LSB urges action to support 16 million legal issues a year for small businesses
Summary
The Legal Services Board’s Small Business Legal Needs Survey 2026 reports that legal problems are widespread among small businesses in England and Wales, with many cases costing significant sums and often being addressed too late. The report highlights late payments, disputes, and limited in-house legal capability as major barriers to business resilience and growth, and calls for improved access to legal support and stronger referral networks.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors working with SME clients, landlords, developers or contractors may see the knock-on effects of delayed payments, contract disputes and poor access to legal advice. The findings reinforce the value of early issue-spotting and signposting clients to appropriate legal support before problems escalate.
Key points
- 36% of surveyed businesses experienced at least one legal issue in the previous year.
- The survey estimates around 16 million legal issues annually across England and Wales.
- Late payments and disputes over goods and services were among the most common problems.
- Only 10% of small businesses reported having some form of internal legal capability.
- The LSB is calling for action from government, regulators and legal service providers to improve access to support.
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