How to Check If Your Solicitor Is Regulated

Before you hand over personal documents, sign a terms of engagement letter, or transfer any money to a solicitor or conveyancer, you should verify that they are properly regulated. This is not optional due diligence — it is the single most important check you can make when instructing a solicitor for your property sale.

Conveyancing fraud and unregulated operators do exist in the UK property market. The consequences of using someone who is not regulated can be severe: no professional indemnity insurance if they make a mistake, no compensation fund if they disappear with your money, and no access to the Legal Ombudsman if you have a complaint. This guide explains exactly how to check, what regulation means in practice, and how to spot the warning signs.

Why regulation matters when selling a property

Conveyancing is a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007. This means only individuals and firms authorised by an approved regulator can carry out conveyancing work for a fee. The two main regulators for property transactions in England and Wales are:

• The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — regulates solicitors and law firms
• The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) — regulates licensed conveyancers who specialise exclusively in property and probate work

Both regulators impose strict rules on their members. These rules exist to protect you as a consumer. When you use a regulated professional, you benefit from a framework of protections that simply does not exist if you use an unregulated operator.

How to search the SRA register

The SRA maintains a publicly searchable register of every solicitor and law firm it regulates. Checking it takes less than two minutes and is completely free.

1. Go to the SRA register at sra.org.uk/consumers/register.
2. Search by the solicitor's name, the firm's name, or their SRA number.
3. Review the results. The register shows whether the individual or firm is currently authorised to practise, their registered office address, and any conditions or disciplinary history.

If the person or firm does not appear on the register, they are not regulated by the SRA. This does not necessarily mean they are unregulated — they may be a licensed conveyancer regulated by the CLC instead — but you must check before proceeding.

What an SRA number looks like

Every SRA-regulated solicitor and firm is assigned a unique reference number. Individual solicitor numbers are typically six digits (for example, 456789). Firm SRA numbers are also six digits. You should find this number on:

• The firm's website (usually in the footer)
• Their terms of engagement letter
• Headed notepaper and email signatures
• Their listing on the SRA register

Under the SRA Transparency Rules, regulated firms must publish specific information on their websites, including their SRA number, the name and address of the firm, and confirmation that they are authorised and regulated by the SRA. If any of this information is missing, treat it as a warning sign.

How to search the CLC register

If the person you are considering is a licensed conveyancer rather than a solicitor, they will be regulated by the CLC, not the SRA. The CLC also maintains a public register:

1. Go to the CLC lawyer directory at clc-uk.org/lawyers.
2. Search by name, firm name, or location.
3. Review the listing to confirm the individual or firm holds a current CLC licence.

CLC-regulated conveyancers are subject to their own set of professional standards, client money rules, and insurance requirements. From a consumer protection standpoint, CLC regulation provides comparable safeguards to SRA regulation. For a detailed comparison of the two types of professional, see our guide on what to ask your solicitor before instructing.

What SRA regulation means in practice

When a solicitor or law firm is regulated by the SRA, they are bound by the SRA Standards and Regulations, which include the SRA Principles, the Code of Conduct for Solicitors, and the Code of Conduct for Firms. In practical terms, this means:

What CLC regulation means in practice

Licensed conveyancers regulated by the CLC are subject to a parallel set of protections. The CLC's regulatory framework includes:

• Mandatory professional indemnity insurance — CLC-regulated firms must hold PII covering negligence claims, just as SRA-regulated firms do.
• Client money protection — the CLC requires firms to keep client money in designated client accounts, separate from the firm's own money, with regular accountant's reports.
• CLC Compensation Fund — similar to the SRA fund, the CLC maintains its own compensation fund to protect consumers if a regulated firm dishonestly misappropriates client money.
• Legal Ombudsman access — you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman about a CLC-regulated firm in the same way as an SRA-regulated one.
• Annual renewal and monitoring — CLC licences must be renewed annually, and the CLC conducts monitoring visits to check compliance.

The practical difference between SRA and CLC regulation is minimal from a consumer protection standpoint. Both provide the core safeguards you need: insurance, client money protection, a compensation fund, and access to an independent complaints body.

Regulated vs unregulated legal services

Not all legal services in the UK are reserved activities. Some types of legal advice can be provided by unregulated firms or individuals without breaking the law. However, conveyancing is different. Preparing the transfer deed, handling completion money, and registering the change of ownership at HM Land Registry are all reserved legal activities that can only be carried out by an authorised person.

You may come across firms or individuals who offer to help with parts of the property sale process — for example, filling in forms or providing general advice — without being regulated. While giving general guidance is not necessarily illegal, the moment someone carries out (or holds themselves out as able to carry out) reserved legal activities without authorisation, they are committing a criminal offence under the Legal Services Act 2007.

The key distinction is this: a regulated solicitor or conveyancer gives you a complete package of legal protections. An unregulated operator gives you none. No insurance. No compensation fund. No access to the Legal Ombudsman. No client account rules protecting your money. The fee saving, if any, is not worth the risk.

How regulation protects your money

When you sell a property, significant sums of money pass through your solicitor's hands. The sale proceeds are received from the buyer's solicitor on completion day and held briefly before being used to pay off your mortgage, settle estate agent fees, and transfer the balance to you. For a typical property sale, this can mean hundreds of thousands of pounds sitting in your solicitor's client account, even if only for a few hours.

