Legal services
Keeping members informed of developments relating to the implementation of the new pathway for legal services authorisation with CILEx Regulation and ACCA's withdrawal from probate regulation.
ACCA became an approved regulator for the reserved legal activity of probate in 2009 and we started to authorise individuals and firms for probate activities from 1 April 2018, providing members in the UK with the opportunity to participate in the legal services market in England and Wales.
In 2019, we reviewed our approach to probate regulation in order to assess how best to support our members in practice and provide the greatest opportunity for our small- and medium-sized practices who wish to undertake legal services, whilst managing the risks posed by potential changes in the regulatory landscape in this area.
In September 2019, ACCA Council approved ACCA providing a pathway for eligible members to achieve probate (and other reserved legal activities) authorisation from CILEx Regulation, and ACCA relinquishing its approved regulator status for probate in England and Wales and to fully exiting legal services regulation.
ACCA withdrew from probate regulation on 31 December 2021 and all ACCA authorisations for non-contentious probate work ceased on this date.
Read more about ACCA's decision to withdraw from probate regulation at the end of 2021 in our communications to probate practitioners which can be found in the related downloads section of this page.
CILEx Regulation pathway
ACCA has developed a partnership with CILEx and CILEx Regulation (CRL) which provides a pathway for eligible ACCA practitioners to achieve legal services authorisation and access to a range of support services. The new route for probate authorisation with CRL was launched on 5 November 2021 and CRL began accepting applications from ACCA practitioners via a dedicated CRL online portal.
Options and transfer arrangements
ACCA authorisations for non-contentious probate work expired on 31 December 2021. Find out more about the options that were available to ACCA probate practitioners and the transfer arrangements to CRL.
Cessation of probate activities
ACCA has developed guidance for ACCA probate practitioners who informed us they were ceasing probate activities, or have been treated as ceasing probate activities because they did not obtain probate authorisation from CRL or another approved regulator by 31 December 2021.
Cancellation of designation as an approved regulator
The Legal Services Board (LSB) published its final Decision Notice on 19 May 2022, approving the revocation of ACCA's regulatory arrangements for probate. The LSB Board sent a letter to the Lord Chancellor on 27 July 2022 recommending ACCA's formal de-designation as an approved regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007. ACCA's Notice of Cancellation is available in the related downloads section of this page. The Legal Services Act 2007 (Approved Regulator) Order 2024 was made on 8 February 2024 and came into force on 29 February 2024, cancelling ACCA's designation as an approved regulator.
Find out more about the cancellation of ACCA’s designation as an approved regulator for probate
ACCA withdrew from probate regulation on 31 December 2021.
The partnership with CILEx Regulation enables ACCA probate practitioners to continue to be authorised to undertake probate work and access a range of support services.