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A Comprehensive Starting up a Law Firm Service
Join the hundreds of solicitors we have helped start their own law firms.
- Experienced Lexcel consultants will draft, review and submit your documents on your behalf to the SRA, and assist you pre- and post-application process.
- Our trusted insurance broker will obtain a competitive professional indemnity insurance PII quotation for your new law firm.
- Marketing experts will help you set up your emails, hosting and website and generate claims.
We provide support every step of the way at a reasonable cost. Read more or Call us now.
Request a free consultation
Get your free initial 30-minute discussion with our startup law firm specialist
Talk to an expert
Hi, I'm Brian. Are you ready to start your law firm? Complete this short form to book your free 30 minute initial discussion with me to get you started.
We are committed to protecting your personal information and maintaining confidentiality.
By submitting your details, your information will be processed by Intellistart and our partners. Information on how we handle your data is in our privacy policy.
Start a new law firm in England and Wales
Starting up a law firm is a significant endeavour that is rarely headache-free. It requires careful planning, dedication, and a deep understanding of legal practice and business management.
To make the process easier, Intellistart Law Firm Marketing has partnered with industry leaders and experts to help you achieve your goal with ease. Our experienced team advises startups and supports them in achieving business objectives.
Your Start-up contacts:
Brian Greevy
Peacock Risk Management
Denise Butler
Peacock Risk Management
Mike Filson
Coverex Insurance Brokers
Joel Cortez
Intellistart Law Firm Marketing
Ewelina Radziewicz
Intellistart Law Firm Marketing
Expertise
Knowledge and connections
With our expertise, knowledge, and connections you can avoid mistakes and get started without any headaches.
Our team includes Lexcel consultants who can set up and support your new law practice with regulatory compliance and risk management.
Through years of experience, we know what works and what is cost effective. And most importantly – we know what the regulator and the quality standard assessors are looking for you to achieve.
If you are looking to start a new law practice or an ABS in England or Wales, speak to us. We are here to help.
Let’s talk about you new firm!
What does the service entail
Our aim is to make the process of starting your new law firm as easy as possible.
We can assist you with the following steps (and more):
- Choosing your business name,
- Choosing organisation entity/ structure,
- Agreeing on management and compliance responsibilities,
- Establishing a dialogue with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA),
- Writing a business plan,
- Identifying competition and market gaps,
- Speaking to the bank about your business plan,
- Allocating a third of your time to management and compliance,
- Checking if ‘loyal’ clients will instruct your new firm,
- Identifying a network for legal work you cannot complete,
- Sourcing Professional Indemnity Insurance quotes,
- Planning to market the firm at launch and into the future,
- Having an exit plan.
If needed, we can provide you with templates for your business plan and cash flow forecast.
We will also review CVs, training records before you submit them. If necessary, we are able to advise on additional training requirements to meet the SRA’s standards.
As regulatory/SRA compliance advisers, trusted PII brokers, and experts in marketing, we can provide you with:
- Seeking Authorisation
- Business Plans
- COLP & COFA Coaching
- Financial Forecasts
- IT support including cloud-based solutions and CRM systems.
- Connections to Professional Indemnity Brokers & Suppliers
- Marketing
- Compliant office procedure manuals
- Supporting policies and procedures
- Lexcel, CQS and WIQS accreditation preparation
- Accreditation maintenance
- Email setup
- Website setup
- Website marketing (Digital Marketing)
- And more…
When setting up, time is often limited. So feel free to speak to our consultants about our affordable law firm start and support packages.
We understand that, initially, it can be quite confusing and complex. This is why we are here to take the worry off your hands.
We may refer you to consultants or other firms for specific pieces of work because of their niche expertise.
All the work we will do will be agreed upon from the start as you may require help with only certain tasks.
Client Testimonial
“Excellent Services on All Fronts
We used Peacock Risk Management and Intellistart’s services in relation to our Law Firm Start Up, as well as provision of Indemnity Insurance and Legal Web Design. All the services we received were excellent on all fronts and the key to this was speedy communication from all members, and in-depth knowledge and expertise, allowing them to guide us through the challenges and concerns of starting a new business.”
