Probe at law firm goes on
THE SOLICITORS holding documents seized from law firm, Walter, Scott and Ross, have started to contact former clients, but say it will be a major operation.
When the firm was shut down by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority on March 19, while "serious financial irregularities" were investigated, the Advertiser was told clients' wills and deeds would be returned to them within a few weeks.
But many worried former clients have contacted us claiming they feel they have been kept in the dark over when their legal documents will be returned and as to whether they are safe.
Former client Jean Woodward said: "I haven't heard a thing since it happened. I've tried ringing them and got nowhere.
Birmingham-based solicitors firm Martineau was appointed by the regulation authority as intervention agents to return papers and monies to clients.
David Gwyther, at Martineau, said: "With my staff, we collected all the clients' papers that were available except archive stores from long ago, which are going to be collected soon.
"We took everything, including deeds and wills, amongst those were files relating to urgent cases – completion of purchases and active court cases, in particular, and it is these that have taken priority.
"We have started writing to other clients who have wills and deeds but it is a big operation."
There are about 9,000 files to look through, he said.
He added: "Be assured that, in any case, where we have deeds or wills, we will be writing to the people concerned in due course."
Mr Gwyther said clients could write to him with a copy of a passport or driving licence, which could result in them receiving their papers within a week, but he currently could not offer a fixed timescale for return of all clients' wills and deeds.
A spokeswoman for the Solicitors Regulation Authority said: "The investigation into Walter, Scott and Ross is continuing and in due course there will be a hearing in London open to the public."
Anyone wanting an address to write to can go to www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk and view our online version of this story.
No-one from Walter, Scott and Ross was available for comment.
If you want to write to David Gwyther, the address is:
Martineau Solicitors
No. 1 Colmore Square
Birmingham
B4 6AA
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