Professional services

Many of these professions are regulated, and the regulator differs by profession. Solicitors in England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which publishes a searchable Solicitors Register of the solicitors and firms it regulates. The title “architect” is protected: the Architects Registration Board is the UK’s regulator of architects, and someone who is not on the Architects Register is not an architect. Mortgage brokers, insurance brokers and financial advisers carry out regulated activities — nearly all financial services activity in the UK must be authorised or registered by the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Financial Services Register is a public record of the firms and individuals it has authorised. Ask for the registration number and check it on the relevant register before you hire.

For some regulated professions, LokalMatch is a directory only for now: you can browse listed firms, but we don’t take requests for them and we don’t pass your details to anyone. Where requests are open, you describe what you need once and LokalMatch introduces you to firms that serve your area; firms pay for the requests they receive. You decide who to contact and who to instruct. LokalMatch doesn’t do the work, doesn’t set fees, and doesn’t vet, rank or recommend anyone.