What Legal Franchise Opportunities Are There in the UK?

Legal businesses offer law-related services to individuals and businesses. Specialised professionals who are trained to deal with complex legal issues and processes can offer their exclusive services to those who do not have the knowledge or experience to proceed.

However, law is a highly complicated and elaborate field. There are many different classifications of law professionals, including solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives, paralegals, patent attorneys and trust and estate practitioners. Some of these categories are more common than others; for example, there are about 140,000 solicitors in England and Wales, compared to around 16,000 barristers and 7,000 legal executives. According to TotalProfessions.com, there are many more paralegals. Of these paralegals, 1,200 work in advisory firms, 50,000 work in law firms and 450,000 work outside of law firms.

On top of this, there are countless different areas of law in which a legal professional could specialise. These areas include comparative and international law, dispute resolution law, entertainment law, human rights law, insurance law, maritime law, personal injury law and will writing.

Lawyers will always be in demand for their expert knowledge, so if you are passionate about distinguishing right from wrong, willing to work long hours and good at communicating effectively, a legal franchise could be for you.

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Legal Services Franchise

There is a variety of different businesses offering legal services. Let’s take a look at two of the options.

Will & Probate

This British franchise offers a range of legal services but specialises in wills and probates – or ‘estate planning’. The company states that investors who take advantage of its franchise opportunity will have a huge pool of 35 million potential clients. This is because two thirds of people have not made a will. However, half of people die without having made one, so the company also works to spread awareness surrounding the importance of creating a will, no matter how little money people think they own or their personal circumstances.

Will & Probate emphasise the profit franchisees stand to make; if two couples a week visit the franchise to draft their wills, spending the average sum of £400, the franchisee would earn over £83,000 per year. Of course, most franchises will meet with many more clients than this, boosting the business’ income further.

Prospective franchisees will need to make an initial investment of £9,995 before paying annual marketing fees and Personal Indemnity Insurance totalling £2,000. Once on board, franchisees will have the support of a specialist administrative team and industry-leading experts. Of course, franchisees themselves must have a certain level of knowledge. Will & Probate will ensure that all investors will achieve this by offering a five-day training programme that covers all key areas of the business. Franchisees can also access ongoing support by contacting the business team or using the technical helpline.

The business’ marketing package also serves to boost franchisees’ success. Newcomers to the business won’t have to waste time establishing an online presence; Will & Probate provides a modern, mobile-optimised website and takes care of social media advertising. What’s more, franchisees benefit from branded stationery and business cards and a local flyer campaign aiming to draw in potential customers. With such a robust support network in place, new franchisees should see a return on their investment in no time.

Legal Express Franchise

Legal Express is a Florida-based business that aims to help customers save significant amounts of money on basic legal document preparation. The franchise does not offer legal advice, but simply completes and files legal documents for a low price, championing ‘speed, accuracy, affordability and convenience’. According to FranchiseMarketplace.com, Legal Express can save customers hundreds or even thousands of dollars by providing help with contracts, bankruptcy, uncontested divorce, simple wills, living wills, revocable living trusts, quit claim deeds and power of attorney.

If you’re interested in joining Legal Express, you don’t need a background in law or even any experience in a law services business, but you should be willing to invest the total investment amount of $10,000.

Legal Franchise Opportunities

Although Point Franchise doesn’t currently offer any franchising opportunities with businesses dedicated to legal services, there are several businesses in the financial services sector that are looking for investors.

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Certax Accounting

Certax Accounting is an accounting and tax advisory practice that operates throughout the UK. Offering services for businesses and individuals, Certax Accounting offers support with complex but necessary processes such as bookkeeping, accounting and auditing. Alongside these traditional practices, the business also prides itself on its business advisory and development services which enable businesses to build on their brand and grow over time.

In fact, Certax Accounting specialises in a wide range of areas. Businesses can benefit from their guidance in business planning, corporate finance, corporate tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, payroll and profit building, while individuals can seek help with personal investments, estate planning and retirement strategies.

This franchise has proven itself as a business that upholds ethical standards, as it is accredited by the British Franchise Association. Investors can, therefore, be sure that this is a sound investment opportunity. Those who would like to join the franchise team should be able to make a minimum investment of £9,995 and a total investment of up to £20,000. Certax Accounting advertises three franchising packages: the bookkeeping package will incur a £9,995 franchise fee; the ‘Qualified Accountants package’ will incur a £9,750 franchise fee; and the ‘Full Accountants package’ will incur a £19,750 franchise fee.

Investors do not need extensive experience in accountancy as long as they have a basic understanding of accounting and the required funds. This is because the franchise will ensure that all franchisees have access to self-study materials, as well as help with marketing, sales and customer service.