Rachel Wilson
Employee
7580576

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 17 December 2025

Published date: 10 February 2026

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Liverpool Legal Services Ltd

Address(es): 42 Whitechapel, Liverpool, L1 6DS

Firm ID: 658396

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Rachel Wilson whose last known address was in Southport, Merseyside. A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Summary of decision

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Ms Wilson can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that: Ms Wilson who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

On 20 October 2008, Ms Wilson began working at E. Rex Makin and Co. Solicitors as a legal cashier and administrator. Liverpool Legal Services Limited (the firm) became the successor to E. Rex Makin and Co. Solicitors. Ms Wilson continued in the firm’s employment and, at the time of the conduct, held the role of chief cashier.

In August 2024, when Ms Wilson was on annual leave, another member of staff who was carrying out the task Ms Wilson would normally do, found irregularities with payments from the firm’s office account. Ms Wilson had recorded payments made to consultants used by the firm, but the money, amounting to approximately £13,500, had been paid to bank accounts in Ms Wilson’s name instead.

The firm carried out further investigation which revealed that Ms Wilson had transferred a total of approximately £200,000 from the firm’s office account to her bank accounts over a four year period from 1 April 2020 to 12 August 2024. 

The firm held disciplinary proceedings during which Ms Wilson admitted stealing the money from the firm. On 12 September 2024, the firm dismissed her for gross misconduct and reported her conduct to the police.

Following her guilty plea, Ms Wilson was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of fraud by abuse of position contrary to sections 1 and 4 of the Fraud Act 2006.

The details of the conviction were that between 1 April 2020 and 6 August 2024, while occupying a position, namely as chief cashier, in which she was expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of the firm, Ms Wilson dishonestly abused that position intending thereby to make a gain, namely money of approximately £196,000, for herself On 18 June 2025, Ms Wilson was sentenced to 26 months in prison.

Finding

Ms Wilson, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for her to be involved in legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

What our Section 43 order means

An order was made pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Ms Wilson of this decision:

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her:
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body except in accordance with the SRA’s prior written permission.

Other information

Ms Wilson was ordered to pay £600 in relation to the SRA’s costs of investigating this matter.