Unregulated trust and estate planning

lgbaldeagle

Has anyone else had problems with an unregulated estate administration company — and what did you do about it?

My father passed away in January 2025. His estate is being administered by Steele Rose & Co Limited, a Salisbury-based company. The executor's year ended in January 2026. It's now June 2026 and the estate is still unresolved. Beneficiaries have been given no timeline and no estate accounts, despite repeated formal requests.

I submitted a formal complaint in April 2026, which wasn't resolved within their own published timeframes and wasn't handled according to their own complaints procedure. When I looked into escalating, I discovered Steele Rose is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. My only options have been the Society of Will Writers and STEP — both self-regulatory bodies with very limited powers. I've complained to both.

Looking at public reviews, this doesn't seem to be an isolated problem — there are multiple accounts of two to four year delays and beneficiaries left with no recourse.

What I've found really alarming is that ANY company can set up as a will-writer or estate administrator in the UK with no qualifications, no insurance, and no regulatory oversight. If they fail you, the courts are essentially your only option — which is expensive and out of reach for most people.

Has anyone been through something similar? Did you find any effective route to resolution? And does anyone know if this regulatory gap is something that's being actively campaigned on?

Undervalued

Not that it helps your situation but there are far fewer truly regulated "professions" in this country than most people realise. There are many surprising gaps and anomalies. For example whist the term "architect" is legally protected anybody can set up as, for example, a "building designer" and perform all of the functions you would associate with an architect.

Similarly whilst solicitor and barrister are legally protected terms and certain functions can only be performed by one or other, anybody can call themselves a lawyer or legal advisor and offer many services you might think are the sole province of a regulated person!

Psychotherapists and counsellors are also examples that many people feel should be regulated in the medical field! Most of the more reputable ones are members of one or other of the two competing "professional bodies" but they have no statutory powers of regulation.

Keep_pedalling

Did his will appoint them as executors or did the e executors hand the administration over to them?

Is there a trust involved in his estate?

PS. I have asked the admins to move this over to the deaths, funerals and probate board where you are likely to get more help for this type of issue and if your father appointed them in his will this is not really a consumers rights issue.

lgbaldeagle

Thank you. My father appointed them as executors unfortunately

Yorkie1

The provision of probate services (i.e. the paperwork and applying for probate) is a reserved legal activity. In theory, that must therefore be done by a regulated person.

I see that one of the people in the Meet the Team page is a solicitor. They were admitted two years ago. Under the solicitor's Code of Conduct, if that person is responsible for managing any of the other employees, they have a duty to ensure a competent and professional service and to handle complaints effectively. If that is relevant and applicable in your case, the SRA might be interested.