2024 practice fees
The Legal Services Board approved IPReg's application of its proposed 2023 Practice Fee Regulations (setting out the fee levels for the 2024 practice year) on 19 October 2023. It further agreed that IPReg's application to make minor drafting changes to the way the Practice Fee Regulations are presented, can be treated as an exemption, meaning a full rule change application was not required. The approval means that practising fees for 2024 will increase by 8% across all fee paying categories, other than for attorneys who are not in active practice (those fees will remain at the 2023 level).
You can see our application, submitted on 14 September, here. On 29 September, the Legal Services Board asked a number of questions about the application. You can see those questions, together with IPReg's responses made on 5 October, here. In addition, the Legal Services Board advised that it required a full comparison of changes from IPReg's 2022 Regulations to the proposed 2023 Regulations in order to assess IPReg's application to treat the changes from the current style of drafting to the proposed new style of drafting (which better reflect IPReg's new regulatory arrangements) as an exemption to the full rule change application process. The table can be viewed here.
Further information on the process for the approval of practice fees can be found here. Practice fees for previous years are available on request.
Fees are for the year from 1 January. We do not require any additional payment (and nor do we give refunds) if your practice fee type changes during the year or if you resign from the register.
Hardship
The fee waiver application process that was introduced in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic remains in the 2023 Regulations and has now been extended to include applications on the basis of general hardship - see Regulation 4. To apply to IPReg to have your practising fees waived on the basis of hardship, please make an application via the Practice Fee Waiver Application tab of your Annual Return menu in your IPReg account. You must provide evidence of hardship.
Between 1 November and 23 December 2023, attorneys and entities applying for registration with IPReg will not be liable to pay the 2023 practice fee upon application. 2024 practice fees must be paid before 31 January 2024. This automatic fee waiver will no longer apply from 1 January 2024 onwards, though attorneys and entities may apply for a fee waiver on the basis of hardship - see Regulation 4 of the 2023 Practice Fee Regulations.
Fees 2024
The fees for an individual/body to be entered on or to remain on a single register (ie Patent or Trade Mark) or both registers (ie Patent and Trade Mark) can be found below:
| Practice Fee Types | Single Registrant Fee | Dual Registrant Fee |
| Attorney solely undertaking corporate work | £ 203.00 | £ 324.00 |
| Attorney in private practice | £ 246.00 | £ 404.00 |
| Attorney not in active practice | £ 171.00 | £ 273.00 |
| Sole trader not employing other attorneys or other professionals | £ 404.00 | £ 577.00 |
| Sole trader employing others: | ||
| Base Fee | £ 404.00 | £ 577.00 |
| Plus for each employed registered attorney | £ 81.00 | £ 81.00 |
| And each employed other professional* providing legal services | £ 324.00 | £ 324.00 |
| Registered Body Fees | For Entry on or to remain on a single register or both registers |
| i) Registered body through which only a single attorney and no other attorneys or other professionals* provide services | £158.00 |
| ii) Any other registered body | £404.00 + £81.00 for each attorney practising via the body + £324.00 for each other professional practising via the body |
* an ‘other professional’ for the purpose of the Practice Fees Rules means a manager or employee based in the UK who is: (i) not a registered attorney but holds the qualifications necessary for registration; (ii) a qualified European patent and/or trade mark attorney; (iii) a barrister of England and Wales; or (iv) a solicitor of England and Wales. This does not include paralegals, trainees, support or administrative staff unless they hold the qualifications necessary for registration.