Data last verified: 5 November 2026. Figures re-checked against their primary sources under the Whito rolling re-verification programme.
Finding
The number of solicitor firms in the North East fell 24.3% between 2010 and 2026, while the UK total was almost unchanged (12,885 to 13,185). Whito calculation from ONS business counts.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/solicitors/research/uk-solicitors-industry, 2026-11-05. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Last Updated on November 6, 2026
Short answer: the UK had 13,185 solicitor firms registered for VAT or PAYE in March 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics. That is almost exactly where it was in 2010 (12,885), while the number of plumbing businesses grew by more than half over the same period. Three in four solicitor firms (75.7%) employ fewer than ten people. London has 40.9 firms per 100,000 residents; the North East has 9.6, and its count has fallen by 24.3% since 2010.
This page uses official counts you can rerun yourself, the regulator’s own rules, and Whito’s published research. The regional and change figures are Whito’s calculations.
The key figures
| Figure | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitor firms (UK, SIC 69102) | 13,185 | ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026 (official statistic) |
| Change since 2010 | +2.3% (from 12,885) | Same dataset (Whito calculation) |
| Change since 2021 | -0.5% (from 13,250) | Same dataset (Whito calculation) |
| Firms with fewer than 10 employees | 9,975 (75.7%) | Same dataset |
| Firms with 250 or more employees | 125 | Same dataset |
| Most firms per head | London, 40.9 per 100,000 residents | Whito calculation, ONS data |
| Fewest firms per head | North East, 9.6 per 100,000 | Whito calculation, ONS data |
How big are solicitor firms?
| Employees | Firms | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 9 | 9,975 | 75.7% |
| 10 to 49 | 2,495 | 18.9% |
| 50 to 249 | 590 | 4.5% |
| 250 or more | 125 | 0.9% |
| Total | 13,185 |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts, enterprises, SIC 2007 code 69102 “Solicitors”, 2026, via Nomis (dataset NM_142_1). Counts are rounded to the nearest 5. This counts firms, not individual solicitors.
Where solicitor firms are based
| Region or nation | Firms 2010 | Firms 2021 | Firms 2026 | Per 100,000 residents | Change 2010 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 3,470 | 3,820 | 3,730 | 40.9 | +7.5% |
| Northern Ireland | 555 | 465 | 445 | 23.1 | -19.8% |
| North West | 1,515 | 1,620 | 1,735 | 22.3 | +14.5% |
| Scotland | 1,080 | 1,065 | 975 | 17.6 | -9.7% |
| South East | 1,415 | 1,545 | 1,500 | 15.5 | +6.0% |
| West Midlands | 940 | 910 | 940 | 15.1 | 0.0% |
| East of England | 810 | 870 | 950 | 14.4 | +17.3% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 750 | 795 | 790 | 13.9 | +5.3% |
| South West | 875 | 845 | 815 | 13.8 | -6.9% |
| Wales | 540 | 445 | 430 | 13.5 | -20.4% |
| East Midlands | 585 | 585 | 605 | 11.9 | +3.4% |
| North East | 350 | 285 | 265 | 9.6 | -24.3% |
| United Kingdom | 12,885 | 13,250 | 13,185 | 19.0 | +2.3% |
Population: ONS mid-2025 estimates. Per-head and change figures are Whito calculations. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legal professions and regulators (the Law Society of Scotland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland), so their counts are not directly comparable with England and Wales.
What stands out
- London dominates. More than a quarter of all UK solicitor firms (3,730 of 13,185) are registered in London.
- The North East, Wales and Northern Ireland have lost firms. Each has around a fifth to a quarter fewer solicitor firms than in 2010. The data cannot say why. Mergers into larger firms, closures and firms registering their head office elsewhere would all reduce the count.
- The North West and East of England have gained. Both grew by more than 14% since 2010.
Who regulates solicitors
- The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. Its register is public, and its Data Share service gives free access, after registration, to firm data such as authorisation status, offices and areas of law, refreshed every 24 hours.
- Price transparency. Under the SRA Transparency Rules, firms that advertise certain services must publish price information for them. Probate and residential conveyancing for individuals are among the services covered (SRA guidance, first published 5 December 2018).
- Anti-money laundering supervision is changing. The government has announced that supervision will move from the professional bodies, including the SRA and the Law Society bodies, to the Financial Conduct Authority. It needs new legislation and no date has been set (ICAS, 21 October 2025).
What Whito’s research adds
- Price pages fall behind the rules. In October 2026 Whito read the price pages of 64 English law firms named by AI assistants. The probate court fee rose to £526 on 13 July 2026, yet 26 of the 36 probate price pages that quoted a court fee still showed an older figure. See Solicitor price transparency.
- AI assistants and the register. Whito has checked solicitors named by AI assistants against the SRA register. See AI solicitor recommendations vs the SRA register.
What we do not know yet
- How many solicitors there are. This page counts firms. The SRA and the Law Society publish counts of practising solicitors, which we have not yet checked for this page.
- Firms below the VAT and PAYE thresholds. Very small practices that are neither VAT registered nor employers are not in the ONS count.
Method and limits
- Business counts: ONS UK Business Counts, enterprises, SIC 2007 code 69102 (solicitors), all legal statuses, March 2026 snapshot, with 2010 and 2021 for comparison, via the Nomis API (dataset NM_142_1), read 5 November 2026.
- Population: ONS mid-2025 estimates via Nomis (NM_2002_1).
- A firm is counted once, where it is registered. Counts are rounded to the nearest 5.
- The size table uses the ONS micro, small, medium and large bands.
Compare with other industries: see UK trade businesses in 2026: ten industries compared, one table with each count, its date and the change since 2010 and 2021.
Common questions
How many solicitor firms are there in the UK?
13,185 registered for VAT or PAYE in March 2026, according to the ONS. That counts firms, not individual solicitors.
Is the number of law firms in the UK growing?
Barely. It rose 2.3% between 2010 and 2026 and fell 0.5% between 2021 and 2026 (Whito calculation from ONS data).
Where are most solicitor firms in the UK?
London, with 3,730 firms, or 40.9 per 100,000 residents. The North East has the fewest per head, at 9.6.
Do solicitors have to publish their prices?
Firms in England and Wales that advertise certain services, such as probate and residential conveyancing for individuals, must publish price information under the SRA Transparency Rules.
How can I check a solicitor is regulated?
Search the SRA’s public register for firms and solicitors in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Law Society registers.
Sources (opened 5 November 2026)
- ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis, NM_142_1: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_142_1
- ONS mid-2025 population estimates via Nomis, NM_2002_1
- SRA data sharing: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/how-we-work/privacy-data-information/data-sharing/
- SRA Transparency Rules guidance: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/transparency-rules/
- ICAS, AML supervision announcement (21 Oct 2025): https://icas.com/news-insights-events/news/regulation/government-announces-major-shake-up-of-aml-supervision
- Whito solicitor price transparency study (checked 12 and 29 Oct 2026)
If your business is named here and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk and we will check it and correct it. If you want to respond, send us a statement and we will publish it alongside. Full detail: Corrections, right of reply and removals.
