Solicitor CPD requirements for 2026
1 January to 31 December 2026.
25 hours CPD for the standard full requirement.
At least 5 hours Professional Development and Solicitor Wellbeing, plus at least 3 hours Client Care and Professional Standards.
At least 5 hours, or 20% of a modified requirement, must be completed by group study.
Relevant eLearning can count, subject to the Scheme's 80% maximum.
Keep a CPD record and suitable provider-issued proof. It is produced if you are selected for audit.
A sole practitioner, compliance partner and/or anti-money-laundering compliance partner still has a 25-hour standard requirement, but at least 1 hour within Client Care and Professional Standards must address accounting and anti-money-laundering compliance.
Who must complete solicitor CPD?
The Law Society CPD Scheme applies to solicitors within the scope of its practising-certificate and CPD regulations. The standard 2026 position is 25 hours, but the Scheme provides modified requirements for specified circumstances.
Those circumstances include newly admitted solicitors, senior practitioners, maternity/adoptive/parental/carer's leave, illness, retirement, unemployment or other substantive reasons, part-time practice and part-year practice.
The Law Society's 2026 current-cycle guidance states an 8-hour requirement for a Senior Practitioner, with the same 5-hour Professional Development and Solicitor Wellbeing and 3-hour Client Care and Professional Standards split. The accounting/AML element also applies where the Senior Practitioner holds the relevant sole-practitioner or compliance role.
How much CPD does a solicitor need in Ireland?
For a solicitor on the standard 2026 requirement, the minimum is 25 hours. Within that total, at least 5 hours must be Professional Development and Solicitor Wellbeing and at least 3 hours must be Client Care and Professional Standards.
The Law Society also limits how those hours can be accumulated. At least 5 hours / 20% must be completed by group study. A maximum of 20 hours / 80% of the standard requirement may be relevant eLearning, and a maximum of 12.5 hours / 50% may be claimed for writing relevant published material. A maximum of 7 hours CPD may be completed in a single day.
If your requirement has been modified, use the percentages and minimum-category rules in the current Scheme rather than simply applying the standard 25-hour total.
What counts as CPD for solicitors?
The overriding test in the Law Society's current guidance is that the education or training is relevant to the practice of a solicitor now or in the future and develops professional knowledge, skills, professional standards, client care, professional development or solicitor wellbeing.
What CPD evidence should a solicitor keep?
Solicitors should keep an accurate CPD record and suitable proof for the activities they claim. The Law Society's June 2026 audit guidance says supporting documentation from a provider should confirm matters such as the solicitor's attendance or completion, the course name, date, duration, applicable CPD category and hours, and the manner in which training was undertaken.
There is no requirement to send the CPD record card and proofs to the CPD Compliance Unit routinely. They are provided if the solicitor is selected for audit. The Law Society states that self-certification is not permitted where suitable provider evidence is required.
The Law Society carries out CPD audits. Its current-cycle guidance also states that failure to comply with annual CPD requirements triggers automatic proof-of-compliance requirements for the following two years in addition to the cycle of non-compliance.
Does solicitor CPD have to be from an accredited provider?
The Law Society states that it does not accredit CPD providers. It says the individual solicitor is responsible for judging the quality and relevance of the CPD event and whether it meets the CPD Scheme criteria.
A CPD Ireland accreditation demonstrates that a course has been independently reviewed against the CPD Ireland Accreditation Standard. It does not mean the Law Society has approved the provider or guarantee that the activity will satisfy a solicitor's own CPD requirement.
How MyCPD can help
CPD Ireland's MyCPD can help you keep CPD Ireland Verified certificates and self-recorded professional development together with optional supporting evidence.
MyCPD does not replace the Law Society's CPD record requirements, determine the Law Society category for an activity or confirm that you have complied with the CPD Scheme. Keep the evidence and records the Law Society requires.
Solicitor CPD questions
Official sources
Requirements in this guide were checked against current material published by the Law Society of Ireland. Always consult the Law Society directly for the definitive current requirement that applies to you.