A bereaved son is left feeling hopeless after his solicitor's sudden closure leaves him unable to access his late father's legacy. The family had been on the cusp of finalizing a probate application when they received news that Samuel Phillips Law, their chosen firm, had ceased trading without explanation.
The situation has left the young man, who is self-employed and struggling financially, unable to work while grieving for his dad. With no money left over due to his business being suspended, he's now facing an inheritance tax bill if he can't prove they don't meet the threshold - all thanks to the firm holding onto his father's files.
The new solicitors he's instructed have told him that the regulator can be contacted, but it may take months before any action is taken. The young man has described feeling "hopeless and alone" in the face of this bureaucratic nightmare.
Further investigation revealed that Samuel Phillips Law was shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after it found "reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of one of the firm's directors, Sufe Miah." The news comes as a blow to those who lost their jobs with the firm, including staff and trainee solicitors.
However, thanks to quick action from the Guardian, the young man was able to contact the SRA, who promptly transferred his files to another agency. His paperwork is now being held in a secure archive, and he can finally start making progress on accessing his father's estate.
The SRA has appointed a new firm, Gordons LLP, to deal with clients from closed companies like Samuel Phillips Law. Others who have been affected by the closures should contact John Owen of Gordons LLP for further assistance.
The situation has left the young man, who is self-employed and struggling financially, unable to work while grieving for his dad. With no money left over due to his business being suspended, he's now facing an inheritance tax bill if he can't prove they don't meet the threshold - all thanks to the firm holding onto his father's files.
The new solicitors he's instructed have told him that the regulator can be contacted, but it may take months before any action is taken. The young man has described feeling "hopeless and alone" in the face of this bureaucratic nightmare.
Further investigation revealed that Samuel Phillips Law was shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after it found "reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of one of the firm's directors, Sufe Miah." The news comes as a blow to those who lost their jobs with the firm, including staff and trainee solicitors.
However, thanks to quick action from the Guardian, the young man was able to contact the SRA, who promptly transferred his files to another agency. His paperwork is now being held in a secure archive, and he can finally start making progress on accessing his father's estate.
The SRA has appointed a new firm, Gordons LLP, to deal with clients from closed companies like Samuel Phillips Law. Others who have been affected by the closures should contact John Owen of Gordons LLP for further assistance.
His situation is a nightmare. Glad the Guardian stepped in and helped him get in touch with the SRA, but months to sort it out? That's just too long 
! I mean, can't you imagine how that poor guy is feeling? His dad's gone and now he's stuck in limbo because some dodgy solicitor decided to just shut down without telling anyone. It's like they thought they were above the law or something. And what really gets my goat is that it's not just him, there are tons of people who lost their jobs over this. I swear, it's like the system is designed to mess with innocent people's lives. But at least the SRA stepped in and did something about it 
. Those poor guys from Samuel Phillips Law should be ashamed of themselves though.
. I know it's gotta be super frustrating to not be able to access your dad's stuff, especially when you're struggling financially yourself. It's like the universe is just throwing more curveballs at him right now 
. And kudos to the SRA for stepping in and helping out - it's not their fault that this firm got shut down, but they're making a real effort to help people who've been affected 
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. But at least there's someone like John Owen from Gordons LLP who can offer support and guidance to those in need 
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. Anyway, at least he got his files transferred and can start moving forward again. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with the new firm 
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. I remember when my grandma passed away, it was like a whole new world opened up to me, but I'm sure not many young folks are in the same boat as him right now 
. At least that the Guardian stepped in and helped him get his files transferred to another agency... fingers crossed he can finally move forward 
... I mean what's the point of having a regulator if they're not gonna actually do anything to help? it's like, come on SRA, get your act together and start taking action instead of just saying "oh, we'll look into it" after something's already happened 
. and what about all the people who lost their jobs or are still trying to access their files from these closed firms? they deserve some answers...
. I just hope the new firm can help them sort out their dad's estate soon 
it's not just the guy who lost his dad's files that's suffering, but also his whole family who are struggling financially right now. 
This is so frustrating. Imagine having just started to process your grief and then getting stuck in a never-ending bureaucratic loop. The whole thing feels so unfair - the poor guy's already struggling financially, and now he's got this massive inheritance tax bill looming over him... 
... And I'm glad the Guardian stepped in, but at the same time, shouldn't the SRA have been doing this sooner? 
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That's like something from a movie, right? Interesting how the Guardian stepped in to help him get his stuff sorted. Kudos to them! 
It's like they just expected everyone to deal with it themselves. Anyway, at least the SRA stepped in and helped out this one guy... but how many others are still stuck in limbo? 
Glad that the Guardian was able to step in and make some progress though! It's not right that staff and trainee solicitors got left high and dry 
i just hope they can sort it out soon