I am a solicitor again!

My seven years’ exile from the profession is now ended!

The background

In 2013 I took the decision to close down my law firm, TJ Shepperson, to concentrate on running my Landlord Law online service and training company.

I had intended to continue as a ‘non-practising solicitor’ but then learned that under the solicitors practising regulations as they then were, I would technically be committing a criminal offence if I gave any telephone or other advice while not part of a ‘regulated firm’.

The only way I could continue to provide telephone and other advice was to come off the ‘roll’ and cease being a solicitor altogether.  Which was what I did – although I was not happy about it.

I wrote about this in my Landlord Law Blog post here.

New Regulations from the SRA

Happily, the Solicitors Regulation Authority then decided to change the law to allow solicitors to advise the public via a ‘non regulated firm’ so long as they did not carry out ‘reserved activities’.

The changes came into effect last November (2019).

As I have no intention of carrying out any ‘reserved activities’ this stipulation is not a problem for me.  So I have now made my application, paid the fees and have today received confirmation from the SRA that I am back on the roll and have a practising certificate again.  Pictured above.

What this means

In a way, nothing!  It will not change the work that I do.  However, it means that I can now call myself a solicitor again.  Which is a great relief.

And my seven-year exile from the profession is now over.