Published: 30th September 2024
Area: CLC Intervention
What has happened to Spencer Lockwood Conveyancing Limited?
Spencer Lockwood Conveyancing Limited formerly trading from 10-16 Tiller Road, Poplar, London, E14 8PX has been intervened by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (“the CLC”). The CLC is a regulatory professional body that governs licensed conveyancers and probate lawyers.
The intervention took place on 17 April 2024.
Shakespeare Martineau of 1 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B4 6AA is helping with the closure.
You can read the official statement from the CLC and the notice of closure of Spencer Lockwood Conveyancing Limited here.
If you wish to speak to someone, please contact Shakespeare Martineau’s Interventions Team by telephone on 0300 247 2470 or by email at clcinterventions@shma.co.uk.
What does this mean?
Unfortunately, the closed firm can no longer act for you and you will need to find another firm. We have not taken over the closed firm and we are not automatically representing you.
You can choose any firm you like to act for you. If you don’t know of another firm, then your local Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help you. If you have internet access you can also search for a new firm on the following links:
Find a CLC lawyer on the CLC’s website here.
Find a solicitor on The Law Society’s website here.
What happens to my money?
The money in the closed firm’s client account has been transferred to the CLC.
The CLC will look at the firm’s accounts to work out who the money belongs to.
The CLC will try to return any money the closed firm was holding for you.
You will need to make an application for money to be returned to you.
If the closed firm’s accounts are not in good order, it might be difficult to work out exactly how much money is owed — and to whom. For that reason, it might take the CLC some time to return your money.
If the money cannot be returned to you or only part of it can, you may be eligible to apply to the CLC’s Compensation Fund.
If you urgently need money that the closed firm was holding for you, you may be eligible to apply for a payment.
There is no guarantee that you will get a payment. You must prove that the closed firm was holding your money and satisfy the CLC’s Compensation Fund’s other rules.
Further information regarding the CLC’s Compensation Fund and how to apply can be found on the CLC’s website here.
For more information regarding the CLC’s Compensation Fund, please email clc@clc-uk.org or telephone 020 3859 0904.
What happens to my file?
You can have your file sent to you or your new firm.
If your matter is legally aided, then your file can only be released to a firm that undertakes this type of work.
If there are two or more of you named as clients, you will need to agree on where the file should be sent.
As part of returning your file to you or your new firm, we will need to verify your identity.
If you believe your file was ‘live’ at the time of the intervention, and if it was recovered from the closed firm, it should now be held in our offices. If you believe that your file should be held by us, please contact us using the contact details below and provide as much information as possible regarding your file. If your file is held by us, it will not cost you anything to have your documents sent. Further information on closed files or archived documents is below.
How do I access an old closed file, will, deed or another record?
If your enquiry relates to a will, deed or another document of record that the closed firm was holding for you then your file, if recovered, will be held at the CLC’s intervention archiving department.
We do not hold any files that relate to closed or completed cases, wills or deeds at our offices. These files are held at the CLC’s archiving department.
Further information as to the CLC’s process for obtaining files or documents from the CLC’s archiving department, including the file request form, can be found on the CLC’s website here.
Alternatively, the CLC’s archiving department can be contacted by email at filerequest@clc-uk.org or by telephone at 020 3859 0904.
How can I get more information?
Find out more about CLC interventions here.
If you would like to talk to someone in our team at Shakespeare Martineau, please call 0300 247 2470 or email us at CLCinterventions@shma.co.uk.
I want to complain about the intervened firm. What can I do?
If you wish to complain or have already lodged a complaint about service then you can contact the Legal Ombudsman in addition to ourselves. Further information can be found here.
They can be contacted by email on enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk, by telephone on 0300 555 0333 or by post at:
The Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.
The Legal Ombudsman will handle your complaint, but we are keen to find out any information that may help us in dealing with the intervention in returning files and monies to the rightful owners.
I was an employee of the intervened firm. What can I do?
We understand that this is an extremely difficult time for you. Our role is to focus purely on the protection of clients and supporting them in whatever way we can. We are not a representative or a successor practice to the practice. We are therefore unable to deal with issues relating to your employment.
Please feel free to contact us with any information that you believe may support us in our role of supporting clients. Regarding your personal employment position you may find the following links supportive:
Other Information
An intervention by the CLC is a client protection measure. It only relates to client papers and money held by the firm.
As part of the intervention, the CLC does not deal with trading debts and liabilities to suppliers and/or any other creditors.
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How We Can Help
Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) Intervention
We have been appointed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) as one of the Intervention Agents acting on its behalf. We appreciate that as a client affected by an unexpected closure of a practice you will have lots of questions, and it is hoped that the content below will help to provide a little more information about what has happened and what you should do next. Our role in the intervention process is to provide guidance and support for any clients affected by an intervention.
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