Solicitor not authorised by the SRA. Should we steer clear?

[Octothorpe]

I've posted on the elderly parents thread but trying here too in case any friendly solicitors could advise.

Briefly, my very elderly DF (frail but has capacity, though can't really cope with legal stuff so it's down to me and siblings to do the legwork) has had a letter to say his firm of solicitors has ceased to exist. But this is more of a form asking what he wants to happen with his documents - his will, a POA (not in use but drawn up if needed) and a trust to do with property.

Apparently a new firm is already operating in the same premises but isn't a 'successor practice' and isn't authorised and regulated by the SRA.

This all seems a bit odd and very out of the blue. No warning from the old firm that this was imminent. No real reassurance to existing clients. Siblings and I feel a bit unsure whether DF should be sticking with this unknown new outfit or whether we should find another firm for him.

Are we being too suspicious, though? Gut feeling does tell me that SRA registration would be something we want. Anyone have any advice?

All practising solicitors in England and Wales must be part of the SRA. Call the new ones and ask what's going on.

All solicitors must be a member of the SRA, otherwise they can't actually be a solicitor. Therefore I would be asking why they aren't registered and no longer using them.

As the others have said, if they aren't registered with the SRA they cannot practice law in the UK. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
I would ask around locally for recommendations for a new firm and have all the documents and files etc immediately transferred to them.

Thanks all. This is what I don't understand. The not-very-informative letter says is 'not authorised and regulated to practise by the SRA but is authorised and regulated by....the Council for Licensed Conveyancers'.

I suspect that some of the former staff are part of the new firm and they are registered as individuals with the SRA. Well, they are if it's who I think it is, because I looked them up.

But I find it all very peculiar that this has happened without any clients being kept informed.

If they are licensed conveyancers that's perfectly legit - they just aren't solicitors. If all you are doing is using them for deeds storage then there shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks GU24Mum. Thing is that at some point we might need to consult them (DF was thinking of making some small changes to his will anyway) and really a proper family solicitor is what we need for that. So yes, I think we'll need to find someone else more suitable.

Yes, get the file and find new sols.

OP, if they're holding the deeds then unless you've got deeds storage (ie fireproof storage) then I'd leave them there til you need them. You can then find another solicitor when you need something done and get the deeds back then.

Yes, all the above sounds sensible.

Confusingly for the public these days all kinds of people can offer legal services of various kinds including licensed conveyancers. I would stick to solicitors if you can given the kind of advice he will need and now might be a good time to switch firms before he is too old and whilst he still has capacity to make decisions about this kind of thing.

Then they are no longer a law firm, sonlong as they aren’t practicing law that’s fine but you will need to find a new solicitor.

Xenia yes, DF is in his 90s now so I think we do need to move fairly sharpish! I'm conscious of the continued security of the documents, though.

BogglesGoggles they are a law firm, just not solicitors. They will practice residential property law.

Solicitor’s firms can be regulated by either the SRA, the Bar Council, or as you have found out, the CLC. There is nothing unusual about this and there is no need to steer clear. As others have said, the individual solicitors will still be subject to SRA regulation.