The Law Society- Small Firm Manifesto
The Law Society have a new manifesto which has called for the UK government, regulators, and local authorities to take action to support small firms and sole practitioners. The manifesto sets out a practical, evidence-based plan to secure the future of small legal practice - a sector essential to growth, skills, regional prosperity, and access to justice.
The UK legal services sector contributes £38bn in direct GVA to the economy, generates £52.3bn in annual revenue and employs around 364,000 people – almost two thirds of them based outside London. Most law firms are small practices, and 15% are sole practitioners. They anchor regional economies and keep justice accessible in every community.
Despite this, they are routinely overlooked in national policy frameworks. The result is a widening gap between the support for local businesses government offers and the ability of small practices, that serve the public most directly, to access that support. Four structural challenges:
- Recruitment and retention: 85% of small firms cite recruitment as their biggest challenge
- Rising costs and operational pressure: PII premiums, wage inflation and regulatory compliance and squeezing margins
- Digital transformation and AI: smaller firms risk falling behind as they lack the resources of larger firms that can invest in new tech and AI
- Regulatory complexity and burdens: compliance requirements place a disproportionate burden on smaller firms – and tasks often fall directly on fee earners
We have developed a practical and achievable plan of action which aligns with government priorities on growth, productivity, skills, and digital transformation.
Find out more andread a summary (PDF 201KB) or view the full manifesto (PDF 528KB).