HAWKINS RYAN LLP

Decision - Fined

Outcome: Fine

Outcome date: 15 June 2026

Published date: 17 July 2026

Firm details

No detail provided:

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this disciplinary decision relate to?

Hawkins Ryan LLP located at 19 Tuesday Market Place, Kings Lynn, PE30 1JW, a recognised body (the firm).

Short summary of decision

We have fined the firm for:

1. breaches of the SRA Accounts Rules in relation to client money and
2. a failure to provide relevant information in response to numerous requests from those instructed to administer an estate, causing delays and increased costs to that estate and its administrator.

Facts of the misconduct

It was found that:

1. Between 17 June 2022 and 7 December 2023, the firm transferred £23,348.50 from its client account to its office account for work pertaining to an estate after it received confirmation that it was not instructed to administer it and without notifying the administrator for the estate.
2. Between 30 May 2022 and 7 December 2023, the firm transferred £31,718.50 from its client account to its office account without providing a bill of costs or other written notification of the costs incurred to the estate or its beneficiaries before doing so.
3. Between 19 December 2023 and 17 May 2024, the firm continued to hold monies in respect of the estate when there was no longer any reason for it to retain such funds.
4. The Firm failed to account for £271.25 to the estate for interest accrued on the £48,766.17 it received into its client account on 30 May 2022.
5. The Firm caused the estate to incur delays and increased costs by failing to provide relevant information in response to numerous requests from those instructed to administer it.

In doing so the firm breached Rules 2.5, 4.3(a) and (b), 5.1 and 7.1 of the SRA Accounts Rules and Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019.

Decision on sanction

The firm was directed to pay a financial penalty of £12,366 and ordered to pay costs of £1,350.

It was decided that a financial penalty was an appropriate and proportionate sanction.

This was because its conduct was serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:

• The firm had direct control and responsibility for its conduct
• The breaches persisted for longer than reasonable
• A fine is appropriate to remove some of the financial gain the firm received

In view of the above, the firm’s conduct was placed in conduct band B which has a financial penalty bracket of between 0.4% and 1.2%. Its conduct was placed in the middle of this bracket B2 given:

1. Aggravating factors
2. The breaches related primarily to client money, which means the allegations are treated as inherently more serious.
   • The firm should also have known that it could not transfer funds to pay invoices which it had not properly delivered, and for work it had not been instructed to do.
   • Its lack of judgment in transferring funds to pay those invoices, without the agreement of the beneficial owner of those funds, was of serious concern.
3. Mitigating/other factors
   • There are no allegations of dishonesty or lack of integrity
   • There are no allegations of recklessness.
   • The firm had not attempted to conceal any issues from the regulator and had engaged with the investigation process fully.

The financial penalty was reduced by 15% in recognition of the fact that the firm cooperated with the investigation and admitted the allegations prior to its referral to adjudication.

SRA Principles 2019

Principle 2: You must act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors’ profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons. SRA Accounts Rules 2019

Rule 5.1 You only withdraw client money from a client account:

1. for the purpose for which it is being held;
2. following receipt of instructions from the client, or the third party for whom the money is held; or on the SRA's prior written authorisation or in prescribed circumstances.

Rule 4.3 Where you are holding client money and some or all of that money will be used to pay your costs:

1. you must give a bill of costs, or other written notification of the costs incurred, to the client or the paying party; and
2. this must be done before you transfer any client money from a client account to make the payment.

Rule 2.5 You ensure that client money is returned promptly to the client, or the third party for whom the money is held, as soon as there is no longer any proper reason to hold those funds.

Rule 7.1 You account to clients or third parties for a fair sum of interest on any client money held by you on their behalf.