What we know about PM Law’s closure – and why it was unusual
Typically, when a law firm shuts down – because it’s gone insolvent or otherwise – it’s meant to follow guidance set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – the regulator overseeing solicitors and law firms in England and Wales.
Where possible, firms are expected to notify the regulator of their intention to close before the firm shuts down, inform clients with as much notice as possible, archive old files, and deal with any client money.
However, in PM Law’s case, its closure was immediate and unexpected, with the SRA being notified on 2 February – the same day the firm shut down. Law firm Gordons LLP was then appointed by the SRA to work alongside it to temporarily take control of PM Law Group’s files and funds. And the SRA launched an investigation into potential fraud, including the “misappropriation of client money”.
The SRA says the situation is further complicated because PM Law Group was made up of 11 companies and more than 30 trading names – we’ve a full list of impacted brands in the dropdown list below. PM Law typically took on cases related to house buying and selling, personal injury claims, Land Registry updates, as well as holding wills and deeds, and more.
Full list of PM Law Group’s trading names
We’ve bolded the 11 companies that PM Law Group was made up of below – the rest are trading names.
3M Law Limited.
3M Law Solicitors.
Abraxas Law.
All Your Accidents.
Angela Viney Conveyancing Services.
Autonet Law LLP.
Barrett and Co Solicitors.
BB Conveyancing.
Bridgeview law.
Butterworths Solicitors LLP.
Complete Property Deal.
Dazur Law.
Deborah J Hoban Law.
Gaines & Wilkinson Ltd.
Gaddes Noble Law.
Gaddes Noble Property Lawyers.
GN Law.
HGA Conveyancing.
JK Advokatas.
John M Lewis & Co Ltd.
KB Property Law.
Lexelle Assist.
Linkfield Claims Service Limited.
Litkraft Conveyancing.
LITKRAFT SOLICITORS.
Lloyd Green Solicitors.
PLA Law.
PLA Law Limited.
PM Law Limited.
PM Law (Specialist Claims) Limited.
PM Legal Services.
PM Property Lawyers Limited.
Proddowmackay.law.
Proddow Mackay (Conveyancing) Limited.
Proddow Mackay Limited.
Proddow Mackay Solicitors LLP.
Valerie Holmes Law.
Valerie Holmes Property Lawyer.
WB Pennine Solicitors LLP.
Wilsons Solicitors.
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The SRA and Gordons are attempting to contact everyone
The SRA and Gordons say they are sorting through recovered files and getting in touch with individuals as they’re identified. The SRA says it has already spoken to thousands of PM Law clients and responded to over 10,000 emails.
The SRA and Gordons add that they have been been focused on identifying clients with urgent matters, such as those needing to attend a court hearing or with an imminent house move ongoing.
But if you’ve not heard anything yet, you can contact Gordons by calling 0113 227 0368 or emailing PM@gordonsllp.com.
Your case file should eventually be returned to you
The SRA says it has taken possession of tens of thousands of physical and digital files. This includes thousands of boxes of documents from 25 different offices, and covers both ‘active’ (ongoing cases) and ‘inactive’ files (copies of wills and deeds, for example).
However, it’s unclear how long it will take for your file/s to be returned to you, with the most urgent cases being prioritised. The SRA says it has begun to proactively email PM Law customers to let them know how to obtain their file. To make responding to requests realistic, the SRA says it is currently aiming to email around 2,000 affected clients each day.
You can fill in this SRA form to request the return of your files, or for active case files only, you can email Gordons at pm@gordonsllp.com. For wills, deeds and other documents in storage, you can contact the SRA’s archives team at InterventionArchiveFile@Capita.co.uk (Capita runs the SRA’s warehouse) or on 0204 525 0250. You can also request information on property deeds from the Land Registry.
The SRA says if it can identify your file, it can “normally release these relatively quickly”. However, the SRA and Gordons have cautioned that they may not be able to locate everyone’s documents.
Gordons will NOT take your case on – you need to find a new lawyer NOW
While Gordons is acting on the SRA’s behalf to sort through PM Law’s files and casework, it has said it will not act on behalf of those affected. It recommends that you find a new solicitor as soon as possible to avoid delays with your case, even if you haven’t yet received your files.
The SRA recommends using The Law Society’s ‘Find a Solicitor’ tool, where you can enter your postcode and needs to see relevant firms. The SRA has said that it can’t recommend specific solicitors. It adds that the investigation into PM Law should not have an impact on your ability to instruct a new solicitor.
However, some reports we’ve seen suggest that it’s been difficult to find new firms to take on cases, and where people have been able to do so, they say they’ve been told by the new solicitors that they can’t progress their case without the paperwork.
Collate any paperwork you have at home to pass on to your new lawyer. This includes documents and correspondence, as well as details of any other lawyers involved.
Out of pocket? Try applying for a refund – though beware there may be delays
You may have paid money to PM Law for services that were never carried out – for example, if you paid for a property valuation that wasn’t completed, or you now need to pay a new solicitor for a service that you’d already paid PM Law for.
