Solicitor Job and Wages

Hello

I might be going to university this year. I was wondering if anyone would tell me what it like to be working as a solicitor and how much roughly do they get paid in different areas of law. I want to study family law, entertainment law and disability law.

I did applied but I'm studying Access to Law and waiting for my GCSE English and Maths results.

Thank you

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

999tigger

19

It depends.
Region and which firm you join.
Small publicly funded firms earn less than large commercial ones.
You can then look at specialisation. It will depend how successful your deparrments is and what clients they have.

If your three areas I would hazard a guess that the lowest pay is disability law (unless its part of a commercial practice advising corportae clients), then family (unless the clients are wealthy) followed by entertainment, which is more likely to be corprorate.

If you are good you will get a good TC with a successful firm and they will pay more.
You will get much less if you go High street.

All the recruitment agencies do regular salary surveys.

Newly qualified legal salary survey
Michael Page Legal - some firms will pay even less. Location Min Max Birmingham and The Midlands £28,000 £40,000 Bristol £28,000 £41,000 Leeds £25,000 £40,000 London: Top Tier £57,000 £64,000 London: City Based Firms (Less than 50 Partners) £48,000 £60,000 London: West End Firrms £40,000 £55,000 London: US Firms (Mid-Atlantic) £60,000 £79,000 London: US Firms (New York) £80,000 £98,000 Manchester, Liverpool and the North West £28,000 £42,000 Reading £30,000 £50,000 Surrey, Sussex and Kent £28,000 £48,000 Scotland £28,000 £38,000
http://cdn.hudson.com/Portals/UK/documents/SalarySurveys/Legal-UK-Salary-Tables-2015.pdf

https://salaryguide.hays.co.uk/salary-tables/

Reply 2

lively2

OP

2

Original post by Marshall Taylor

If you're planning to do a law degree without researching salaries or jobs in your specialised areas, I don't think that you'll make a good lawyer. (sorry)

I did not specifically say I wanted to be a lawyer. All I wanted to know how much the solicitors get paid in different areas of law.

Reply 3

username738914

21

Original post by lively2

I did not specifically say I wanted to be a lawyer. All I wanted to know how much the solicitors get paid in different areas of law.

Solicitors are lawyers...

It still varies too much. A high street firm isn't going to pay the same as a national firm, which in turn won't pay the same as a UK city law firm, which in turn don't pay the same as a US firm based in the UK.

Throw-in various in house jobs in different industries and companies too, you'll now see why the above user asked you to be specific.

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Reply 4

happyinthehaze

11

Ignore the person who said you won't make a good lawyer for not researching a topic you are clearly researching...

The areas of law are very different. Family has been very affected by legal aid cuts to private family law. You can still get legal aid for public family law. Family is quite niche.

Disability law, well what is it? Equality act? Employment law? Judicial Review?

And entertainment law is separate again. This will be your best paid out of all that lot unless you are thinking Divorce law to the rich and famous.

Then you need to figure out where you will be working. High street for first two types of law, quite wide - look at job ads 30k? 40k? Depends how many years qualified, position in firm and where in country.

Then look at the top law firms and see how much they pay on Roll on Friday.. Try Mischcon de Reya for all of your areas of law. Have a look at Lewis Silkin and Kingsley Napley for an idea.you will have to research the salaries although they might say what the trainees earn

When working you can't do all three of these areas!

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Reply 5

Abstract_Prism

20

Original post by Marshall Taylor

If you're planning to do a law degree without researching salaries or jobs in your specialised areas, I don't think that you'll make a good lawyer. (sorry)

And what do you think OP's doing now, with this thread?

OP said he's considering going to university, not that he's already applied.

Reply 6

lively2

OP

2

Original post by happyinthehaze

Ignore the person who said you won't make a good lawyer for not researching a topic you are clearly researching...

The areas of law are very different. Family has been very affected by legal aid cuts to private family law. You can still get legal aid for public family law. Family is quite niche.

Disability law, well what is it? Equality act? Employment law? Judicial Review?

And entertainment law is separate again. This will be your best paid out of all that lot unless you are thinking Divorce law to the rich and famous.

Then you need to figure out where you will be working. High street for first two types of law, quite wide - look at job ads 30k? 40k? Depends how many years qualified, position in firm and where in country.

Then look at the top law firms and see how much they pay on Roll on Friday.. Try Mischcon de Reya for all of your areas of law. Have a look at Lewis Silkin and Kingsley Napley for an idea.you will have to research the salaries although they might say what the trainees earn

When working you can't do all three of these areas!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Disability law is linked with Equality act.

Thank you for your word of encouragement.

Reply 7

lively2

OP

2

Original post by Abstract_Prism

And what do you think OP's doing now, with this thread?

OP said he's considering going to university, not that he's already applied.

I did applied but I'm studying Access to Law and waiting for my GCSE English and Maths results.

Reply 8

Abstract_Prism

20

Original post by lively2

I did applied but I'm studying Access to Law and waiting for my GCSE English and Maths results.

fam i try to back u up and u make me look bad

Reply 9

lively2

OP

2

Original post by Abstract_Prism

fam i try to back u up and u make me look bad

Sorry

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I gave you the information.
It depends on the regions you are in and the firm.
London and the SE pay more for obvious reasons.
City pays more than West End.
It then depends on your clients. So for instance if you join a firm with less affluent clients, then you will earn less.
Its normal for all NQ's in a firm to get paid the same irrespective of specialism, so what you should be looking at is the NQ rate for the firm.
Progression, hours and bonuses may differ and eventually when you gain experience these will differ.

Unless your clients are wealthi then Family isnt a big earner.
Disability law is more likely to be done with a charity or incidental to other things such as employment. Unless you were with a very gig firm then its unlikely you would have enough clients to practice that on its own. You cna make more money from employment if your clients are corporate.
Entertainment is a wide specialism and there arent that may firms who practice it. They are mostly in London.
Salaries will rise significantly once you are qualified and have developed expeertise.

You can find out which forms do what if you read something like Chambers directory and then you can get an appreciation of what the areas are and which firms do them.
.
All you really need to focus on is getting good grades, so you have a chance of getting a TC if you wnat to become a solicitior.

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