What legal documents and prerequisites do I need to start my own legal services business?

To establish a legal services business in the UK, you will need to prepare and register a variety of legal documents. Key requirements include:

• Registering your business name with Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house).
• Obtaining Employers' Liability Insurance and business insurance (e.g., public liability, professional indemnity).
• Securing Local Authority approval (if operating from a commercial premise) and a lease agreement (if renting premises).
• Having Health and Safety policies and procedures in place, compliant with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines (https://www.hse.gov.uk/).
• Complying with privacy and data protection policies and procedures, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (https://ico.org.uk/).
• Registering for a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number and, if applicable, for Value Added Tax (VAT).
• Ensuring your lawyers are qualified to provide legal advice in the UK (e.g., law degree, Legal Practice Course (LPC), or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), and completing a period of recognised training).
• Having strong terms and conditions that customers agree to before they further engage with your business. This will allow you to limit liability for certain matters.