ICAEW reprimands member for undertaking unauthorised probate activities
Richard Sharott, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, severely reprimanded, fined £4,450 and ordered to pay costs of £2,592
THE ICAEW has fined and severely reprimanded Richard Sharrott after it discovered he had wrongly undertaken probate activities.
Sharott, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was severely reprimanded, fined £4,450 and ordered to pay costs of £2,592.
Between 3 April 2005 and 1 June 2015 Sharrott wrongly undertook probate activities (a reserved legal activity) when he was not an authorised person to carry out probate activities, the institute said in its disciplinary order.
From 1 August 2006 until 9 June 2015 he engaged in public practice without holding a practising certificate, and from on or around 1 July 2005 until 15 February 2015 he engaged in public practice through X Ltd without holding professional indemnity insurance, as required by the Professional Indemnity Insurance Regulations.
The institute is considering expanding the legal services that can be offered by ICAEW members.
With more than 150 probate and ABS (alternative business structure) licences now held by its membership, the ICAEW is now considering further services they can offer, CEO Michael Izza told Accountancy Age in an interview last month.
The institute spent many years working towards gaining the ability to issue the licences, following the opening up of legal services through the Legal Service Act 2007. It faced opposition to its plans from the Law Society in 2013, before gaining licensing authority status in 2014.