SB Lawyers

SB Lawyers, a private client firm rooted in Cardiff and Pontypridd

SB Lawyers is a law firm providing private client legal services across England and Wales. Its own account traces the practice back to the mid-19th century, when Spicketts Solicitors was established, and to Cassam & Battrick, a firm that traditionally served well-known financial institutions in Cardiff alongside the local area. The two practices merged in 2006 to form Spicketts Battrick Law Practice, which later adopted the SB Lawyers name. The firm states that the change of name did not alter its client-facing approach.

The practice describes itself as offering legal advice in a friendly, no-nonsense manner at reasonable prices, and presents its structure as unusual in the sector: it is not a partnership or an LLP but a company owned through an Employee Ownership Trust, which the firm says makes it the first law firm in Wales to adopt that model. Its directors are all employees, and the business is run for the benefit of the whole staff rather than a group of partners.

Property and conveyancing work

Property is one of the firm's main areas and is led at director level by managing director John Allison, a solicitor and head of property. The service list covers buying or selling a home, commercial property, remortgaging and lease extensions. The team includes CILEX conveyancers and conveyancing practitioners alongside solicitors, and the firm publishes case-oriented articles on subjects such as how long conveyancing takes and residential conveyancing procedure.

Family law, divorce and domestic violence

Family law is headed by director Linda Parish. The firm holds the Law Society Family Law Advanced accreditation, which it presents as evidence of expertise in guiding clients through divorce or dissolution. It offers fixed-fee bundled divorce services, which at the time of writing were listed as follows:

• Divorce or dissolution and financial consultation: one-hour consultation for £199 excluding VAT.
• Divorce or dissolution for the applicant: preparing and submitting the application for £600 excluding VAT.
• Divorce or dissolution for the respondent: reviewing the application and preparing the acknowledgement of service for £400 excluding VAT.
• Clean break order: fixed-fee quotation after review of the client's circumstances.

Beyond divorce, the family team covers child care proceedings and domestic violence, and the firm publishes case studies on family matters including expedited divorces, a mother and her newborn, re-establishing a father-son bond, securing a safe future and family home ownership. Legal aid is also listed among its family-related topics.

Personal injury claims

The personal injury side of the practice covers accidents at work, road traffic accidents and slips, trips and falls. The firm's published case studies cite settlements of £237,000 and £189,000 for road traffic accident claims and £317,000 for an accident at work claim. It also writes about personal injury reforms.

Probate, wills and estate matters

Probate and wills form a further area of work, with a probate solicitor and a probate executive among the team. The topics covered include grants of probate, grants of letters of administration, financial planning and the question of whether a solicitor is needed for probate, as well as DIY wills.

Languages spoken and client feedback

The firm states that its staff speak English, German, Russian, Welsh, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Bengali and Urdu. It publishes short client comments, including praise for the handling of a property sale in a professional and friendly manner and thanks for work done since the previous November, without identifying the reviewers beyond their initials.

Structure, regulation and people

SB Lawyers Limited is registered in England and Wales as company number 06214801 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under registered number 552234. Its directors are John Allison LLB, Michael Worthey FMAAT, AATQB, Ryan Greenhough LLB and Linda Parish LLB. John Allison became managing director in 2024. Ryan Greenhough is director and head of commercial, Michael Worthey is director of IT and Linda Parish is director and head of family law. The wider team includes solicitors, trainee solicitors, CILEX conveyancers and conveyancing practitioners, a family law solicitor, a family and child law solicitor and a legal executive.