A firm that runs without the partners running it.
Operational structure for growing UK law firms — collections and lock-up under control, capacity you can actually see, compliance built into the process, and partners freed to do the work only they can do. Embedded, part-time leadership at a fraction of a full-time COO.
The problem in a growing firm
At 5 to 30 fee-earners, most firms hit the same wall. The partners are still the operational engine — chasing bills, resolving capacity clashes, signing off on everything — while trying to fee-earn at the same time. Lock-up creeps. Collections slip. The practice manager is excellent at administration but was never meant to design the operating model. Growth adds revenue and complexity, but not control.
What a fractional COO installs
Cash & lock-up discipline
Forward cash visibility and a billing-to-collection rhythm that pulls lock-up days down and gets the firm paid for work already delivered.
Capacity & utilisation
A clear view of who has capacity, where the bottlenecks are, and how to plan hiring against real demand rather than instinct.
Decision authority
Clear ownership and thresholds so day-to-day decisions stop routing back to the partners — and the firm keeps moving without them.
Compliance in the process
Client onboarding, file management and SRA obligations built into how the firm runs — not bolted on as a separate burden.
What it looks like in practice
Working with a UK professional-services firm with strong client relationships but an underdeveloped operating layer — collections inconsistent, cash management reactive, and a leadership team identifying problems without installing the fix.
Go deeper
Practical guides on the operational levers that move a growing UK firm:
Who it is for
UK law firms of roughly 5–30 fee-earners, founder- or partner-led, where growth has outpaced the operating model and the partners have become the bottleneck the whole firm runs through.
Start with a conversation
A 30-minute Operational Clarity Call — a direct read of where your firm stands operationally. Or begin with a 4-Week Operational Assessment for the full picture.
Book an Operational Clarity Call →