardship Payments
Sanctioned Universal Credit claimants may be entitled to refunds of Hardship Payments following announcement of new DWP scheme The Department...
Read more - 7.10.2024
Disabled Woman Wins £34,000 Benefits Case
The Background to the Case In 2019 Ramona Cerbu was crossing the road when she was hit by a car and...
Read more - 2.9.2024
Transferring a Council House Tenancy to a Family...
Tenancy Succession Rules The loss of a loved one is always a difficult time. It is important that time is...
Read more - 30.7.2024
Single Mother Wins in High Court Homelessness Challenge
Claim for judicial review against Redbridge Council This case involved a claim in the High Court for judicial review against...
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15.7.2024How To Deal With Rent Arrears
What can I do if I am struggling to pay off rent arrears? There are many reasons why one might...
Read more- 16.4.2024
When can you challenge public body decisions about...
An introduction to public law Public law governs the relationship between public bodies, such as central government or local government,...
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16.4.2024Short-Form Assessments of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
Age is just a number? Shining a light on Local Authorities’ Short-Form Assessments of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children A recent report...
Read more- 5.4.2024
DWP Exposed for £32,000 Underpayment of Disability Benefits
Osbornes Law has assisted a vulnerable client to recover underpaid disability benefits totalling over £32,000. Our client, a disabled young man,...
Read more - 23.1.2024
Case Reiterates Local Authorities should follow Allocation Scheme
R (on the application of Kukhtyak) -v- London Borough of Hounslow [2023] EWHC 2914 (Admin) This sad case concerned an elderly couple...
Read more - 7.12.2023
Supreme Court sets High Threshold for Local Authorities...
Judgment was handed down on 28 November 2023 by the Supreme Court in an important case regarding the main housing duty. The...
Read more - 28.9.2023
Gatekept homeless teenager accommodated by local housing authority
Miss X, a 17 year old whose details are anonymised to protect her privacy, left her family home in March 2022 following...
Read more - 28.9.2023
Homelessness case successfully settled for elderly disabled lady
Ms X, whose details are anonymised to protect her privacy, had been living in a privately rented one-bedroom flat for...
Read more - 28.9.2023
Disrepair Claim for Single Father
Background to the Claim Osbornes Law represented a private tenant, a single father living with his young son in their...
Read more - 28.9.2023
Client successfully rehoused following refusal by local authority
Background to the case Osbornes Law represented a client who had been found intentionally homeless by his local authority. He...
Read more - 28.9.2023
Client rehoused and £16,000 arrears cleared
Osbornes Law were instructed to assist a client to suspend a warrant for possession. The client had fallen into arrears...
Read more - 26.9.2023
Victory for Homeless Victim
Mr X, whose details are anonymised to protect his privacy, fled his home country due to severe persecution from the...
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13.9.2023Successful homelessness judicial review case against Redbridge Council
This matter involved a claim in the High Court for judicial review against Redbridge Council for failure to comply with...
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13.7.2023Family Unlawfully Evicted Receives Damages of £22,000
Case Summary: Unlawful Eviction Claim Against Private Landlord This matter involved an unlawful eviction claim brought by our clients against...
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