The 10 Biggest Challenges Facing UK Legal Professionals

The challenge 

The UK legal recruitment landscape has become increasingly competitive. Recent data shows that 57% of law firms report difficulties in hiring staff, with in-house teams facing similar pressures at 56%. The situation has worsened since the post-pandemic "Great Resignation," with 49% of professionals considering job changes in 2025 - higher than the 40% recorded in 2021. 

Regional impact: Mid-sized law firms across England and Wales identify "lack of appropriate staff" as their primary threat, with 49.3% seeing opportunities to increase market share if staffing challenges can be resolved. 

The data also found 59% of us contemplate a job move, seeking they feel stuck in their job due to the cost of living having spiralled, the threat of layoffs (thanks to AI and overhiring) looms, and flexible working arrangements. With many companies issuing return-to-office obligations but more employees looking for flexible working arrangement, there is an increasing number of headlines about how many employers are struggling to attract and retain talent.  
  

The competition for talent is intensifying, with law firms finding it particularly hard to attract candidates with the right experience and skills. This ongoing recruitment struggle underscores the urgent need for firms to adapt their strategies in order to compete for top talent in a competitive job market.  

How can technology help law firms recruit and retain talent?   

• A poor recruitment process can cause firms to lose good candidates before a job offer is made. A powerful HR system can help with the recruitment process, as well as onboarding and payroll.  
• Invest in reliable and secure legal case and practice management software to offer genuine flexible working - nearly half (47%) of workers consider whether an organisation allows remote work as a key factor in choosing a job.  
   

Over half (58%) of employees would switch to a competitor if the new company offered a better culture, underscoring the importance of fostering a positive work environment. Ensuring your firm can offer flexibility, along with the right technology, is vital to attracting and retaining skilled professionals.  

Related content: How tech can empower your people and transform your firm.  

The challenge: 

So you’ve built your loyal and talented workforce and you are doing all you can to look after their psychological safety and overall wellbeing in the legal workplace. How does the law firm manage the competency of its people?   

This we believe is another significant challenge for law firms. A recent report by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) underscores the importance of ongoing professional development. The "Annual Assessment of Continuing Competence 2024" highlights good practices in how solicitors maintain their competence and identifies challenges some solicitors face in doing this.   

Current Training Landscape: 

• 73% of departments will have remote workers by 2028, requiring new training approaches 
• 83% of employees globally prefer hybrid work models 
• Traditional "coffee machine conversations" and informal mentoring have significantly decreased 
• SRA compliance requirements for competency demonstration have increased scrutiny  

The remote training challenge: 

Remote working has transformed traditional methods of upskilling, presenting challenges that are hard to ignore. Junior lawyers, in particular, have missed out on opportunities to shadow and learn from senior colleagues - something that was once taken for granted. Scheduled video calls have replaced spontaneous interactions, such as chance conversations by the coffee machine or on the stairs. There is less organic learning between co-workers, which has created a culture shock in how training happens in the legal profession.  

This shift hasn’t been an easy adjustment for an already stretched profession, particularly as hybrid working looks set to stay. When hybrid training is inadequate, staff are often left struggling with outdated materials or online resources that don’t provide the interaction and input they need. The result? Many will look elsewhere for opportunities.  

How can technology help with lawyer competency?  

UK law firms must rethink their training strategies to meet the demands of a hybrid workforce. Technology offers scalable, flexible solutions: 

• Microlearning: Deliver training in bite-sized, digestible modules 
• Interactivity: Use quizzes, simulations, and feedback tools to boost engagement 
• Flexibility: Ensure training is accessible across devices and time zones 
• Feedback loops: Regularly gather employee input to improve training content 

What law firms should do 

• Implement a learning and compliance management system designed specifically for UK law firms to track training and support regulatory readiness 
• Explore our interactive compliance eLearning courses tailored to UK law firms covering governance, risk and compliance  
• Attend our free monthly compliance updates webinars hosted by Brian Rogers, Regulatory Director at Access Legal, offering expert insights on lawyer competency, AML, and SRA updates 

Why training records matter – Brain Rogers take: 

“At the SRA’s Compliance Conference, it clarified that while maintaining training records isn’t mandatory for solicitors, doing so demonstrates a commitment to competency. This aligns with the principle of “If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.” While not a formal requirement, failing to document training could leave firms vulnerable when regulators ask for evidence.  

Compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), for instance, requires firms and Sole Practitioners to maintain robust training records. Having clear and up to date records of all e-learning, courses, webinars and internal training completed - should therefore be considered a best practice for all law firms.”  

Related content: The importance of regular compliance training for law firms  

The challenge:  

Client expectations for digital interaction have become non-negotiable. According to leading ecommerce drop-shipping specialist Oberlo - this is how the global situation looks:  

1. There are 4.95 Billion active internet users on the planet. 
2. 65.6% of the world population has internet access.  
3. 28 Billion of us globally have mobile internet.  
4. Staggeringly, on average, we are each spending almost 7 hours per day online.  
5. People are spending 2 hours 22 minutes every day on social media, on average.  
6. There are 1.8 Billion websites  
7. Projected revenue from ecommerce globally are projected to hit $8.1 Trillion in 2026.  

The way we all shop and interact with the world has made a revolutionary shift to online during the last decade. People shop online, book doctor and dentist appointments online, we book and pay our cab drivers using apps, we liaise with our insurance companies, our gyms and even our kids’ school teachers online – so law firms must be geared up to do the same. And many law firms are. Those that work with good legal software suppliers have all the tools they need to interact with clients and prospective clients online.  

How can technology help law firms meet clients’ digital expectations?  

Case management software:

• SMS integration for appointment confirmations and case updates 
• Automated client communication workflows reducing manual administrative tasks 
• Multi-channel communication options (email, SMS, portal, video calls) matching client preferences 

Client portals: 

• 24/7 access to case progress and updates 
• Secure document sharing with version control and collaboration features 

Law firms apps:  

• Mobile access to case updates anytime, anywhere 
• Secure messaging and push notifications 
• Electronic signatures and smart forms for faster turnaround 
• ID, AML & KYC checks built into the client journey 
• Client to-do lists and process flows to guide users through legal tasks 

Looking ahead: With AI, the expectations of today’s digitally minded clients are only becoming more ‘on demand.’ Explore our article on how law firms are using AI to enhance client services.   

The challenge:

Hybrid working has evolved from a pandemic necessity to a permanent operational model across UK law firms. However, this transition brings complex challenges around cybersecurity, team cohesion, client service delivery, and maintaining professional standards. 

Hybrid Working Realities (2025): 

• 83% of employees globally prefer hybrid work arrangements 
• 73% of all departments expected to have remote workers by 2028 
• Challenges maintaining team culture and collaboration across locations 
• Client expectations for seamless service regardless of lawyer location 

The hybrid challenge specifics: 

Cyber security concerns: Remote work has made UK law firms prime targets for cybercriminals, requiring enhanced security protocols and monitoring systems. 

Cultural and Communication Issues: Maintaining firm culture, mentoring relationships, and spontaneous collaboration becomes more complex when teams work across multiple locations. 

Client Service Consistency: Ensuring consistent service quality and professional standards regardless of whether solicitors work from office, home, or client sites. 

What can technology do to help law firms thrive in a hybrid-working world?  

• Productivity analytics 
  Cloud-based systems offer visibility into team workloads, helping leaders support wellbeing without micromanaging. 
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) & Cloud Hosting 
  Enables secure, scalable access to mission-critical applications from any location, ensuring business continuity and flexibility. 
• Integrated Collaboration Tools 
  Real-time messaging, document sharing, and task tracking help teams stay aligned and productive across locations. 
• Secure Remote Access 
  Role-based permissions and encrypted connections ensure sensitive client data remains protected, even when accessed remotely. 

