The Practising Certificate renewals are always a busy time of the year, and in 2025, it was no different. With the launch of our new portal updates, we hoped that our law firm finance solution would help practices and ease what is often one of the most cash-intensive points in the legal finance calendar.
When we launched the new changes, we highlighted the importance of why they mattered: to provide leading law firms with faster access to funding; give them the ability to ease cash flow pressures as we enter the new year; and ultimately create a more streamlined application journey for time-poor partners and finance teams.
For many firms, they saw this as an opportunity to remove admin headaches, strengthen their liquidity, and avoid any overreliance on overdrafts or short-term reserves to cover the renewal costs.
With the portal now closed for applications this year, we are delighted to say that it has been another record year for funding.
Why the changes were needed
This is a time of year where firms experience a cluster of costly outlays from renewals and additional liabilities. For finance teams and managing partners of law practices, getting access to cash flow support can be critical to remaining resilient.
The updated portal was designed with that in mind, with a goal to reduce friction for law firms at every stage:
- Providing quick access to funding: Instead of waiting for manual approvals, firms could complete a simple, guided process and receive faster decisions without delay.
- Spreading the cost over 10 months: Helping firms keep liquidity steady through Q1’s slow recovery period, ahead of upcoming Corporation Tax deadlines in January.
- Creating a “no-touch” system: We wanted the process to be done in minutes, with fewer forms to be completed, reduced delays to funding, and less internal resources tied up with unnecessary workloads.
Our expectation was clear: if the system worked as intended, firms could plan with greater confidence, maintain flexibility, and start the year with a steadier financial footing.
The result
The portal’s adoption rate exceeded all of our expectations.
We received 815 client applications through the portal, in which significantly, 300 of these were new to Shire Professions Finance. This confirms not only the need for a smoother process, but also the increased demand across the sector for more proactive, low-friction ways to manage regular outgoings.
Craig Reid, our Sales Director here at Shire Professions Finance, summarised the portal’s success:
“This year we saw the highest volume of early applications on record, with many firms choosing to secure funding before invoices even landed. It’s a strong signal that firms are now prioritising their cash flow strategy earlier in the cycle.”
Not only did the portal reduce admin, the new structure saved time, reduced pressure on internal finance teams, and allowed firms to align their renewal costs with their wider working capital goals.
Looking ahead
The success of this year’s renewal window is more than a one-off improvement. It is an indication of a wider shift in how firms want to manage recurring regulatory costs.
Cash flow predictability is becoming more essential, and automated processes now play a key part in the client experience. Having the ability to balance seasonal pressures with long-term working capital stability is becoming a hallmark of well-run firms.
As the PC renewal joins PII and VAT in a more structured annual finance cycle, firms that plan early will put themselves at a stronger operational advantage for the rest of the year.
If you’d like support preparing for next year, or want to explore options to smooth other seasonal outgoings, our team can help. Get in touch today to discuss your firms’ finance needs.