The sudden closure of Butterworths Solicitors has left property transactions across Cumbria unable to progress, prompting local estate agencies to issue guidance to affected clients as the Solicitors Regulation Authority investigates the circumstances.
The firm, which operated branches in Kendal, Penrith, Carlisle and Whitehaven, ceased trading without following standard closure procedures, according to the SRA. A notice posted on the door of the Kendal branch in Stricklandgate stated that “due to regulatory matters, the PM Group of Businesses carried out within this building can no longer trade”.
Regulatory intervention expected
The Solicitors Regulation Authority confirmed the firm “had not closed in the manner we would expect” and stated it would be contacting the firm’s partners to remind them of their “professional obligations”. The regulator’s typical response to such closures involves appointing another firm to take over outstanding client files.
Mark Buchanan of Mark Buchanan Property Group, a Cumbria-based estate agency powered by EXP, addressed the impact on local property transactions. “The sudden closure of PM Law and associated firms has understandably come as a shock, and our thoughts are very much with the people affected, particularly those who were due to move imminently and are now left in limbo with little information,” he said.
Options for affected clients
Buchanan explained that transactions cannot progress until the SRA intervenes and clients have alternative legal representation in place. He advised that some clients may benefit from proactively instructing a new solicitor rather than waiting for the SRA process, while those at more advanced stages may find it sensible to wait for the SRA to reallocate their files. He noted that “some delay is unfortunately unavoidable”.
Attempts to contact Butterworths Solicitors were unsuccessful, with the firm’s phone line not operational.
The closure represents a rare but disruptive event in the property transaction process, with the extent of the impact on pending sales and purchases across the four Cumbrian locations yet to be determined.
