How Should a Law Firm Supervise a Locum Solicitor?

Locum solicitors are usually recruited because they can arrive and get on with the work without needing their hand held, but this does not mean they should be left entirely to their own devices. Every law firm must have effective systems for supervising client matters and this applies to permanent employees, partners, consultants and locum solicitors. The level of supervision may differ, but the underlying responsibility remains.

Remote locum working has made this issue particularly important. A solicitor may be working productively from home, 200 miles away from the office, but the firm must still know:

Which files they are handling.
What stage each matter has reached.
What deadlines are approaching.
What advice has been given.
Where documents and client information are stored.
Whether anything needs to be escalated.
Who will take over if the locum becomes unavailable.

The good news is that remote supervision can work extremely well. The firm just needs proper systems rather than relying on seeing someone sitting at a desk. We know a good number of firms question how and why anyone would want to work from home, but it is the number one issue when it comes to sourcing a good locum lawyer.

What Does the SRA Require?

The Solicitors Regulation Authority updated its effective supervision guidance in June 2026. The SRA does not prescribe a single model that every law firm must follow. Supervision should be risk-based and appropriate to:

The type of work being undertaken.
The complexity of the files.
The potential consequences if something goes wrong.
The locum’s qualifications and experience.
The locum’s familiarity with the firm’s systems.
The number of matters being handled.
The supervisor’s own experience, workload and availability.
Whether the work is office-based, remote or hybrid.

An experienced locum solicitor with 20 years’ conveyancing experience will not ordinarily require the same level of technical supervision as a newly qualified solicitor. However, experience does not remove the need for oversight. Even a very senior locum will be new to the firm’s clients, procedures, case-management system, risk appetite and reporting requirements.

The SRA also makes the useful point that sharing an office does not automatically mean someone is being supervised properly. Equally, working remotely does not prevent effective supervision; supervision is about oversight and responsibility, not physical proximity.

Supervision Is Not the Same as Constant Monitoring

Supervision does not mean watching every action a locum takes or expecting them to account for every five minutes of the working day – this approach is a little like stalking and is unlikely to retain locum solicitors for very long at all! It may also create separate data protection and employment issues if intrusive monitoring technology is used. A firm should concentrate on controlling its work, deadlines, information and professional risks.

Good supervision should allow the firm to answer three simple questions at all times:

What is the locum working on?
Is the work being completed properly and on time?
Is there anything the firm needs to know or act upon?

If the firm cannot answer those questions, the problem is its supervision system rather than the location of the locum’s desk.

Appoint a Named Supervisor

Every locum should know who is responsible for supervising their work.

The supervisor should:

Have suitable knowledge of the relevant area of law.
Have access to the locum’s files.
Be available to discuss urgent or unusual issues.
Have enough time to review work properly.
Understand the locum’s level of experience.
Know which decisions the locum can make independently.
Be able to take action if concerns arise.

There should also be a named alternative supervisor. This is particularly important where the principal supervisor is in court, on holiday, working different hours or otherwise unavailable.

Agree the Scope of the Assignment

Many problems with locum assignments start because nobody has clearly explained what the locum is expected to do. We have had tales in the past of locums turning up to work and sitting doing nothing for hours on end because no-one at the firm knows what they should be doing. Total waste of time and money for all concerned! Before the assignment begins, the parties should agree:

The practice area and types of files involved.
Whether the locum is taking over an existing caseload.
Whether the locum may accept new instructions.
Whether they will supervise other staff.
Whether they may give undertakings.
Whether they may authorise payments or deal with client money.
Whether they may issue proceedings or sign court documents.
Whether they can agree settlements or write off costs.
Which correspondence or documents require approval.
How complaints, breaches and mistakes must be reported.
The locum’s working hours and availability.
Where the work will be carried out.
What will happen at the end of the assignment.

This should be recorded in writing. It does not need to become a 40-page manual, but both sides should know where responsibility begins and ends.

How Can a Firm Keep Control of Files When the Locum Works Remotely?

