Decision record
Karamjeet Kaur
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Client Money, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Karamjeet Kaur, sole principal of Quick Solicitors, admitted numerous SRA Accounts Rules and Principles breaches including client account shortages, failure to reconcile, improper suspense ledger use, poor record-keeping, operating without a COFA, and making untrue statements that the Third Respondent was the Firm's COFA. The SRA withdrew the dishonesty allegation (and related Principle 4 breaches) as disproportionate given the agreed strike-off. The Tribunal made no finding of dishonesty but found culpability very high, driven by reckless mismanagement of client monies. On an agreed outcome dealt with on the papers, the Tribunal struck her off the Roll and ordered £11,000 costs.
Duties found breached:
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Handle inadvertently received material
- No improper use of client money
- Prompt accounting and return of money
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- Account for interest on client money
- Firm governance, systems and compliance
Aggravating factors:
- Recklessness in relation to allegations 3.4, 3.6, 3.7 and 4.6 (admitted)
- Repeated misconduct over a period of time
- Highly experienced solicitor (~20 years qualified) with direct control of Firm finances
- Failure to respond to prior SRA rebuke and concerns about financial management
- Misleading statements to PII provider and regulator
- Prior 2015 rebuke and £1,000 fine as sole practitioner
Mitigating factors:
- Full and frank admissions at an early stage
- Cooperation with the SRA throughout
- No identifiable direct financial harm to clients
- Remorse
⚠ figures not found verbatim in the source were dropped: ["review_dishonesty_finding_cue_present"]
Duties engaged
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- No bribery or improper gifts
- Personal probity and fitness to practise
- Uphold public trust in the profession
- No unlawful discrimination or harassment
- Handle inadvertently received material
- No improper use of client money
- Prompt accounting and return of money
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- Account for interest on client money
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Firm governance, systems and compliance
- Hold a current practising certificate