Sarah
Burns
Employee
7817084
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 10 September 2026
Published date: 23 October 2026
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Mortimers Solicitors Limited
Address(es): 65 Whitburn Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4QP, England
Firm ID: 630709
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Who does this decision relate to?
Sarah Jayne Burns whose last known address was in Cwmbran, Gwent.
A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.
Summary of decision
The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Ms Burns can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:
Ms Burns, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on her part that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.
The facts of the case
Ms Burns was employed by Mortimers Solicitors Limited (the firm) in the wills and probate department.
In 2024, while acting on a client matter, Ms Burns arranged for a junior colleague to sign a will as a witness, in circumstances where she knew that the colleague had not witnessed the testator sign the document, and she subsequently treated the will as if it had been properly executed when she knew it was not.
Ms Burns was found to have acted dishonestly (in breach of SRA Principle 4) and in breach of SRA Principles 2 (You act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons) and 5 (You act with integrity)
Decision on outcome
An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Ms Burns' conduct meant that it was undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval.
This was because of the serious nature of her conduct, which was dishonest. Honesty is required from all those involved in the provision of legal services and Ms Burns has proved that she can act without this.
Ms Burns was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £600.
What our Section 43 order means
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body
except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.