A decision to close a practice

We can, in effect, close a practice. We call this an "intervention". An intervention is a step taken to protect clients' interests and money, in the public interest. It is often an urgent protective measure, and does not necessarily mean we have made any findings against the regulated firm or individual, such as a solicitor or a registered European lawyer.

The main things that we do during an intervention:

Stop the firm from operating; take possession of all documents and papers held by the firm (including clients' papers), and
Take possession of all money held by the firm (including clients' money).

Legislation gives us a range of reasons for intervention. These are known as "grounds".

We can intervene if, for example:

there are grounds to intervene, such as abandonment or suspected dishonesty, and
an intervention is needed to protect the public.

We will generally immediately publish a decision to intervene. This to let members of the public know that the firm has closed. The detail we publish will usually include the details of the agents, normally a law firm, that we have asked to help us manage the intervention.

If you are the client of a firm that we have closed in this way, read more about interventions. You can find advice on what to do next and how to claim back money and papers that we may be holding.

Employees and trade creditors of firms that we have closed can also find guidance on what to do next. Legal professionals and experts may also be able to claim money for fees that they are owed.

Important notes

Not all regulatory decisions are published—read more about our approach to publication.

Only decisions made since early 2008 are published on this site. Most decisions remain on the site three years.

For the most up-to-date and complete picture of an individual's regulatory record,
please contact us.