Dear Colleague,

You can now apply for your 2025 Practising Certificate (PC).

As you know, the PC renewal process is completed fully online in an efficient, secure and timely way and this convenience continues for solicitors in 2025. To support you, we are again providing dedicated email, web chat and telephone facilities. Apply early to ensure your Law Directory 2025 details will be up-to-date and to allow for a speedier issue of your PC. 

Just to remind you, the deadline for submission of the PC application, together with full payment of fees, is Saturday 1 February 2025.

• Apply for your 2025 PC

PC Fee 2025 

The PC fee that is paid to the Law Society for the issue of your practising certificate enables the Law Society to provide a wide range of high-quality services to solicitors and to discharge its various statutory functions. 

Following a period of fee reductions during the pandemic, the Law Society sought to return to prudent budgeting throughout 2023 and 2024 and continued with this objective for 2025. The 2025 registration fee has increased by €80 to include inflation, enhanced services and an allocation of €15 for a new ‘Professional Access Programme’.

The role of the Professional Access Programme is to implement further initiatives which aim to reduce barriers for those seeking to enter, return to, or progress within the solicitors’ profession. The overall objective of this initiative is to promote greater diversity in the legal profession, following the LSRA’s ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ report published in September 2024.

The 2025 Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) levy, which pays for the contribution due under statute to the LSRA for each solicitor, has increased by €170. There are no changes to the membership fee or voluntary contributions for 2025.  

The total PC fee for 2025 which has been approved by Council, including membership and voluntary contributions, is €3,100.

Renew your membership of the Law Society

Almost all firms take out membership of the Law Society for their solicitors and I encourage you to continue to do so. Membership entitles you to a wide range of services, including access to the award-winning Gazette, the digital Law Directory, our Library services, newsletters with practice guidance and training updates, and a range of supports provided by Law Society Psychological Services. Other member benefits include access to the practising member logo, participation at the AGM, the right to run for and vote in annual and provincial Council elections and to have your say in affairs of importance to the profession. 

• Learn more about services for solicitors

Free membership for solicitors admitted over 50 years

Solicitors who are admitted and enrolled over 50 years are entitled to free membership. If you are eligible, this reduction of €85 is automatically reflected in your PC fee.

PC Finance Scheme

This year the Law Society has partnered with PTSB to offer a finance scheme should you need funding for the cost of PCs for 2025. PTSB offers Business Term Loans from €5,000 at competitive rates. See below for details and how to apply:

• See details of the Finance Scheme

Life Assurance Scheme 

Each PC provides life assurance cover for solicitors under the age of 70. This scheme has benefited the families of a great number of solicitors over many years. If you are not eligible for the scheme, a reduction is reflected in your PC fee.

If you are a solicitor in the full-time service of the State and wish to avail of this life assurance cover, you must take out Law Society membership (€85/€55/€20) and pay the life assurance premium during the month of January 2025. If you are applying for the first time, you must complete an underwriter’s health declaration. 

• See further information on the Group Life Scheme

Voluntary Contributions

Your PC application provides an opportunity to make voluntary contributions to the Solicitors Benevolent Association, FLAC, Community Law Centres and Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI). 

The Solicitors’ Benevolent Association supports colleagues and their families who have fallen on hard times and need support. FLAC and Community Law Centres (based in Ballymun and Coolock) continue to provide very valuable legal support to their communities. IRLI is an initiative of the Law Society of Ireland, Bar of Ireland, Law Society of Northern Ireland and Bar of Northern Ireland which seeks to harness the skills of Irish lawyers to tackle global injustice and empower people to live in a society free from inequality, corruption and conflict. 

I encourage you to support all these worthy causes. Should you wish, you have an option to increase the amount allocated to each voluntary contribution when you are completing your PC application online.

• Apply for your 2025 PC

Upgraded Payment System

The system for making payments to the Law Society is also being updated, thanks to a new partnership with NoFrixion. As well as changes to card payments to make processing quicker and more efficient, new options will also be added like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Pay by Bank (currently supported by AIB, PTSB and Revolut), enabling smoother transactions for both personal and company cards. These changes bring numerous benefits, including enhanced flexibility and improved services for solicitors and firms alike.

For those paying by card, you won’t have to do anything differently but, if you pay by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), there are some changes.

Each solicitor and firm will be assigned a unique Virtual International Bank Account Number (IBAN) to use when making an EFT payment for your PC. This will be displayed on your EFT form as part of the online PC renewal process, and in the Firm Admin area for group PC payments.

Just make sure you update any saved bank details with this Virtual IBAN before you make a payment. A full guide on the changes and how to access your Virtual IBAN is available on the Law Society website.

2025

On behalf of myself, our colleagues on Council and everyone at the Law Society, I hope you enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas and a well-earned break so that you are ready to face the challenges and take advantage of opportunities 2025 will bring.

Kind regards,

Eamon Harrington
President