NOTICE - DRA Legal – formerly DRA Conveyancing Ltd
We wish to notify clients and visitors to this site that this firm no longer acts in new legal work of any kind.
Our firm’s principal, Derek Adkins, who remains a Solicitor (non-practising), will over the coming months retire from the legal industry. The business of DRA Legal has relocated to 9A & 9B Knowl Road, Mirfield WF14 8DQ, with immediate effect.
Any clients with current matters underway, or with important documents such as Wills and LPAs, or Deeds etc, stored with DRA, can rest assured that all current ongoing matters will be properly progressed and that any documents held by DRA will continue to be securely and safely stored.
Your legal documents - Wills / LPAs / Deeds
DRA Legal Ltd does hold Will/LPA/Deeds belonging to current and former clients, within the strong room at the business’ former offices 138 Huddersfield Road Mirfield WF14 8AN.
On 6 January 2025 DRA Legal Ltd (formerly trading as DRA Conveyancing Ltd, & as Derek R Adkins Licensed Conveyancer, and formerly of 47 Huddersfield Road, Mirfield) ceased to take on new legal work, with a view to eventually closing completely in time. On the same date, Helios Legal Services Ltd - which trades as Bailey Smailes Solicitors - took up occupation of the property at 138 Huddersfield Road, Mirfield.
Bailey Smailes Solicitors is a firm of Solicitors, (regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)) who have served Kirklees and surrounding areas from their existing offices in Huddersfield and Holmfirth for almost 200 years. Bailey Smailes Solicitors are not a successor practice to DRA Legal Ltd, however the two firms have agreed that your documents can continue to be stored at 138 Huddersfield Road, providing of course that you consent for that to happen.
DRA Legal Is a law firm formerly regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and, as said, Bailey Smailes is (separately) regulated by the SRA. The professional rules of both the CLC and SRA require that for your important documents to continue to be stored by Bailey Smailes Solicitors, your informed consent is required.
We are writing to affected clients of DRA Legal / DRA Conveyancing via email, using the Signable service, which we trust will allow you to reply conveniently, within the Signable system. We are using Royal Mail post, where we do not hold email details.
Clients of DRA who are content for Bailey Smailes Solicitors to store their documents will be asked to confirm their agreement. Other options will be offered.
All past and current clients of DRA can rest assured that DRA Legal is maintaining obligatory professional indemnity insurance of £2,000,000.00 per case. However, as said, the intention is to eventually close the company, DRA, such that it would not be appropriate for your documents and/or deeds to be stored by DRA Legal in the long-term.
Bailey Smailes would store the documents upon the same terms as you had agreed with DRA. If you would prefer, instead, to collect your documents, whilst you decide your storage wishes. please telephone the office (01924 601043) so that arrangements can be made.
Bailey Smailes solicitors offer all of the legal services previously provided to you by DRA, and more. The firm have experts offering Wills, Trusts, Tax, Estate Administration, Lasting powers of Attorney and Court of Protection, Residential and Commercial Property conveyancing, Divorce, Children contact issues, and Company Law.
Bailey Smailes would be able to assist clients with any of these issues, going forward. Derek Adkins will be situated at the same Mirfield office for some months and he will be happy to speak with any current and former clients, who may have queries concerning this notice.
The firm’s new address, for DRA’s administrative purposes only, as it winds down towards closure, is as shown below:-
DRA Legal Ltd, 9A/9B Knowl Road, Mirfield, WF14 8DQ
Derek Adkins
DRA Legal Ltd, January 2025