In this scenario, the SRA has a discretionary compensation fund, which you can apply to. Confusingly, this fund technically does not provide compensation – instead, it covers the amount you’ve lost or had stolen. It is not treated as a loan, so you don’t need to repay the cash and it will not incur any interest.
Payouts are not hardship-based, but you will need to provide evidence of the costs incurred or owed. Crucially, you cannot claim for indirect or consequential loss – so you can’t claim for the difference if your house sale falls through and you re-market and accept a lower sale price, for example.
Applications will be reviewed daily by the SRA on a case-by-case basis, with prioritisation given where there is the most urgent need. The SRA says it’s already received over 200 applications from ex-PM Law clients, and that it’s made payments to some.
However, several reports we’ve seen suggest people are still waiting to hear back after applying. In response, the SRA told us each application must be properly reviewed against the criteria governing the fund and that this process will take time.
If you paid money to PM Law by debit or credit card, you may also be able to get your money back from your card provider, though there are no guarantees. If you paid for a service costing over £100 on a credit card, see our Section 75 guide for full info, and see our Chargeback guide if you paid using a debit card or for smaller spends.
‘I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t sleep – my house purchase is now on hold’
Samuel Maschiah, 48, is an NHS worker living in Nottinghamshire. He started working with PM Law in June 2025 to purchase the house he is currently renting. PM Law initially told him the sale could be sorted in 16 weeks. Instead, it has stretched on for over nine months, and the firm’s abrupt closure has only left Samuel with more uncertainty.
Samuel says he only knew PM Law had closed because he saw a comment about it on social media. He said: “I had to ring my doctor because I just couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t sleep. I had to have time off of work, I couldn’t leave the house. I was in the worst mess. I’ve never felt like this, and I still feel like this because nothing has changed. I’ve not had any communication whatsoever, so I don’t know anything.”
In the aftermath, Samuel says he’s had to piece together information himself. In addition, Samuel says he’s called “at least 10 firms” before finding one that would work with him.
“My issue was that every solicitor I called to pick up and take over said they couldn’t do it,” he said. “They were telling me that because of the reasons for the closure that they couldn’t touch my case with a barge pole. I’ve incurred all these costs and at the same time my mortgage application has expired. Now I have to pay a new mortgage arrangement fee, new conveyancing fees and more.”
‘It is heartbreaking – my move to Australia is on hold as PM Law has messed up my house sale’
Amy-Jade Hughes, 27, is a self-employed administrator currently living in Rotherham. With a baby on the way and with impending plans to move to Australia, Amy-Jade and her family were working with PM Law to sell their home.
“Shortly after completion we noticed a mortgage payment had still been taken from our account,” Amy-Jade told us. “At that point we realised we were also still liable for around £100,000 on a property we no longer owned,” she said. “I felt physically sick. It was a mix of panic, anger and disbelief. We have two young children, including a newborn baby, and suddenly we were facing a huge debt we knew nothing about.”
“The last couple of weeks have been awful,” she continued. “Constant worry, stress and anxiety, very little sleep, and no clear information about what we were supposed to do. If it wasn’t for Facebook groups of other affected families, we would not have known how to start the process or who to contact. We had to find everything ourselves, submit applications and chase updates.”
In the weeks since PM Law’s closure, the SRA has assigned Amy-Jade with a caseworker to look into the problem. But not all of her worries have been addressed yet. “We still have ongoing worry about potential credit impact, future borrowing and what happens if anything is delayed,” Amy-Jade said.
‘I’ve struggled to find a replacement solicitor’
Other ex-PM Law customers we’ve spoken to told us:
“I’m now faced with the prospect of no solicitor willing to take on my case without the complete files.” One MoneySaver who used PM Law for a personal injury claim after being involved in a car accident several years ago, said she’s found it extremely difficult to find another firm that’ll take on her case. And when she finally did, it’s not been able to progress her case as it hasn’t got access to all of the documents PM Law was holding.
“It’s not right. There should be something set up to help people that can’t get a solicitor.” Another MoneySaver told us she’d employed PM Law to update the Land Registry documents for the home she owns because she says her name hadn’t been added when she first moved in. But she told us that she has been turned down time and time again by new solicitors.
“It’s been appalling.” A further MoneySaver who was not using PM Law herself, but was selling a home to someone who was, says they’ve needed to find a new lawyer to deal with the contract-exchange. She said she she’s been unable to move as planned to be closer to her daughter and start a new job due to the delays.
The SRA: ‘PM Law’s closure is undoubtedly concerning and frustrating’
An SRA spokesperson said: “PM Law’s closure is undoubtedly concerning and frustrating. We understand that their former clients want information and a resolution to their issues as quickly as possible, and we are doing everything we can in this regard.”
The Legal Services Board, which oversees the SRA, told us it cannot help with individual cases or offer guidance to those who have been impacted. It added that it has asked the SRA to set out the steps it will take to assess the wider risk to consumers, and what immediate steps may need to be taken to reduce that risk. A further meeting on the issue is to be scheduled during March.
Gordons referred us to the SRA when we asked it to comment, while PM Law failed to respond to our requests.