Lexcel FAQs

What is Lexcel accreditation?

Lexcel is The Law Society's legal practice quality mark. It provides a recognised framework for excellence in legal practice management, client care and risk management, helping law firms demonstrate high standards of professionalism, compliance and service delivery.

Who can achieve Lexcel accreditation?

Lexcel is available to solicitors' practices and in-house legal departments. It can be achieved by organisations of all sizes, from sole practitioners through to large multi-office law firms.

You can read the Law Society's eligibility guidance here

What are the benefits to becoming Lexcel accredited?

Becoming Lexcel accredited brings many benefits. The key ones highlighted by accredited practices are that they were able to manage risk more effectively, attract and retain more clients, increase client satisfaction and reduce complaints, comply with regulatory requirements, increase profitability and access lower insurance premiums (including professional indemnity insurance).

Lexcel can help legal practices:

Improve client service and satisfaction
Strengthen risk and compliance management
Enhance operational efficiency
Increase staff engagement and accountability
Demonstrate quality and professionalism to clients
Support regulatory compliance requirements
Gain a competitive advantage when tendering for work

What areas of a practice does Lexcel assess?

Lexcel assesses seven key areas of legal practice management:

Structure and strategy
Financial management
Information management
People management
Risk management
Client care
File and case management

What is the process to becoming Lexcel accredited?

Once the quote issued from CfA has been accepted, you will be allocated an assessor who will contact you to make arrangements for your assessment. Once you have agreed dates for your Lexcel assessment, the next stage is for you to complete the Law Society's application form and to pay the registration fee (at least six weeks prior to your agreed assessment date. After this you will complete your self-assessment and our assessment from your assessor will be conducted. Once the report is verified from the Law Society, you will be awarded Lexcel accreditation. Annual maintenance visit will take place each year to maintain your certificate, with a full re-assessment visit every three years.

Is Lexcel mandatory for law firms?

No. Lexcel is a voluntary accreditation. However, many firms pursue accreditation to demonstrate best practice, improve operational performance and provide reassurance to clients, regulators and insurers.

Is Lexcel right for my firm?

Any Legal practice and in-house legal departments can apply for and see the benefits of Lexcel accreditation, regardless of size or type of work. This includes sole practitioners and local authority legal departments. It is also now a requirement that you will need to hold a relevant quality mark (such as Lexcel) to hold a legal aid contract with the Legal Aid Agency.

Is Lexcel suitable for small law firms and sole practitioners?

Yes. Lexcel is designed to be scalable and can be applied to practices of all sizes. The standard allows firms flexibility in how they implement processes, provided they can demonstrate effective compliance with the requirements.

How much does it cost to become accredited to Lexcel?

Our prices are based on time allocations which are set by The Law Society. These factor in the number of fee earners and support staff within your practice, as well as the number of offices you have. In addition to accreditation fees from Centre for Assessment, which start from as little as £997.50, you will be required to pay an annual registration fee directly to The Law Society. These range from £78 to £747 depending on the number of fee earners your practice has. you can view the breakdown of the registration fees here https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/firm-accreditations/lexcel

Can Lexcel be integrated with other management system standards?

While Lexcel accreditation is awarded solely by The Law Society and cannot be delivered as a joint assessment with Centre for Assessment, our extensive experience working with legal practices means we can support firms with a range of ISO certifications. This can help create a more integrated approach to quality, risk management, information security and business performance, while reducing duplication across policies and procedures.

Popular standards often implemented alongside Lexcel include:

ISO 9001 – Quality Management
ISO 27001 – Information Security
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
Cyber Essentials – Cyber Security Certification

This approach enables law firms to build a stronger governance and compliance framework while demonstrating commitment to clients, regulators and stakeholders.

Are there any Marketing materials available for Lexcel accredited firms

You can order a range of free materials such as logos, certificates and window stickers directly from the Law Society here https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/firm-accreditations/lexcel

Is there a database where all Lexcel members are listed?

Yes, The Law Society has a central database that is updated monthly where prospect clients can search for lexcel accredited firms. You can view this here https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/search/results?Pro=True&Type=0&IncludeNlsp=True&Accreditation=LEXCEL&Language=

How does Lexcel help with risk management?

Risk management is a core component of Lexcel. Accredited practices are required to implement documented processes covering areas such as conflicts of interest, file reviews, supervision, anti-money laundering, complaints handling, data protection and business continuity planning.

Does Lexcel cover anti-money laundering (AML) compliance?

Yes. Lexcel requires firms to have documented AML policies, risk assessments, client due diligence procedures, staff training and reporting processes to support compliance with anti-money laundering legislation.

Does Lexcel include cyber security and information security requirements?

Yes. Lexcel requires firms to have information security controls, data protection procedures, information asset registers and security policies. The standard also recommends Cyber Essentials certification as part of good information management practice.

Does Lexcel help firms comply with SRA requirements?

While Lexcel does not guarantee regulatory compliance, it helps firms establish many of the policies, procedures and controls expected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), particularly around governance, risk management, client care and supervision.

How long does it take to achieve Lexcel?

The timeframe for achieving Lexcel depends on how prepared your practice is and how long your systems and processes have been operating in line with the Lexcel framework.

As a general guide, legal practices should be able to demonstrate that they have been working in accordance with the Lexcel requirements for at least three months before assessment. This allows sufficient evidence to be available across key areas such as risk management, client care, supervision, file reviews and compliance activities.

Once a practice is ready, the assessment can usually be arranged to fit your preferred timescales. However, firms should allow a minimum lead time of around six weeks to accommodate the Law Society application process and assessment planning. Many organisations choose to schedule assessments further in advance to align with business objectives, regulatory requirements or tender deadlines.

Practices that already have well-established management systems and documented procedures in place will often be able to progress more quickly than those implementing Lexcel requirements for the first time.

What evidence is required for a Lexcel assessment?

Assessors will typically review:

Policies and procedures
Training records
Strategic and business continuity plans
Risk registers
Client care documentation
File review records
Management reports
Compliance records

The exact evidence required will depend on the nature and size of the practice.

What is changing in Lexcel Version 7?

Version 7 places greater emphasis on modern legal practice risks and operational resilience. Firms should expect increased focus on:

Information security and cyber resilience
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations
Wellbeing and people management
Risk-based decision making
Culture, leadership and accountability
Continuous improvement and business resilience
Technology and evolving ways of working

These updates help ensure Lexcel remains relevant to today's legal and regulatory environment.

When will Lexcel Version 7 be live?

We haven’t yet received confirmation from The Law Society on when V7 will come out. The Law Society will make this announcement when ready. In the meantime we are continuing to assess against the current version of the standard.