Cybercrime is rife. There’s no denying it. And it is well documented that law firms are prime targets. Underground cybercrime ecosystems continue to grow in sophistication and gather momentum. Law firms are taking it seriously, quite rightly. This is one of the most significant challenges that is probably most likely to be turning the hair of law firm leaders grey right now. 

There is a lot law firm owners and leaders need to know about cyber security. It is worthwhile reading up on the learned experiences of other legal Practices that have made mistakes. We have gathered information on this, as well as a number of top cyber security tips for firms with homeworkers, steps to a healthy no-blame culture and the questions law firms should ask prospective new tech suppliers before entering into a contract with them. It’s all in our blog: Everything a law firm needs to know about cyber security . 
 
Access Legal regularly hosts webinars and shares resources on important matters for law firms regarding cybersecurity.  

What can technology do to help law firms keep cybercriminals at bay? 

An IT partner for any aspect of your firm's business system must be ISO 27001 certified and have Cyber Essentials before you should even consider them. For more information on the key cyber and data questions to ask an IT provider take a read of our blog: Choosing a Legal Cloud Managed Service Provider: Key Considerations and Best Practices.  
 
A good learning management system designed especially for law firms, that is geared up to present training of this incredibly dry area, in digestible, bite-sized chunks is a must. As is a reliable tool for logging all your staff training, so that the firm has a record of exactly where it is with cyber security training for its people, and their quiz scores. 

The solicitors’ market has been described as “…currently the hardest profession for Professional Indemnity Insurers…” and it’s all about the profession’s risk profile, particularly in the area of conveyancing. The underwriter’s view of risk for future claims is taking a number of factors into consideration.

The Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday which kept conveyancers mega-busy for 12 months from July 2020, has meant high transaction volumes have led to higher numbers of errors that could result in PII claims. PII proposal forms are full of pandemic-related questions as a result of the kind of claims insurers have seen.

Also, although the legal profession has faired better than expected during the pandemic, financial stability with regard to loans, deferred VAT etc. are being taken into account at renewal time. 

How can technology help a law firm appease PII providers at renewal time? 

By making best use of the law firm software your Practice uses your firm should be better positioned to apply for quality standards such as CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) and the Law society’s lexcel standard. 

Also having everyone trained up and all their training logged, along your compliance policies and decision-making will give insurers peace of mind when it comes to renewals. For more insights into how compliance and technology can help with the PII renewal process, explore our blog: Enhancing the Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) Renewal Process with a compliance-driven approach. 

There are two sides to every coin. And with law firm data – on one side the profession has  more rich data available to them than ever before, offering insights and answers to most challenges. However, on the other side of the coin, we are a world suffering from information overload across all sectors. Therefore, all the answers the legal industry needs can become buried and completely lost for those firms who are not in touch with their data. 
 
Back in 1987, in his book, “The Future of Law” Professor Richard Susskind MBE spotted this predicament evolving then when he spoke of the profession moving towards a paradox of the information age. 

He said, “…it should surely mean we can gain access to all but only the information we need, but the reality seems to be that we are less informed and focused than in the past.” He spoke of “information overload” even back then.

More than three decades the so-called paradox he spoke of is evident and it is hugely compounded by the digital age as it continues to build momentum. 

The Access Legal blog post, Taking law firm business intelligence to the next level looks at the age-old principles of the legal sector was built upon, and how for generations the profession has led the way in ‘making data pay’. However, it highlights that there is more to be done in terms of using law firm data to get closer to clients and prospective clients to bolster understanding, in order to grow legal Practices. 

How can technology help law firms work their data? 

Good Practice: connect your data and differentiate your law firm is a good read for any law firm wishing to make more of their data. 

A good legal practice management system should come with a range of standard reports you will find useful and a suite of reporting tools so that your people can slide and dice your data themselves. 

Access Legal Case Management Evo is new technology on the horizon that we are working very closely with law firms to develop. This is about providing firms of solicitors with a space for focus, simplicity and confidence – where they can bring together all of their people, make sense of all of their data and access all of their multiple systems, from one place with a single secure sign-on. 

Read our follow-up article: What are the 5 biggest challenges facing the legal profession in 2025?