This is the main concern we hear from employers. The answer is to keep the work inside the firm’s systems. The firm should not have to rely on information stored on a locum’s laptop, in their personal email account or in a separate spreadsheet nobody else can access.

Use the Firm’s Case-Management System

Remote locums should work through the firm’s case-management system wherever possible. Every material action should be recorded, including:

Telephone conversations.
Client instructions.
Advice given.
Correspondence sent and received.
Court or transaction deadlines.
Offers and settlement discussions.
Undertakings.
Payments and disbursements.
Decisions requiring supervisory approval.
Complaints or expressions of dissatisfaction.

Documents should be saved to the correct electronic file promptly rather than being kept locally until the end of the week. The aim is simple: if the locum became unavailable tomorrow, another solicitor should be able to open the file and understand what has happened.

Give the Locum Their Own Account

A remote locum should have an individual user account rather than sharing another employee’s login details. Individual accounts provide a clear audit trail showing:

Who accessed a file.
When documents were opened or amended.
Who created or deleted information.
When correspondence was sent.
What actions were completed.

Access should be limited to the systems and files the locum needs. There is rarely a good reason for a temporary residential conveyancing locum to have unrestricted access to every family, criminal and private client file held by the firm. Separate access is not a sign of distrust, its basic information security.

Keep Deadlines in a Central Diary

Important dates should never exist only in a locum’s personal diary or handwritten notes. Limitation dates, court hearings, exchange and completion dates, undertakings, option deadlines and other key dates should be entered into the firm’s central system. The firm should decide:

Who checks that deadlines have been entered.
Whether a second person receives critical reminders.
How frequently the diary is reviewed.
Who deals with urgent matters if the locum is absent.
How deadlines are transferred when the assignment ends.

For high-risk matters, dual diary entries or supervisor alerts may be appropriate. A central diary gives the firm control without requiring someone to telephone the locum every morning to ask what is happening.

Use a Live Caseload List

A live caseload report is particularly useful for remote assignments. It might include:

Client or matter reference.
Type of matter.
Current position.
Next action.
Next deadline.
Risk level.
Whether supervisor input is required.
Whether the matter is waiting on the client or a third party.

The report should be produced from the case-management system where possible. A separate spreadsheet can create duplicate information and quickly become unreliable. The supervisor should review the caseload at agreed intervals. This might be daily during an urgent handover, weekly for a settled assignment or more frequently for high-risk work.

Set a Clear Communication Routine

Remote supervision should be planned. It should not depend on someone remembering to telephone when they have a spare moment. The SRA gives examples of good remote-working practice that include:

Brief daily discussions about current work, deadlines and reviews.
Up-to-date task lists.
A virtual open-door policy.
Live support when urgent help is needed.
Screen sharing to review documents.
Regular conversations about workload and competing priorities.

Not every experienced locum will need a daily meeting. For some assignments, a weekly review and ready access to the supervisor will be sufficient. A sensible communication plan might include:

At the Start of the Assignment

A daily check-in for the first few days while the locum learns the systems and takes over the files.

Once the Assignment Is Established

A weekly caseload meeting, combined with immediate escalation of anything urgent, unusual or high-risk.

For High-Risk Matters

Additional reviews before key documents are sent, proceedings are issued, undertakings are given or substantial decisions are made.

The firm should also decide which channel should be used. Urgent issues should not be left in an email inbox the supervisor checks once a day.

Decide What Work Must Be Reviewed

The supervisor does not necessarily need to read every email written by an experienced locum. The level of review should reflect the risk. The firm may require prior approval for:

Advice outside the locum’s usual specialism.
Unusual or complex legal arguments.
Court documents and statements of case.
High-value settlements.
Admissions of liability.
Undertakings.
Transfers of client money.
Reports to lenders.
Complaints responses.
Costs estimates outside agreed parameters.
Correspondence raising regulatory or conduct issues.
Any departure from the firm’s normal procedure.

