Section 250 Compliance: CoverProof vs Your Law Firm
Law firms are advisers. CoverProof is the operational tool that produces the evidence.
Law firms are the right call for legal interpretation — for ambiguous Section 250 scope questions, for advising on specific individuals' status, or for defending an FCA investigation. They are the wrong tool for systematic, repeatable, documented gap analysis at scale. Law firm billable hours for a 50-person gap analysis run £20,000–£80,000. CoverProof's Professional plan is £2,990 a year on an annual plan (£299/month otherwise) — and it generates evidence your lawyers will be glad you have when they need to use it.
Bottom line
Use both. CoverProof for operations, your law firm for advice. The right answer is not either/or. CoverProof handles the systematic operational work: identifying the gap, sending declarations, tracking responses, generating evidence packs. Your law firm handles the legal interpretation of edge cases, advises on whether specific individuals are in scope, and represents you if the FCA comes knocking. The evidence CoverProof produces is exactly what your lawyers need to defend you. Spending £60,000 on a law firm engagement to produce a less-robust evidence trail is not a good trade.
Criterion
The alternative
CoverProof
Cost for 50-person gap analysis
£20,000–£80,000+ in billable hours
✓Included in Professional plan (£2,990/year on an annual plan)
Speed
2–4 weeks typical engagement timeline
✓Under 30 minutes for initial gap analysis
Legal interpretation of edge cases
Expert legal opinion with privilege
Not a legal adviser — refer ambiguous cases to counsel
Litigation-grade evidence pack
May produce a memo — not a standardised evidence format
✓PDF/A-3B, cryptographically signed, timestamped
Declaration delivery and tracking
Not typically within scope — referred back to the firm
Not a legal service — but produces the evidence your lawyers will use
Verdict
Use both. CoverProof for operations, your law firm for advice.
The right answer is not either/or. CoverProof handles the systematic operational work: identifying the gap, sending declarations, tracking responses, generating evidence packs. Your law firm handles the legal interpretation of edge cases, advises on whether specific individuals are in scope, and represents you if the FCA comes knocking. The evidence CoverProof produces is exactly what your lawyers need to defend you. Spending £60,000 on a law firm engagement to produce a less-robust evidence trail is not a good trade.
Give your lawyers the evidence they need to defend you.
CoverProof produces the litigation-grade evidence pack your legal team will rely on. First gap analysis is free — start before your law firm has even scheduled a scoping call.