Carlene
Hogg
Employee
7177884
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 18 July 2025
Published date: 21 November 2025
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Ashtons Legal LLP
Address(es): The Long Barn, Fornham Business Court, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 1SL
Firm ID: 8003918
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Carlene Hogg, who is not a solicitor, was employed by Ashton Legal LLP (the firm), a licensed body, between 7 February 2022 and 15 March 2024.
A finding of dishonesty was made against Ms Hogg and she was made subject to a disqualification order under section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
The SRA has disqualified Ms Hogg from holding any of the following roles in law firms regulated by the SRA:
- Head of Legal Practice
- Head of Finance and Administration
- A manager
- An employee
Other information
Ms Hogg was employed by the firm as a Client Support Assistant within the Court of Protection Team. As part of her role she was required to time record for the work undertaken on client files. Due to the nature of work, the time recording would then be sent to the Court to review and decide whether the time recording should be charged or written off.
The firm conducted an internal investigation after discovering discrepancies with Ms Hogg's time recording over an extended period of at least six weeks. As part of their internal investigation, the firm found that Ms Hogg had logged telephone calls on the system which had not been made and had charged excessively for telephone calls that had been made. The clients were vulnerable and there was the potential for them to be charged for work which had not been undertaken.
Ms Hogg tried to explain the discrepancies, in part, as I.T. issues and lack of training. This was found to be false. She also maintained that some calls were made but were on her mobile phone. Despite being given the opportunity to provide corroborative evidence from her phone provider, she has not done so.
It was found that Ms Hogg had knowingly and over a period of time falsely created time entries that had not taken place and in other cases, grossly exaggerated the time spent. In doing so, she acted dishonestly, without integrity and in a way that would not uphold trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.
Ms Hogg's conduct breached relevant duties that applied to her as an employee of the firm; namely, Principles 2, 4 and 5 of the SRA Principles 2019.
It was found that it would be undesirable for Ms Hogg to act as a Head of Legal Practice, Head of Finance and Administration, a manager or an employee of a body licensed in accordance with section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Ms Hogg was disqualified from holding any of these roles.
She was also directed to pay costs of £600.