Why your growing business needs fractional general counsel

The world of work no longer moves in straight lines. Expertise has become fluid, shared, flexible, and on demand. Over the past decade, a quiet revolution has taken hold: the rise of fractional services.

The new rhythm of expertise

It started with finance. Start-ups realised they didn’t need a full-time Chief Financial Officer to make sound financial decisions. A fractional CFO, working a few days a month, could provide the same strategic direction at a fraction of the cost. Soon came fractional CMOs, HR leads, and technology directors. Expertise became something you access, not own.

Law, for a long time, resisted this change. For generations, it stood apart, a world of hourly rates, retainers, and billable increments. Legal advice was something you reached for in a crisis, not something embedded in your business rhythm. But as companies grew more agile, collaborative, and tech-driven, the legal world began to evolve too.

Enter the fractional general counsel: a senior lawyer who works as part of your business, not just for it. They don’t sit in a glass office down the hall. They sit in your strategy calls, review your contracts, and quietly steer you away from costly missteps.

And underpinning this shift is another transformation reshaping how we live and work: the subscription economy. Just as businesses subscribe to cloud storage, design software, or HR support, they can now subscribe to legal expertise. It’s flexible, predictable, and built for a new kind of business, one that grows through smart partnerships, not permanent payroll.

This isn’t a passing trend. It’s law catching up with how modern business already works: fast, connected, and built on access, not ownership.

2. What a fractional general counsel really means

A fractional general counsel (FGC) is, in essence, an in-house lawyer, but on your terms. They bring the same strategic depth as a full-time counsel but work fractionally, embedding legal thinking into your operations without the long-term cost.

They do more than review contracts. They join leadership discussions, flag risks before they escalate, and help you shape deals, policies, and partnerships. They get to know your tone, your risk appetite, and your people. In short, they become part of the business story but without a full-time salary.

A fractional general counsel typically supports you across:

• Commercial contracts
• Employment and HR
• Regulatory compliance
• Corporate governance

Unlike traditional solicitors who drop in for a single matter, a fractional counsel builds continuity. They stay, they learn, they anticipate. They move law out of the realm of emergencies and into the flow of everyday decision-making.

3. Subscription law: access without unpredictability

The subscription model takes the best of the digital economy — access, transparency, and predictability — and applies it to law.

Instead of paying by the hour, you pay a fixed monthly fee for continuous support. You gain access to experienced solicitors. It changes everything about how legal services feel. No more hesitation before picking up the phone. No more surprise invoices. It provides ongoing support that fits neatly into your budget and workflow.

At Lawyerlink, subscription clients receive the same continuity and context as those with a fractional counsel. Each business has a dedicated legal team that learns its operations, tone, and contracts, providing faster, sharper, and more strategic advice over time.

4. The cost: hiring, fractional, or subscription?

Fractional and subscription legal models share a philosophy: access over ownership. They differ in structure and cost.

• Fractional general counsel

A fractional general counsel divides their time between several companies — often working one or two days a week at a daily rate. The value lies in seniority and strategic depth, but that level of expertise still carries a premium.

• Subscription legal service

A subscription legal service, by contrast, takes the same principle of shared expertise and scales it for SMEs. Instead of paying for time, you subscribe to an experienced team for a fixed monthly cost, tailored to your business size and complexity. What you gain isn’t just access — it’s continuity, proactive oversight, and a lawyer who grows with your business.

Here’s how the three main models typically compare:

While fractional arrangements remain a smart option for mid-market or funded businesses, they’re still out of reach for many SMEs. Subscription models close that gap by offering the same continuity, but at a sustainable price point.

Think of it this way:

• An in-house lawyer gives you immersion.
  
• A fractional counsel gives you focus.
  
• A subscription legal team gives you consistency and proactive oversight without financial strain.

It’s the first time in history that smaller companies can access experienced, regulated solicitors in the same way larger corporations have for decades, through a model built for scale and stability.

5. Who this model serve best

Fractional and subscription legal services are designed for businesses in transition, companies that have outgrown ad-hoc help but aren’t ready for a full-time hire.

That typically means organisations with 10 to 200 employees and turnovers between £1 million and £20 million, though smaller, fast-scaling start-ups also benefit.

They’re the businesses juggling contracts, HR issues, and compliance all at once:

• A creative agency negotiating new client retainers.
• A retailer expanding into e-commerce.
• A healthcare provider managing data protection and staffing.
• A manufacturer setting up supplier agreements abroad.

For these companies, the law can no longer be an afterthought. They need structure, but not bureaucracy. Legal foresight, without the full-time cost.

When your lawyer becomes part of your monthly rhythm by reviewing, advising, and guiding, legal health stops being a chore. It becomes your foundation for growth.

The shift from cost to confidence

The rise of fractional and subscription legal services reflects a larger cultural shift in how business owners view law. It’s no longer a reactive expense; it’s a proactive investment. You stop paying for hours. You start paying for outcomes.

You stop calling when things go wrong. You start building systems that keep things right.

For growing UK businesses, this shift delivers both freedom and security. Predictable costs mean peace of mind. Proactive legal input means fewer crises. And having a solicitor who knows your business means faster, more strategic decisions.

At Lawyerlink, we’ve built our entire model on that belief. Our solicitors work as part of your team, are regulated by the SRA, are backed by experience, and are committed to your growth.

Because the future of law isn’t about having more lawyers. It’s about having the right one, at the right time, on your side.