Dormant Client Account Balances
Donate your dormant client account monies and help support access to justice. Any funds you donate will help improve access to justice by providing the most vulnerable in society with access to free legal assistance.
Unclaimed client account balances are an administrative burden on your firm as they must be analysed and explained to auditors on an annual basis. Help your firm by clearing them from your balance sheet.
Funds of £500 or less
Donating dormant funds of sums under £500 is easy.
Amounts over £500
Amounts over £500 can also be donated provided SRA permission is granted. The application form can be obtained from the Professional Ethics Guidance Team (professionalethics@sra.org.uk).
A written indemnity approved by the SRA will be provided by The Access to Justice Foundation as required by the SRA.
For complete information please see the booklet for law firms which includes a Q&A.
The booklet refers to additional documents for download:
• Template letter for finance managers
• "Time to act" message for clients
• Campaign poster
*The Access to Justice Foundation is an approved indemnity provider by the SRA. Monies donated to the South West Legal Support Trust via the Access to Justice Foundation will be indemnified by the Foundation and will be paid to the Trust once received by the Foundation.
Unclaimed client account balances are an administrative burden on your firm as they must be analysed and explained to auditors on an annual basis. Help your firm by clearing them from your balance sheet.
Funds of £500 or less
Donating dormant funds of sums under £500 is easy.
- You must make reasonable attempts to establish the identity of and contact the money’s owner.
- Where the rightful owner cannot be traced you may donate the amount to the South West Legal Support Trust via the Access to Justice Foundation*; by cheque payable to the Access to Justice Foundation (PO Box 64162, London WC1A 9AN) or by bank transfer (account number 00018272, sort code 40 52 40).
- Let us know to look out for your donation by emailing the Foundation at clientbalances@atjf.org.uk and the SWLST at enquiries@swlst.org.uk and specify you would like the funds to be paid to the South West Legal Support Trust
Amounts over £500
Amounts over £500 can also be donated provided SRA permission is granted. The application form can be obtained from the Professional Ethics Guidance Team (professionalethics@sra.org.uk).
A written indemnity approved by the SRA will be provided by The Access to Justice Foundation as required by the SRA.
For complete information please see the booklet for law firms which includes a Q&A.
The booklet refers to additional documents for download:
• Template letter for finance managers
• "Time to act" message for clients
• Campaign poster
*The Access to Justice Foundation is an approved indemnity provider by the SRA. Monies donated to the South West Legal Support Trust via the Access to Justice Foundation will be indemnified by the Foundation and will be paid to the Trust once received by the Foundation.
