Type a name and the check runs in two places: the SolicitorOS directory here, and the Solicitors Register kept by the Solicitors Regulation Authority at sra.org.uk, which you open from the panel. SolicitorOS organises public profile and verification signals. It is not the Solicitors Regulation Authority and does not replace official confirmation.
Two minutes, before any money changes hands.
Every solicitor in England & Wales is enrolled with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Ask for the practitioner number and confirm the name, the firm and the enrolment with the SRA. A practitioner who cannot give you a number is a warning sign.
If you are paying a deposit, a purchase price or a settlement into the firm’s client account, check on the Solicitors Register that the firm is authorised by the SRA to hold client money, and that the person you are dealing with holds a current practising certificate. The SRA Compensation Fund covers losses only where the firm was authorised.
Phone the firm on a number you found independently, not one from the email, and confirm the solicitor works there and the bank details you were sent are the firm's client account. Most deposit fraud is an email with the right name and the wrong account number.
Email verified, profile claimed, firm claimed, SRA details supplied and SolicitorOS reviewed are directory trust signals. They do not mean SRA approval, guaranteed good standing or certified compliance.
For practising status, good standing, practising certificate certificate status, disciplinary records or complaints, use official Solicitors Regulation Authority channels or contact the practitioner directly for confirmation.
Do not upload highly sensitive documents before a solicitor-client relationship is confirmed. A directory enquiry is a request for contact, not an instruction accepted by a solicitor.
Confirm three things: that the person appears on the Solicitors Register kept by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, that they hold a current practising certificate (the register says so), and that the firm they work for is authorised by the SRA. Then confirm that the details match what you were given.
Every solicitor on the roll has an SRA ID, and every authorised firm has an SRA number. A solicitor should be able to give it to you on request, and it can be confirmed on the Solicitors Register at sra.org.uk.
A solicitor may only practise with a current practising certificate, renewed each year for the practising year that ends on 31 October. The register shows whether one is held and any conditions on it. If you are paying a deposit, completion money or a settlement to a firm, check that the firm is authorised by the SRA to hold client money.
Email verified, profile claimed, firm claimed, SRA details supplied and SolicitorOS reviewed are directory signals about the listing. They do not mean SRA approval, good standing or certified compliance. SolicitorOS is not the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
No. The SolicitorOS directory is free and opt-in, so most of the roughly 160,000 practising solicitors in England & Wales are not on it yet. Use the official register, and if you are the practitioner, list your firm in the directory for free.
Regulatory decisions — strike-offs, suspensions, conditions and fines — are published by the SRA and the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The Solicitors Register shows current conditions; the SRA’s published decisions cover the rest. Service complaints go to the Legal Ombudsman.
List your firm free on the SolicitorOS directory: a public profile with your practice areas, location and verification badges, and enquiries straight to your inbox.