Yes and no. If you are a qualified solicitor with more than three years post qualification experience, then in theory you can own a solicitors firm, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and operate the firm yourself as well.
If you are a qualified legal executive, then you can own a firm of legal executives, and in some cases you can also be an owner of a solicitors firm regulated by the SRA. SRA rules are here: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-based-authorisation/authorisation-recognition/
If you are a licensed conveyancer, then you can own a firm regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
If you are none of these things, then it is still possible for you to own a solicitors firm which is SRA regulated, but it has to be set up as an alternative business structure (ABS). This involves converting a traditional solicitors firm with a structure of a sole trader, partnership, limited liability partnership (LLP), or limited company, and turning it into a regulated ABS.
So, the very specific answer to can you own a law firm if you are not a lawyer, is yes you can, but it depends on the circumstances and the structure of the law firm in question.
For a further discussion on this, please get in touch with us and we would be happy to talk through what you need to do, as well as give you recommendations as to how to do it.
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