Regulation provides three layers of protection for this money:

1. Client account rules. Both the SRA and CLC require that client money is held in a designated client account that is entirely separate from the firm's own business account. Firms cannot use your money to pay their overheads, cover their debts, or fund other transactions. Breaching client account rules is one of the most serious regulatory offences and can result in the firm being shut down.
2. Regular accountant's reports. Regulated firms must submit annual accountant's reports to their regulator confirming that client money has been handled properly. This provides an independent check on the firm's financial conduct.
3. Compensation funds. If, despite these safeguards, a firm dishonestly misappropriates client money, the SRA Compensation Fund (grants up to £2 million) or the CLC Compensation Fund provides a safety net. These funds are financed by contributions from all regulated firms.

None of these protections exist if you use an unregulated operator. If an unregulated person takes your money and disappears, your only recourse is the police and the civil courts — a far more difficult and uncertain route to recovery.

Red flags for unregulated operators

Most conveyancing professionals in England and Wales are properly regulated and operate with integrity. However, it pays to know the warning signs that someone may not be who they claim to be:

• No SRA or CLC number on their website or correspondence. Regulated firms are required to display their regulatory details prominently. If you cannot find an SRA or CLC number anywhere, ask for it directly. If they cannot or will not provide one, walk away.
• They do not appear on the SRA or CLC register. This is the definitive check. If a search of both registers returns no results, the firm or individual is not regulated for conveyancing.
• Unusually low fees. While competitive pricing is normal, fees that are dramatically below market rates (for example, £200 to £300 for a complete conveyancing service) may indicate that the provider is cutting corners or operating outside the regulated framework. Regulated firms have costs associated with insurance, compliance, and compensation fund contributions that set a floor on how cheaply they can operate.
• Pressure to transfer money to a personal bank account. A regulated firm will always ask you to send money to a designated client account in the firm's name, not to a personal account. If you are asked to transfer money to a personal or unusual account, stop immediately and verify the request independently.
• No terms of engagement letter. A regulated solicitor or conveyancer must provide you with a written terms of engagement letter before starting work. This sets out their fees, the scope of work, and your rights. If no such letter is forthcoming, the firm may not be operating within the regulatory framework.
• Reluctance to discuss regulation. A properly regulated professional will have no hesitation in telling you their SRA or CLC number and inviting you to verify it. Evasion or irritation when asked about regulatory status is a serious warning sign.
• No complaints procedure. Regulated firms are required to have a formal complaints procedure and to tell you about it. If the firm has no complaints process or will not explain it, that suggests they may not be regulated.

What to do if your solicitor is not regulated

If you discover that someone you are considering instructing — or, worse, have already instructed — is not properly regulated, take the following steps:

1. Do not transfer any money. If you have not yet sent funds, do not do so. If you have, contact your bank immediately to see whether the transfer can be stopped or recalled.
2. Report to the regulator. Contact the SRA (telephone 0370 606 2555 or via their online reporting tool) or the CLC (telephone 020 7250 8085) to report the unregulated operator.
3. Report to Action Fraud. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, the UK's national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.
4. Seek independent legal advice. Instruct a properly regulated solicitor to advise you on recovering any money already paid and on protecting your position in the property transaction.
5. Notify trading standards. Your local council's trading standards team may be able to take enforcement action against someone providing legal services without authorisation.

Acting quickly is critical. The sooner you report the situation and seek proper legal advice, the better your chances of recovering funds and keeping your property transaction on track.

Title insurance and regulation

Title insurance is sometimes mentioned as an alternative or supplement to thorough conveyancing. A title insurance policy protects against financial loss from specific defects in a property's title — for example, an unknown restrictive covenant, a missing building regulations completion certificate, or an unregistered right of way.

However, title insurance does not replace the need for a regulated solicitor or conveyancer. Title insurance covers specific risks, but it does not:

• Draft or review the contract of sale
• Handle the transfer of legal ownership
• Manage completion day and the movement of funds
• Register the change of ownership at HM Land Registry
• Deal with your mortgage lender's legal requirements

All of these tasks require a regulated legal professional. Title insurance is a useful risk management tool that can sit alongside the conveyancing process, but it is not a substitute for it. Be wary of anyone who suggests that a title insurance policy removes the need for proper legal representation.

CQS accreditation: an additional quality check

Beyond confirming SRA or CLC regulation, you may also want to check whether a solicitor firm holds CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) accreditation from the Law Society. CQS is a voluntary quality mark that indicates the firm has been assessed against specific standards for residential conveyancing, including case management, client care, training, and cyber security.

CQS accreditation is not a legal requirement, but many mortgage lenders require it for firms on their approved panels. If your transaction involves a mortgage on either side, checking CQS status alongside regulatory status is a sensible precaution. You can verify CQS accreditation through the Law Society's Find a Solicitor tool.

A practical checklist before you instruct

Before signing any terms of engagement or transferring any money, work through this checklist:

This entire process takes less than fifteen minutes and gives you confidence that your solicitor or conveyancer is legitimate, regulated, and subject to the protections you are entitled to. For further guidance on choosing the right firm, see our guide on what to ask your solicitor before instructing.

Sources and further reading

• Solicitor and Firm Register — Solicitors Regulation Authority (sra.org.uk)
• Find a CLC Lawyer — Council for Licensed Conveyancers (clc-uk.org)
• SRA Standards and Regulations (sra.org.uk)
• SRA Transparency Rules (sra.org.uk)
• Report a Problem to the SRA (sra.org.uk)
• Legal Services Act 2007 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Legal Ombudsman (legalombudsman.org.uk)
• Action Fraud — National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre (actionfraud.police.uk)
• Conveyancing Quality Scheme — The Law Society (lawsociety.org.uk)

Related guides

• What Causes Gazundering and How to Prevent It

Frequently asked questions