Routine work may be checked through regular file sampling. The SRA recommends that supervisors see enough work to be satisfied about overall quality and risk. Samples should include work the locum has not specifically asked the supervisor to review. Otherwise, the firm may see only the files where the locum has already identified a difficulty.

Remote Supervision in Different Practice Areas

The same basic principles apply across the firm, but some work requires tighter controls.

Conveyancing

Remote conveyancing locums may need access to lender portals, Land Registry systems, client account information and completion processes. The firm should clarify:

Who can give undertakings.
Who authorises exchange and completion.
Who verifies bank details.
Who approves payments.
How source-of-funds concerns are escalated.
How original documents are handled.
What happens if the locum loses internet access on completion day.

Litigation

The firm should maintain control of limitation dates, court deadlines, service requirements, settlement authority and reserved litigation work. Where work is delegated to paralegals or unauthorised staff, the authorised person must retain responsibility, direction, supervision and control. Further information is available in our article on the Mazur Court of Appeal decision.

Family, Criminal and Immigration Work

These areas may involve vulnerable clients, urgent hearings or serious consequences affecting liberty, family life or immigration status. The supervisor may need more frequent contact and closer knowledge of every active matter.

Private Client Work

The firm should establish arrangements for original wills, powers of attorney, identity documents, capacity concerns and execution formalities. Original papers should not be sent to a remote address without a clear reason, secure delivery arrangements and an agreed record of where they are held.

Information Security and Confidentiality

A remote locum owes the same duties of confidentiality as every other person working for the firm. The SRA’s confidentiality guidance specifically confirms that employees, consultants and locums all owe duties of confidentiality to the firm’s clients. The firm should issue clear remote-working requirements covering:

Use of firm-issued or approved devices.
Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
Secure remote access, such as a VPN where appropriate.
Encryption of devices and stored information.
Automatic screen locking.
Software updates and security patches.
Storage of paper files.
Printing at home.
Disposal or return of confidential papers.
Use of personal email accounts.
Use of USB drives or removable media.
Use of personal cloud storage.
Working in public places.
Telephone and video calls where conversations may be overheard.
Loss or theft of equipment.
Suspected phishing emails or security incidents.
Use of AI tools and external document services.

The safest general rule is that client information remains within the firm’s approved systems. A locum should not forward documents to a personal email address simply because it is convenient. Nor should documents be uploaded to an unapproved AI service, file-sharing platform or personal cloud account. The ICO’s home-working guidance recommends assessing remote-working systems, securing devices and accounts, protecting physical papers and controlling the use of personal equipment. The National Cyber Security Centre also recommends multi-factor authentication and secure management of remote devices.

Should Locums Use Their Own Computers?

Firm-issued equipment is usually the cleanest arrangement because the firm can control configuration, software, updates, access and remote deletion. Using a locum’s own device may be workable, but the firm should assess the risks first.

Questions should include:

Is the operating system supported and fully updated?
Is appropriate security software installed?
Is the device encrypted?
Is multi-factor authentication enabled?
Can work information be separated from personal information?
Can access be removed remotely?
Can local downloads be prevented?
Is the device shared with anyone else?
What happens to stored information at the end of the assignment?

“Bring your own device” should be a conscious policy decision, not something discovered after the locum has started work.

What If the Locum Wants to Work Abroad?

Remote does not automatically mean from anywhere in the world. Working overseas can raise additional issues involving:

Client confidentiality.
International data transfers.
Cybersecurity.
Insurance coverage.
Tax and employment status.
Immigration and local working rules.
Court or client restrictions.
Time differences and access to live supervision.

A locum should obtain written approval before working outside the UK. The firm should check its insurance, client terms, data protection position and security arrangements before agreeing. If the supervisor and locum work different hours, the SRA accepts that some supervision can take place through email or messaging. However, suitable live support should still be available when required. Over the years most overseas based locums have struggled to find work – it is very rare indeed for UK based law firms to accept offshore lawyers for locum assignments.

