SRA Character and Suitability - CCJ and bad credit

[Trainee2024]

Hi everyone.

I’m a trainee due to finish my TC in October this year. I’m starting to think about doing an early assessment and I’m worried I won’t be admitted after all my hard work due to my credit situation.

Long story short I have two CCJs showing on my file, and I am making payments towards them both. I also have defaults which have been passed to debt collectors. This all stems from a very abusive relationship, being a single parent due to said relationship and then when I’d finally found a stable one with my current partner, he was made redundant during covid and we had to rely solely on my income as a waitress at the time. I have also had struggles with mental health, particularly during my old relationship and in the two years following. This can be evidenced by my medical records presumably.

I am now actively paying towards my debts and I hope to be completely debt free by October at the latest. I can supply references for my personal circumstances at the time of my defaults.

Do you think good references are enough to outweigh this? My credit rating is still showing as poor.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Have you spoken to your firm about this?

 

[Trainee2024]

Have you spoken to your firm about this?

Yes my firm are aware. My supervisor is happy to write me a reference.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I would focus on getting all the relevant documentation together so you can present the best case to the SRA.

A reference from your current firm will be helpful to verify your character now, but I would also try to pull together any references from people in any professional role (teacher/nurse/working in local government will be sufficient) who were aware of the circumstances with your ex partner and how that led to the debt, or any documentation that proves the abusive relationship. That will be considered extenuating circumstances to the debt, so any verification of those particular circumstances alongside the medical reports will help present your case well.

I would also consider finding another personal reference from someone else in the legal sector if you can. That could be an academic or from an organisation you have worked at previously.

The best case you can present, the more likely the SRA will be able to look past their usual rules. Your extenuating circumstances (abuse and the resulting mental health) are likely to be considered carefully, but they are going to look at the detail - for instance if the two CCJs were at very different times, that is likely to be more of an issue than if they were close together and at the time you were in the abusive relationship.