Abbott & Co t/a Abbott & Company, Abbott and Company Solicitors and XYZ Law – SRA Intervention

On 18 August 2025 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’) intervened into the practice of Abbott & Co trading as Abbott & Company, Abbott and Company Solicitors of Unit 5, High Street, Worsley, Manchester, M28 3JH and trading as XYZ Law of 9 Wellington Road, Dewsbury, WF13 1HF (‘Abbotts/XYZ Law’).

What does this mean?

If you were a client of Abbotts/XYZ, they can no longer act for you. You will need to find a new solicitor to act. Gordons are not acting for you. If you need help finding a new solicitor you can search for a new solicitor on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor site, or you can call the Law Society on 020 7320 5650 Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.

It may help your new solicitor get up to speed by sending them any documents/correspondence you already have. If your transaction is in the early stages your new solicitor may be able to make progress for you without your file from Abbotts/XYZ Law.

If Abbotts/XYZ were only dealing with a property sale for you or they were in the early stages of a purchase, your new solicitor should be able to get copy documents from the other side or the estate agent, to progress the matter quickly.

How do I get my file?

You can email us at abbotts@gordonsllp.com or call us on 0113 227 0387 to check if we are holding your file and tell us where you would like us to send it.

We are receiving a high volume of requests to transfer Abbott/XYZ’s files to clients/new solicitors. We are actioning these requests urgently in order of receipt. This is done by email using secure document-sharing software.

If your matter is urgent (i.e. a mortgage offer is due to expire), please briefly explain the reasons for the urgency when emailing us and give us details of any pending key dates. This will help us to prioritise assistance for those most in need.

If you want your file to be sent to you, please attach a copy of your ID (driving licence/passport). We don’t need to see your ID if you want us to send your file to a new solicitor. If you have asked us to send your file to your new solicitor, we will not notify you separately. Please contact your new solicitor.

If we need any more information from you before sending your file, we will let you know.

What about deeds/wills/Lasting Powers of Attorneys (LPAs)/other original documents held at Abbotts/XYZ?

These documents will be held separately by the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s archive department. If you want to get hold of these documents please contact the SRA’s archives team at iaf@sra.org.uk or 0204 525 0250.

What has happened to old/archived files?

All old/archived files held in storage by Abbotts/XYZ are being collected for indexing by the SRA. If you want to request old/archived files please contact the SRA’s archives team at iaf@sra.org.uk or 0204 525 0250.

Abbotts/XYZ were holding money for me. What should I do?

If you believe Abbotts/XYZ were holding money for you, you may be able to apply to the SRA Compensation Fund. As it is a discretionary fund, applications are considered using the criteria set out in the rules. You can find out more about the Compensation Fund here: SRA | Compensation fund | Solicitors Regulation Authority

How can I get more information about the intervention into Abbotts/XYZ?

You can:

• speak to Gordons on 0113 227 0387 (Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:30). You can leave a message outside office hours and we will call you back as soon as possible.
• email your query to Gordons at abbotts@gordonsllp.com
• find out more about interventions at the SRA’s website SRA | Intervention | Solicitors Regulation Authority