The Law Society is seeking a 1.9% rise in its share of the annual practising certificate fee.
For 2025-26 Chancery Lane is proposing a PC fee contribution of £37.5m, up from £36.8m in 2024-25. However, the amount payable by each solicitor will not be known until the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which accounts for the bulk of the charge, reveals its own budgetary plans in May. In her February boardroom blog, Solicitors Regulation Authority chair Anna Bradley gave notice of a likely increase, pointing to ‘new and emerging risks’.
This year the total levy per individual was unchanged on the previous 12 months at £307, though an increase in the number of practising solicitors allowed both the Society and the SRA to receive more money. The Society accounted for 28% of that sum and the SRA 53%.
The remaining funds (19% in 2024-25) are split between the ombudsman, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and The Office of Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision.
A decade ago the PC fee was £320, before falling to £290. it was then frozen at £278 for four years before falling again in 2022 to £266. In 2022-23 the Law Society’s share rose by 15% (an additional £11) and in 2023-24 by 7% (£6).
The representative body is in the final year of a three-year Corporate Strategy. In this year’s PC fee consultation, practitioners are invited to complete a 10-minute survey outlining their priorities to inform the the Society’s strategy for 2025-28. This will be focused on five broad ‘missions’:
- Technology, the practice of law and the experience of consumers;
- Promoting economic growth of legal services in tandem with a focus on better regulation;
- Promoting access to justice and the rule of law in the UK and around the world;
- Supporting the profession on all aspects of environmental, social and governance matters; and
- Championing our profession and the member experience.
