The traditional answer is expensive
For decades the answer to a growing legal need was simple: hire a general counsel. But a full-time GC is a significant commitment — salary, employer's National Insurance, pension, bonus, benefits and recruitment fees quickly push the true annual cost towards £92,000, before a single hour of value is delivered.
For many businesses, that is more legal leadership than they need, bought at a price they cannot easily justify.
Fractional delivers the seniority without the overhead
A fractional general counsel provides the same senior judgement — sitting at the top table, owning legal risk, managing contracts — but on a retained, part-time basis. You get the leadership, not the payroll.
Because you are buying capability rather than headcount, the cost is a fraction of the in-house equivalent, and it flexes with the business rather than sitting fixed regardless of demand.
The best of both worlds
Fractional counsel is not a compromise on quality. It is a smarter way to buy the senior legal expertise your business needs — available immediately, priced predictably, and backed by a team rather than dependent on a single hire.