Ratika Puri
RPK SOLICITORS LTD
Criteria you need to meet to be able to start a law firm
There are certain criteria you need to meet before you can start a new law firm. Here are the main points you need to consider:
PQE & Certification
Are you a solicitor with at least 3 years of PQE?* Do you currently have a valid practicing certificate and have you held it for 3 consecutive years?
*(Under the current PII market we recommend at least 5 years for a reasonable insurance premium).
Current Contract
Are you under any restrictive covenants in your current contract?
Sanctions
Have you ever been sanctioned by the SRA? Are you currently under any investigations by the SRA which may hinder your application?
Funding
Do you have enough funds to cover your outgoings for 4-6 months, the setup, and the PII?
Insurance Policies
Are there any other insurance policies you should also consider?
Firm Structure
Will the firm be a traditional lawyer-owned practice or an Alternative Business Structure (ABS)?
It is important to decide what type of business practice you wish to operate. Will it be:
- a recognised sole practice,
- traditional partnership,
- Alternative Business Structure (ABS),
- limited liability partnership (LLP), or
- a limited company?
We can advise you about these and the alternatives. The applications you can make include:
- Recognised Sole Law Practice,
- Recognised Body Law Practice,
- Licensed Body Law Practice (ABS).
Want to learn about new law firm marketing?
Your questions answered
How long does it take to start up?
The answer to how long it will take to set up a new law firm is uncertain.
The SRA’s authorisation process usually takes around 90 days. However, this depends on which officer you get and their individual workload.
Other factors which usually affect timeframes are notice periods of individuals or teams.
If working from home is possible, then the absence of arranging physical premises can make things happen quicker.
Depending on the speed of response from the SRA, we say it takes 2-3 months from instructing us. Our established dialogue with the SRA means we can move as quickly as you would like.
If everything is in order, the SRA can respond quite quickly to applications (on occasion in a matter of weeks). Over many years, the SRA has become familiar with the new law firm applications that we regularly submit.
Do consider, you may need to do some online training. Especially if you don’t have any management experience or in taking on the COLP or COFA role before.
What is the cost of setting up a new law firm?
The cost will depend on:
- your chosen business structure,
- areas of work you are looking to undertake,
- how you want to do it and
- when you apply.
For example, for a recognised body or sole practice, the setup fee is from £200. For licensed bodies, the setup fee starts from £2000.
Moreover, the total application fee for starting a new law firm depends on factors such as:
- your proposed entity,
- whether you will hold client accounts, and
- when you apply.
Our team will be able to inform you of the exact amount after your initial discussion with Brian. Brian is the Regulatory Compliance Advisor.
Why should I choose you to help me?
In addition to taking on legal cases, there will be a lot of non-legal activities you will need to undertake.
Some areas can be outsourced and everything our network of service provides is at your disposal.
Our support means you can focus on fee earning. While growing your firm as well as other tasks will be looked after.
Depending on how many partners will be involved in your business, there will be a need for clarity around certain roles. Who will take the role of Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), and Finance and Administration (COFA)?
The COLP should be champions of risk management and compliance within your firm. They will have responsibility for its systems and controls. The COFA is responsible for all things financial.
Who will keep up to date with requirements such as compliance with anti-money laundering laws? And what will be the arrangements for supervision and training?
We can provide support and guidance in these key compliance areas.
We can also help you create a viable business plan. This is vital for developing the new firm for the longer term. It should be based on there being a sustainable and growing market for your services in which you are confident that you can compete in your area of work.
Get SRA-authorised with Lexcel Consultants
We can discuss the next steps and outline the costs involved in setting up your new law firm.
Don’t worry- all your information will be kept strictly confidential.
Together we make insurance, SRA application, compliance and growing your new law practice easy.
Call our team Send us an email
Hi, I'm Brian. Are you ready to start your law firm? Complete this short form to book your free 30 minute initial discussion with me to get you started.
We are committed to protecting your personal information and maintaining confidentiality.
By submitting your details, your information will be processed by Intellistart and our partners. Information on how we handle your data is in our privacy policy.