To think that this was unacceptable from solicitors

Yes they be committed a data breach and they should have apologised. Their behaviour seems unusual for a solicitor - due to the nature of their work they often send test emails before starting to use the email address for business.

The only thing you can do is complain formally to the practice - they will have a complaints process on their website. Hopefully then you'll get an apology.

I was Head of Operations in a law firm for a while and we'd have taken this seriously. If your home address or other details were in the correspondence, our Data Protection Officer would have been involved.

I suspect the solicitor who just forwarded it on hoped to keep their error below the radar instead of holding up their hands. It's human error, it happens, nobody's getting sacked for that. But how you deal with it matters, not least in the eyes of your client. I'd be miffed in your shoes.

I'd be irritated too, at the mistake yes (but we all make them) but mostly at the lack of apology. People just don't apologise any more. A genuine sorry goes a long way. It doesn't have to be a hair shirt.

Sounds like a data breech, under uk law they should report it to the ICO within 72 hours. They should definately be taking it seriously. I'd make a formal complaint.

What sort of personal information was on the emails that they sent?

They made a mistake and corrected it. What else do you want them to do? Wear a hair shirt for six months? Self flagellate in public next Saturday?

Mistakes happen, they have dealt with it.

YANBU but solicitors do everything at a snails pace and never ever use the phone.

Public sector but relying on Google for confidential emails. Behave.

I would never use a solicitor, plumber, gardener etc recommended by the EA for a start. Surely they will be taking their own cut from the arrangement and if not, I still would always go with personal recommendations.
Do the emails contain confidential data or blank forms to complete?

This! Over and over. Do not use solicitors buying work YOU from estate agents. Go local!

You are referring to them as solicitors but because you are paying probably peanuts in comparison to what an experienced solicitor would charge you, they are likely conveyancers.

@princessposy very unprofessional all round. We are having similar offhand service currently from an EA recommended solicitor so I think this indifference must be quite common.
Doubtless they'll be wanting an online review once they finally get their job done....

I get why you are annoyed however because the data they shared does not pose any risk to you I think it is a minimal breach. You say they shared name and email ? No address or other personal information ?
So it’s classed as a minor breach.
I deal with breaches all the time and this would not be classed as serious.
I would not be too bothered myself.

With any luck they might put in a cheeky offer!

But the fields were empty and hadn’t been populated?

I wouldn’t use a solicitor on an estate agent’s recommendation. They’re usually doing it for a kickback.

If your email address is that similar to another email address… has this not happened many times in the past before?

Kicking someone when they’re down?

oh don’t be such a drama llama

This. Firms recommended by estate agents need treating with caution- check reviews.

YANBU, but this might not be true. If the other person with your name accesses this email address regularly, surely (?) they would have replied to your solicitor and said “you’ve sent this to the wrong person”.

My pension adviser sent me an email that should have gone to another client. I replied straightaway (and got a very apologetic email back). Wouldn’t most people do that?

Clearly that didn’t happen in this case as your solicitor carried on using the wrong email address. That makes me think the other Mrs Smith doesn’t use this email.

I can see where you're coming from OP. If the process had been a bit further along and they'd sent anything confidential (the address you live at now, mortgage details etc.) rather than what sounds like the details of the other property, I'd expect a very good apology and tbh some sort of discount, also confirmation that they'd self-referred to the ICO (and if they hadn't I'd consider doing so myself).

But even in this case I'd expect an apology, primarily because if they are so blasé about it it doesn't exactly fill you with reassurance that they a) won't do the same thing again and b) that they are going to be pro-active in actioning your move, if it's taken them weeks without chasing you.

I work in the public sector so a bit different but it's a big deal whenever someone sends something to the wrong email - we have to fill in a form, self refer to the data gov manager, it's circulated (anonymously) to the whole org, etc.