Check an employment solicitor independently before sharing records

Choose the correct national starting point

For England and Wales, the SRA’s Solicitors Register describes itself as the definitive impartial source for the people and firms it regulates. Search the actual firm and person rather than relying on a badge displayed elsewhere. The SRA warns that no matching result should not be treated as evidence that the person or firm is regulated by it. Check spelling carefully and resolve uncertainty directly.

For Scotland, use the Law Society of Scotland’s search facilities for firms and practising solicitors. Its directory distinguishes law firms from other organisations employing solicitors; the regulatory position of an organisation is not automatically the same as the position of an individual. For Northern Ireland, use the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s solicitor directory. Ask whether the professional handles your jurisdiction and type of work.

Match the identity to the communication channel

Compare the name, office and other identifying details with the official result. Use independently obtained contact information to confirm that the person who contacted you genuinely belongs to that organisation. Do not rely solely on a link, telephone number or payment instruction supplied in an unexpected message. A real organisation can be impersonated, so matching a name alone leaves an important question unanswered.

Before sending documents, ask who will receive them and which channel the organisation wants you to use. Confirm any uncertainty through a contact route you have independently established. Keep sensitive records out of general website enquiry boxes. This site has no upload facility, no solicitor intake process and no provider network to which it can send your documents.

Check the proposed work separately from registration

A professional record is not a quote, an appointment confirmation or an assurance of specialist suitability. Ask who will do the work, who supervises it, what jurisdiction is covered and whether the provider currently has capacity. If a different organisation will handle a stage, ask for its identity and role rather than assuming that everybody involved is part of the same firm.

Request the engagement and funding terms before treating an enquiry as an instruction. Ask about the included tasks, fee basis, VAT and separate expenses. Confirm whether the initial discussion is general information or an agreed piece of paid work. The checks in this guide cannot establish whether a proposed contract is appropriate or what advice you should receive.

• Record the exact professional and firm names.
• Confirm the contact route independently.
• Ask who handles the work and under whose supervision.
• Obtain written scope and payment terms.

Keep a factual record of what you checked

Save the details you relied on, the source and the date of your check in your own secure records. If information does not match, keep the discrepancy visible rather than explaining it away. Ask the relevant professional body or the organisation itself through independently obtained contact details. This page does not investigate suspected impersonation or certify a provider as safe.

Finally, keep verification separate from time-sensitive procedural questions. Checking a professional does not notify Acas or the Labour Relations Agency and does not lodge a tribunal claim. Use official guidance promptly where timing may matter. An adviser’s willingness to consider funding is also not a legal merits decision; ask what has actually been accepted and what remains unconfirmed.