A legal secretary has had restrictions placed on where and how she works in a regulated firm after she used client IDs to obtain funding from a charity. 

SRA London

Natalie Peachey was employed as a legal secretary at Smith Llewellyn Partnership, in Swansea, Wales. The Solicitors Regulation Authority found that between October 2019 and November 2020 Peachey used client identification documents to apply for and obtain funding from a charitable organisation.

She also provided inaccurate and/or misleading information to the SRA between January 2020 and July 2023 and in doing so, the SRA found, she had acted dishonestly.

Imposing a section 43 order, the regulator said it meant it was ‘undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA’s prior approval’. It added: ‘This was because of the serious nature of her conduct, which was dishonest.’

The section 43 order means Peachey will need written permission from the SRA to work for a solicitor or recognised body.

Peachey was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA’s £600 costs.