A Surrey law firm, Morr & Co, has been formally rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for its prolonged failure to distribute an estate following a merger.
The Redhill-based Morr & Co became responsible for administering the estate after merging with Cozens Moxon & Harts in May 2013. However, the firm did not distribute approximately £50,000 owed to beneficiaries for over five years, causing significant delays.
During this period, Morr & Co failed to adequately notify the executor regarding the retention and purpose of the funds. Furthermore, the firm neglected to keep the executor informed about incurred costs, exacerbating the situation.
Acknowledging their mistakes, Morr & Co admitted to breaches that reflected a failure to provide adequate service and act in the clients’ best interests. In an attempt to mitigate the situation, the firm highlighted their lack of previous similar regulatory breaches and indicated they had already implemented remedial actions, including distributing the funds with interest.
The firm also stated that new processes and controls have been introduced to prevent future occurrences of such breaches. The SRA recognised these efforts, indicating a low risk of repetition and deemed a formal rebuke appropriate.
Despite the corrective actions, the SRA underscored that the delay experienced by the beneficiaries was unacceptably long and warranted a public sanction to maintain public confidence in legal services.
In addition to the rebuke, Morr & Co were ordered to pay costs of £300 to the SRA.
The rebuke serves as a reminder of the necessity for law firms to maintain high standards of client service and timely administration within legal practices.
