A firm has closed down

There are several reasons why a firm or sole practitioner may close.

A firm may close voluntarily, in which case it will make arrangements with its clients to deal with any ongoing work, and to arrange for the return of clients' papers and money.

A firm may have been abandoned and closed suddenly. This could be due to the death or sudden illness (more often the case with sole practitioners than with firms). If you are the client of a firm that appears to have been abandoned, please contact us immediately.

If we receive a report of an abandoned firm, we will look into it. It is possible that we will close the firm.

We may already have closed the firm. We do this if we consider it necessary to protect clients' interests and money, and for the protection of the wider public.

When a firm closes down, it will have consequences for

• clients—you will need to make alternative arrangements or claim money and documents owed to you
• employees of the firm
• trade creditors, who may be owed money, and
• other legal professionals such as barristers, who may be owed money for professional fees.