Almost three years after McClure solicitors collapsed, clients say they are trapped in a 'legal nightmare'. The firm, which had tens of thousands of clients across Britain, went into administration in 2021, leaving many unable to sell homes tied up in trusts and facing thousands of pounds in legal costs.
Jan Brunton, 70, paid £3,000 to set up a trust with McClure in early 2020, placing £10,000 and her Newcastle home, valued at £180,000, into it. She was seriously ill with ovarian cancer and sought help with will writing at Maggie's cancer charity, but was later approached about a trust at home. 'I didn't even know what a trust was. They mentioned the trust, not me,' she said. Maggie's said it was 'deeply shocked' and unaware of McClure's trust offerings.
After McClure's collapse, law firm Jones Whyte took over its files. Ms Brunton paid £300 for a review, but McClure remains named as trustee on her house, meaning she cannot sell it. She was quoted £1,500 to resolve the issue but did not pay, seeking advice elsewhere. Jones Whyte said no firm could do such work free of charge.
Paul Pygott, from Barnsley, said his mother Ivy was left with a £26,000 care home bill after Leeds City Council deemed her McClure trust a 'sham'. He had asked if the trust was legal and was told it was, as it was run by experienced solicitors. McClure stated that avoiding care costs is never a reason for a trust, but assets are nearly always protected against local authority claims.
