Kirsten Von Wedel

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Kirsten Von Wedel, sole practitioner of K Law, was found to have committed misconduct across two conveyancing matters. She failed to redeem client RP's mortgage for nearly three months (breaching an undertaking), falsely told him it had been redeemed, and sent offensive and threatening emails. In the Bran matter she failed to pay SDLT (£129,750) and register the property, falsely telling HPLP solicitors SDLT had been paid (it ultimately had to be paid from the SRA Compensation Fund). She made improper transfers of client money out of the client account and out of the jurisdiction, and made 41 unsupported round-sum transfers causing a £182,005 client account shortage. She also failed to comply with a section 44B Production Notice. The Tribunal found all allegations proved, including four findings of dishonesty (applying Ivey), found no exceptional circumstances (per James/Sharma), and struck her off the Roll with costs of £49,001.00.

Duties found breached:

• Cooperate openly with regulators
• Honour professional undertakings
• No improper communication with the court
• No improper use of client money
• Not misrepresent regulated status
• Proper basis for allegations

Aggravating factors:

• Four findings of dishonesty
• Deliberate, calculated and repeated conduct over a two-year period involving more than one client
• Bullying and threatening correspondence with client RP
• Concealment of wrongdoing via false representations
• Blaming clients, their solicitors and banks for her own misconduct
• Refusal to co-operate meaningfully with the SRA
• Breach of trust including personal friendships
• Very experienced solicitor (admitted 2000)
• Misuse of client funds to prop up firm and fund personal expenditure

Mitigating factors:

• Working under severe personal pressures including hospitalisation and lockdown/home-schooling
• Partial admission to Allegation 1.8