Rachel Parker

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

Rachel Parker, a solicitor at Buckles Solicitors LLP, admitted that between 23 September 2022 and 23 November 2023 she made misleading statements to clients, colleagues and Barclays Bank, telling them she had submitted Grant of Probate applications and chased the Probate Registry when she had not, across eight client matters. She admitted the conduct was dishonest. The Tribunal, dealing with the matter on the papers via an Agreed Outcome, found the dishonest conduct deliberate, calculated and repeated over a year, creating a substantial risk of serious harm to clients. Finding no exceptional circumstances, the Tribunal ordered she be struck off the Roll and pay agreed costs of £5,000.

Duties found breached:

• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty
• Misconduct was deliberate, calculated and repeated over a period of more than a year
• Concealment of wrongdoing - did not disclose when asked that she had not submitted GOP applications or chased the Probate Registry
• Knew or ought to have known the conduct was a material breach of obligations to protect the public and the reputation of the profession
• Created a substantial risk of serious harm to clients
• At least eight instances of misconduct

Mitigating factors:

• Prior exemplary regulatory and disciplinary history (mitigation advanced by Respondent, not agreed by SRA)
• Significant mental health challenges including anxiety and depression, exacerbated by excessive workload and lack of support (not agreed)
• No personal gain sought or obtained (not agreed)
• Cooperated with the SRA and Tribunal proceedings (not agreed)
• Offered sincere apology (not agreed)