Autumn budget 2026: key announcements for the legal profession

What solicitors need to know about the UK government’s fiscal plan.

Chancellor John Healey leaves 11 Downing Street to present the autumn budget to Parliament. Photograph: Fred Duval/Shutterstock

On 28 October, the UK government announced its autumn budget, setting out its spending plans.

From justice spending to interest on lawyers’ client accounts, there weren’t any major changes relating to our key priorities.

However, there were measures that will have an impact on the legal profession.

Regulation

The government committed to cutting business costs to support innovation, including the establishment of a new Better Regulation Executive.

We welcome this focus on a more streamlined and proportionate regulatory system.

Justice

The budget recognised the benefits of early intervention in public services. We want to see the government apply this principle to the justice system.

There were no further commitments to justice spending.

Devolution

“Growth in every postcode” was a key theme, with the chancellor announcing a new funding model for regional and local government, and a Good Growth Fund.

Legal services are crucial to driving growth across all our communities, contributing £60 billion a year to the UK economy and employing more than half a million people.

Thriving local economies aren’t possible without legal services.

Taxation

The chancellor listened to our calls not to put new taxes on limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

We’re now calling for the government to take interest on lawyers’ client accounts off the table once and for all, to give the legal sector the certainty it needs.

Our view

We welcome the chancellor’s commitment on early intervention in public services to address problems before they reach crisis point, but that must include spending on legal aid and early advice.

The new Better Regulation Executive may reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens as set out in our small firms manifesto.

The extension of graduate visas to two years may allow international talent to contribute to the UK’s thriving legal sector.

On AI, building national capability and cyber resilience is a welcome step, ensuring growth benefits the entire country.

The legal industry is an engine of growth that, with the right steps from the government, can unleash its full horsepower.

We’re urging the UK government to back legal services with more funding, to unlock growth in every postcode.

Kindly shared by The Law Society image courtesy of Adobe