Last verified 5 Jun 2026 · Source SRA + FCA + ICAEW + RICS + CIOT + OISC + Law Society registers
Some UK problems need a regulated professional — a solicitor, a chartered accountant, an FCA-authorised mortgage broker, a chartered surveyor. SortedUK routes you to the canonical UK registers (Law Society, FCA, ICAEW, RICS, CIOT) so you can find your own properly-regulated professional. No affiliate fees, ever.
No affiliate fees on this page, ever.
Per the SortedUK promise. We earn nothing from any of the directories listed. You pick your own professional from the official UK regulator's register.
Legal
Find an SRA-regulated solicitor.
For UK legal advice: wills, LPAs, conveyancing, employment tribunals, immigration, family law, civil litigation. Statutory regulator is the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) for property-only work.
Solicitors — Solicitors Regulation Authority
SRA-regulated
The Solicitors Act 1974 makes it a criminal offence for an unqualified person to act as a UK solicitor. Every UK solicitor must be on the SRA register. Their minimum professional indemnity insurance is £2M per claim. Specialisms vary widely — match the solicitor to your problem.
Watch out for "lawyer-finder" sites that aren't regulator registers. Many UK comparison sites rank solicitors by who pays the most for placement, not by quality or specialism. Use the Law Society, SRA or CLC directly. They're free and impartial.
Mortgages + finance
Find an FCA-authorised mortgage broker.
For UK regulated mortgage advice. Statutory regulator is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It's a criminal offence under FSMA 2000 s.19 to advise on a regulated mortgage contract without FCA authorisation.
Whole-of-market brokers can recommend from every UK lender. Tied brokers are limited to a panel; single-tied to one lender. Pay attention: ask whether they're whole-of-market AND how they're paid (procuration fee from lender, client fee from you, or hybrid).
Five questions to ask before signing with any UK broker: (1) Are you whole-of-market? (2) Do you charge a client fee — how much, when? (3) Do you also take procuration fee from the lender? (4) If my application is declined, do I owe anything? (5) What's your FCA FRN? — verify it yourself.
Tax + accounting
Find a chartered accountant or tax adviser.
For Self Assessment, Ltd company accounts, VAT, payroll, R&D tax credits, capital gains, inheritance tax planning. UK chartered accountants are regulated by their professional body (ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS, CAI).
Chartered accountants — ICAEW / ACCA / ICAS
Professional body regulated
"Accountant" isn't a protected title in the UK — anyone can call themselves one. Chartered Accountant (ACA, FCA, CA) IS protected. Always look for ACA / FCA / ACCA / CA / FCCA after the name. Both ICAEW + ACCA require continuing professional development + maintain disciplinary processes.
Watch out for "R&D Tax Credits specialist" cold calls. HMRC has cracked down on inflated R&D claims since 2024. Many firms take 20-30% of the claim on contingency. Use an ICAEW-chartered accountant who handles R&D properly — transparent fees, no contingency, proper technical reports.
Property + construction
Find a RICS chartered surveyor.
For UK home surveys (Level 1 / 2 / 3), boundary disputes, valuations, party-wall awards, dilapidations, expert-witness reports. Statutory regulator is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Surveyors — RICS
RICS-regulated
Look for MRICS (Chartered Member) or FRICS (Fellow) after the name. AssocRICS (Associate) is also acceptable for residential. Avoid anyone calling themselves "surveyor" without one of these designations.
UK immigration advice can only be given by solicitors (SRA), barristers, or advisers registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Giving immigration advice without authorisation is a criminal offence.
Immigration advisers — OISC
Statutory body
OISC sets three levels of authorisation: Level 1 (basic), Level 2 (casework), Level 3 (advocacy + complex). For complex cases (asylum, family reunion, deportation appeals) use Level 3 or an SRA-regulated solicitor with immigration accreditation.
SortedUK is none of the above. We are not solicitors, accountants, mortgage brokers, surveyors or immigration advisers. We cannot give regulated UK professional advice. When you need a regulated decision, use one of the official UK registers above — not an SEO-optimised "lawyer-finder" site that ranks by ad spend.
The reason this page exists: AI can answer general questions but cannot replace the legal authority + professional indemnity insurance + statutory regulator backstop of a qualified UK professional. SortedUK's commitment is to route you to verified humans the moment AI's limit is reached — without taking a single penny in affiliate fees from any of them.
The principle: AI for clarity, humans for decisions.
SortedUK helps you understand any UK letter, scan, situation in seconds. Then the moment a regulated decision is needed (mortgage, will, complex tax, immigration), we step back and route you to a real verified UK professional. That's the right division of labour.