EXPRESS SOLICITORS LIMITED
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Cash
£3.3M
-34.7% vs 2024
Net assets
£11M
-4.3% vs 2024
Employees
806
+20.3% vs 2024
Profit before tax
£1.9M
+1,394.6% vs 2024
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
1 PSC ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
2-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-08-31
| Metric | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £51,834,664 | £64,909,894 | +25.2% | |
| Operating profit | £1,302,948 | £3,356,740 | +157.6% | |
| Profit before tax | £125,564 | £1,876,725 | +1,394.6% | |
| Net profit | -£2,136,722 | -£134,638 | +93.7% | |
| Cash | £5,101,442 | £3,328,811 | -34.7% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £21,020,546 | £20,613,692 | -1.9% | |
| Net assets | £11,840,705 | £11,330,677 | -4.3% | |
| Equity | £11,840,705 | £11,330,677 | -4.3% | |
| Average employees | 670 | 806 | +20.3% | |
| Wages | £21,921,200 | £27,100,610 | +23.6% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £232,604 | £330,561 | +42.1% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 2.5% | 5.2% | |
| Net margin | -4.1% | -0.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | 6.2% | 16.3% | |
| Current ratio | 1.26x | 1.24x | |
| Interest cover | 1.07x | 2.13x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- EXPRESS SOLICITORS LIMITED 2014-01-21 → present
- EXPRESS LAW MANAGEMENT LIMITED 2013-03-22 → 2014-01-21
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- MHA
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the group's ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- EXPRESS SOLICITORS LIMITED · parent
- MWH Holdings Limited 100%
- Michael W Halsall Exp Limited 100%
- UK Law Nationwide Limited 100%
- Graham Coffey & Co 100%
- Injury Lawyers 4U Limited 75%
Significant events
- “During the financial year, the Group completed the acquisitions of UK Law Nationwide and Graham Coffey & Co.”
- “In support of its longer-term growth strategy, the Group secured a significant external investment in October 2025, with the majority of shares in Express Solicitors Limited sold to Ufenau Capital Partners ('UCP'), a leading European private equity firm with a strong record of partnering with founder-led professional services businesses.”
- “On 1 November 2025, 100% of the issued share capital was transferred to Express Ukbidco Limited.”
- “Following the year end, a bank loan with the value as at 31 August 2025 of £3,121,221 was repaid in advance of the contractual repayment date.”
- “Following the year end, MWH Holdings Limited and Michael W Halsall Exp Limited have been dissolved.”
- “Subsequent to the year end, the group acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Aegis Legal on 27 April 2026 and Smooth Law on 6 May 2026.”
- “Post year end all Directors Loan Accounts have been cleared.”
- “On 31 October 2025, the company's ownership passed from Mr J T Maxey to Express Ukbidco Limited under a sale and purchase agreement.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 2 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAYFIELD, Charles Edward | Director | 2024-02-23 | Nov 1973 | British |
| MAXEY, James Thomas | Director | 2013-03-22 | Jun 1970 | British |
| SLADE, Daniel Adam | Director | 2014-02-10 | Mar 1980 | British |
| WYNNE, Liam John | Director | 2014-02-17 | Dec 1979 | British |
Show 2 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOLTON, Stephen David | Secretary | 2023-10-17 | 2024-03-20 |
| PATEY, Robin Keith | Director | 2014-02-10 | 2019-02-14 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express Ukbidco Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2025-10-31 | Active |
| Mr James Thomas Maxey | Individual | Shares 50–75%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2025-10-31 |
| Mr Robin Keith Patey | Individual | Shares 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2019-02-14 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 88 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2025-11-12 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2025-11-12 MA Memorandum articles
- 2023-07-11 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2026-02-23 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-11-12 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2025-11-12 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2025-11-05 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-11-05 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-11-04 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2025-11-03 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-11-03 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-10-08 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-03-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2025-02-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-05-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-03-20 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-02-23 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-02-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-10-17 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2023-08-25 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-08-24 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2023-07-11 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 10
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.