Sole practitioners will no longer have to apply each year for their status to be recognised following a rule change by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Under the change, which requires approval by the Legal Services Board, sole practitioners will receive ‘lifetime licences’.

Sole practitioners make up 28% of the profession in England and Wales, with nearly 3,000 firms. Agnieszka Scott, SRA director of policy, said: ‘By removing this process, it reduces the regulatory burden by saving solicitors and the SRA time.’