We thought it would be helpful to write a post explaining the actual process, with images, of how a solicitor actually does the confirmation of the QWE on the SRA website - as a resource for solicitors and also for Aspiring Solicitors who want to know.
The actual process is quite simple. It remains so if you have an SRA regulated solicitor on your organisation who will confirm your QWE. However, the SRA does allow an Aspiring Solicitor to reach outside of their organisation to an External Confirming Solicitor to confirm their QWE (for example if they do not have an SRA regulated solicitor in their organisation (perhaps working inhouse or in a charity and/or abroad). We have so far helped over 60 Aspiring Solicitors (at the time of writing) in that situation. Follow this link and/or fill in the form for more information.
The Process - how a solicitor confirms
- The Aspiring Solicitor goes to their MySRA profile on the SRA website and fills in the name of the organisation where the QWE has been done [if it is an SRA regulated law firm it is best to search by the firm's SRA number], the start date and end date of the QWE and how many years and/or months FTE (full time equivalent) QWE that is.
- They search for the solicitor who is to do the confirmation by their SRA number.
- This will prompt the SRA website to email the confirming solicitor asking them to confirm the QWE. In our experience the email seems to be sent between 1 & 3am UK time - ready for you to act upon the next morning. Below is an example of the email the solicitor will receive.
- The solicitor clicks on the link in the email. This will take them to part of their own MySRA profile on the SRA website. They will see there listed the QWE period to confirm. When the click on the link they will see something like what I have shown below:
https://www.hunningsconsultancy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Example-SRA-webpage-for-QWE-Confirmation.pdf
- Assuming they agree, the solicitor should tick the box at the bottom and click on the red button reading 'Confirm Period of QWE'.
- The Aspiring Solicitor will receive an email from the SRA website then telling them that the period of QWE has been confirmed. That normally comes through in a matter of minutes.
Please note that the process will need to be repeated for each period of QWE to be confirmed.
The SRA has now produced a video taking you through this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxakIEOO-OQ
External QWE Confirmation Service
If you need an SRA regulated solicitor to confirm your QWE but have no-one in your organisation to do so - we can help. Please see the link below and feel free to signpost them to us:
QWE - External Confirming Solicitor Service - for Aspiring Solicitors
