If you are ever in doubt as to whether your solicitor is genuine, the quickest and simplest way to check them out is to search the 'find a solicitor service' on The Law Society website and make sure that they hold a practising certificate, and if there is any doubt ring the Solicitors Regulation Authority and ask them (details below).  Notaries are regulated by The Notaries Society (details below).

Find a solicitor:

Website: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/

Regulated by: Solicitors Regulation Authority:

Website: https://www.sra.org.uk/

Phone: 0370 606 2555

Email: https://www.sra.org.uk/home/contact-us/

Find a notary:

Website: http://www.facultyoffice.org.uk/notary/find-a-notary/

Regulated by The Notaries Society

Website: https://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk/

Email: [email protected]

Safeguarding concerns:

Get help if you have concerns that someone is being abused or neglected under a lasting power of attorney, enduring power of attorney or deputy court order.  You might have worries about:

• how an attorney has acted since we registered the LPA or EPA – for example, misuse of the donor’s money or decisions that are not in the donor’s best interests
• whether an attorney made an LPA or EPA legally
• how a deputy has acted since they were appointed by the Court of Protection

By law, the Office of the Public Guardian can look into these concerns and start an investigation.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-public-guardian

How to report a concern: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-we-deal-with-safeguarding-concerns

The Court of Protection appoints someone (a ‘deputy’) to make decisions for a person who lacks mental capacity (a ‘client’) under a deputy court order. 

Website: https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/court-of-protection