Why the German route is the short one
To legalize documents for Germany you deal with one British desk and nobody else. Germany accepts a single-step certificate, so the paper never crosses a consular counter. That is worth knowing because Germany is one of the busiest corridors out of the East Midlands, and the wrong assumption costs people weeks of chasing a stamp that does not exist for them.
So embassy attestation for Germany is not a service to buy, and quotes that include a mission fee for this route are quoting for empty air. The money in a German file goes on the certified copy, the British certificate and the translation, in that order. There is no fourth line on the bill.
Where a German file really gets slow
The delays on this corridor are almost never about stamping. They come from the German end asking for a specific edition of a record, from a name spelled differently on two papers, or from a degree that needs its transcript attached. None of that is fixed by consular legalization for Germany, which is why ordering it solves nothing.
The other common snag is the calendar. Registration appointments in German cities are booked well ahead, and a bundle that arrives one paper short means starting that queue again. Getting every sheet certified in one batch, rather than one at a time as each is requested, is the single biggest saving on this route.
The Leicester end of the job
Searches for embassy legalization for Germany from Leicester usually come from a job offer, a university place, a marriage abroad, or a pension claim that needs proof of a life event. All four rest on civil records, and all four are easier when a fresh copy is ordered from Leicester Registration Service rather than sending the certificate you already own.
Document legalization for Germany then runs entirely by post. The FCDO desk has no public counter, so nothing is gained by travelling anywhere, and a courier with tracking is the sensible way to move the bundle. Keep the original at home and let the copy do the miles.