Tilbrook's
Quires Green, Walls Green, Ongar
, CM5 0QP
Recognised sole practitioner
191244
Decision - Fined
Outcome: Fine
Outcome date: 26 April 2022
Published date: 6 May 2022
Firm details
Firm or organisation at date of publication
Name: Tilbrook’s
Address(es): Quires Green, Walls Green, Ongar, CM5 0QP
Firm ID: 191244
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Reasons/basis
Tilbrook’s is a recognised sole practice whose head office is Quires Green, Walls Green, Ongar, CM5 0QP.
The SRA Transparency Rules came into effect on 6 December 2018. They require all firms authorised and regulated by the SRA to display specified information on their websites if they provide certain types of legal services. The purpose of the Rules is to ensure people have accurate and relevant information about a solicitor or firm when they are considering purchasing legal services. They are intended to help members of the public and small businesses make informed choices, improving competition in the legal market.
The firm has failed to publish mandatory details about costs and its complaints procedure on its websites in breach of rule 1.1 and 2.1 of the Transparency Rules. It has failed to display the SRA digital badge on its websites in breach of rule 4.1 of the SRA Transparency Rules.
The firm was ordered to pay a financial penalty of £2,000 and costs of £600.
The following conditions were imposed on Tilbrook’s authorisation with immediate effect:
- If the firm publishes as available any of the services specified in rules 1.3 and 1.4 of the SRA Transparency Rules, the firm must in respect of each of those services provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it:
- publishes on its website the information specified in rule 1.5 of the Transparency Rules; and
- that such information is clear and accessible and in a prominent place on its website, in accordance with rule 1.6 of the Transparency Rules. The firm must provide the SRA with the required evidence within 30 days of this condition coming into effect.
- If the firm has a website, it shall, within 30 days of this condition coming into effect, provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it is complying with rule 2.1 of the Transparency Rules (complaints information).
- If the firm has a website, it must within 30 days of this condition coming into effect, provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it publishes in a prominent position on its website, the SRA’s digital badge.
Decision - Control of practice
Outcome: Condition
Outcome date: 30 July 2021
Published date: 5 August 2021
Firm details
Firm or organisation at date of publication
Name: Tilbrook’s
Address(es): Quires Green, Walls Green, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 0QP
Firm ID: 191244
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
To impose the following conditions on the firm’s authorisation and to publish these:
If the firm publishes as available any of the services specified in rules 1.3 or 1.4 of the SRA Transparency Rules, the firm must in respect of each of those services provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it:
Publishes on its website the information specified in rule 1.5 of the Transparency Rules; and
that such information is clear and accessible and in a prominent place on its website, in accordance with rule 1.6.
The firm must provide the SRA with the required evidence within 30 days of this condition coming in to effect.
If the firm has a website, it shall, within 30 days of this condition coming into effect, provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it is complying with rule 2.1 of the Transparency Rules (complaints information).
If the firm has a website, it must, within 30 days of this condition coming in to effect, provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it publishes in a prominent position on it’s website, the SRA’s digital badge.
Reasons/basis
The firm has provided no evidence that it is now in compliance with the Rules and there is a risk that the firm will not comply with these without conditions being imposed. This is evidenced by the firm’s continued non-compliance with the rules despite being made aware of the relevant requirements since at least 30 April 2021.
- The firm’s conduct is likely to be repeated in the absence of conditions. This is demonstrated by the firm’s failure to ensure compliance despite the SRA’s emails of 30 April 2021, 6, 19, 20 and 28 May 2021, 3 and 11 June 2021 and the failure to comply following the investigation officer’s notice.
- Conditions will address the risk of repetition, and the recommended conditions (as amended below) are reasonable and proportionate, realistic and measurable.
- There is no evidence to date that the firm’s conduct has caused any lasting significant harm to consumers or third parties.
- The firm has sufficient insight to enable compliance with conditions as it has made some, albeit limited changes, to the websites.