Monitor Files, Not Someone’s Living Room

Employers sometimes worry that a remote locum may not be working because nobody can physically see them. The better question is whether the agreed work is being completed properly. A firm can monitor this through:

File activity.
Recorded time.
Completed tasks.
Diary compliance.
Response times.
Client feedback.
Billing and work in progress.
File-review results.
Attendance at agreed meetings.
Progress against the caseload plan.

These measures tell the firm far more than whether someone appears online for eight hours. Any electronic monitoring of workers should be necessary, proportionate and transparent. Secret screenshots, webcam monitoring or keystroke recording are rarely a sensible substitute for proper management; they will seriously annoy the locum in question if nothing else!

Watch for Early Warning Signs

Possible warning signs include:

Files being downloaded or stored outside the firm’s systems.
Repeated missed internal deadlines.
Diary dates not being entered.
Long periods without file notes.
Clients complaining that calls or emails are unanswered.
Reluctance to provide an updated caseload.
Work being completed outside the agreed scope.
Unexplained delays in billing.
Repeated security alerts.
The locum becoming difficult to contact.
Other staff being asked to approve work they have not seen.
The locum working excessive hours or handling an unrealistic caseload.

One warning sign does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. It should prompt a sensible conversation and, where appropriate, closer review. The worst option is to ignore concerns because the locum is temporary or the assignment is nearly finished.

Do Not Forget Workload and Wellbeing

Supervision also includes checking whether the locum has the capacity to perform the work properly. Locums are often recruited into difficult situations. They may inherit disorganised files, demanding clients, substantial backlogs and imminent deadlines. A highly experienced locum cannot make an impossible caseload safe simply by working longer hours. The supervisor should encourage the locum to identify:

Unrealistic deadlines.
Missing information.
Problem files.
Capacity issues.
Gaps in the handover.
Work outside their experience.
Matters requiring additional resources.

What Should Happen When the Assignment Ends?

Remote access should not remain open simply because someone forgot to tell the IT department that the assignment had finished. The firm should complete a formal handover and offboarding process covering:

An updated list of all active matters.
Outstanding tasks and deadlines.
Client calls or emails requiring responses.
Undertakings and financial commitments.
Unbilled time and disbursements.
Complaints or risk issues.
Return of paper files and original documents.
Return of firm equipment.
Confirmation that local copies have been deleted.
Removal of email, case-management and portal access.
Changes to bank mandates or payment authorities.
Redirection of the locum’s emails.
Notification to clients where necessary.

Access should normally be removed promptly at the end of the assignment, not several weeks later during an occasional IT tidy-up.

A Remote Locum Supervision Checklist

Before a remote locum starts, the firm should be able to answer yes to the following:

Have we checked the locum’s identity, practising certificate and experience?
Is the scope of the assignment recorded?
Have we appointed a named supervisor and deputy?
Does the locum have secure individual access to our systems?
Are access rights limited appropriately?
Will all material work be recorded on our case-management system?
Are all deadlines held in a central diary?
Have we agreed what requires prior approval?
Is there a regular communication and file-review schedule?
Does the locum know how to escalate urgent issues?
Have we covered confidentiality, cybersecurity, personal devices and AI?
Can another solicitor take over the files at short notice?
Is there a clear handover and offboarding plan?

If the answer to those questions is yes, remote working should not mean losing control of the files.

Conclusion

Remote locum solicitors can be extremely effective. Firms gain access to experienced lawyers without limiting their search to candidates who live within commuting distance of the office. The arrangement succeeds when expectations are clear, information stays within the firm’s systems and supervision is based on the risk of the work rather than whether someone is physically visible. A good remote locum should make life easier, not create another management problem. In return, the firm must give them proper access, clear authority and a supervisor who is actually available.

Interim Lawyers has supplied locum solicitors and in-house interim lawyers since 2000. We work with firms requiring office-based, hybrid and fully remote legal cover.

To discuss an assignment, call us on 0800 246 5001, email jobs@interimlawyers.co.uk or register a locum assignment online.

This article provides general information and should not be treated as legal, regulatory, insurance, employment or data protection advice. Firms should consider their own work, clients, systems and risk profile.