An association dedicated to landowners and farmers has become the first members’ group to receive an alternative business structure licence.

The Country Gentlemen’s Association (CGA), which has more than 14,000 members, will offer legal services to members and non-members from 1 November.

It is likely to be the first of many members’ organisations to offer legal services, with the likes of the AA and Saga having already made their ABS applications to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The CGA is already an insurance brokerage and financial adviser and says it is meeting demand from clients for bespoke legal services.

James Baker, who will be head of legal practice for CGA Legal Services, said: ‘We will offer purely private client legal services: wills, estate planning, probate and powers of attorney. We were finding clients using our services who then wanted to review their will or use the CGA as an executor – this meets that need.’

Baker, who joined the CGA in 2011, was a trainee at Charles Russell and worked previously at niche firm K Law Solicitors. He said the group would seek to recruit at least one extra solicitor before November.

The association has been operating for 120 years and was founded as a society of landowners, land agents, farmers and others interested in the land.

As well as subscription to a monthly magazine, membership gives access to private clubs in London and Edinburgh and invitations to networking events.

Over-50s specialist Saga announced last October that it would apply for ABS status to offer fixed-fee insurance packages for unlimited legal advice.

In the same month, the AA confirmed it had applied for an ABS licence with a view to providing legal services in the future.

There are now 189 organisations on the SRA’s ABS register, with Leeds-based travel law firm Travlaw LLP also receiving its licence this week.