THE HIGHEST PAYING LEGAL JOBS
THE HIGHEST PAYING LEGAL JOBS
WHAT IS A LAWYER
A lawyer is a professional who works in the legal field, such as an advocate, attorney at law, barrister, solicitor, paralegal, or legal executive, among other positions. As a lawyer, you will be responsible for the practical application of abstract legal theories and expertise in order to solve particular personalised factual problems, for those clients that retain your services. Where lawyer will decide to work is largely down to the remuneration that they will receive. Trainee lawyer salaries vary widely throughout the UK, with their location having a big impact on their pay and the organisation where they will work.
LONDON
Although there is no formal minimum income for trainee solicitors, The Law Society advises that trainees must earn a minimum of £22,794 in London and £20,217 elsewhere in the UK. In actuality, a trainee lawyer incomes vary significantly throughout the UK, and your location is a significant influence in determining how much you make.
In London, firms often pay trainees more than the required minimum. For example, the Magic Circle – Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May – London's five most famous legal firms – presently pays first-year trainees between £45,000 and £48,000. After the second year, trainees earn between £51,000 and £52,500. However, it is the US-based corporations (which are often located in London) that pay the highest salaries. Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case, for example, pay their first-year trainee lawyers £50,000. In the second year, these amounts increase to £55,000.
OUTSIDE LONDON
While enterprises located outside of the capital often pay less, their compensation packages are not to be overlooked. Salary ranges from £20,000 to £39,000 for first-year trainees in regional legal firms. High street enterprises often pay between £22,000 and £30,000 for training. Scottish trainee pay is usually lower than those in the rest of the UK; the Law Society of Scotland recommends £19,500 for first-year trainees and £22,500 for second-year trainees. For further information, see solicitor, Scotland.
Trainee solicitors are expected to work long and exhausting hours and, at the start of your training contract, you will have little client interaction and the most of your activities will be administrative. Qualifying as a solicitor is a lengthy procedure, with the ultimate step being the training contract. As a result, many trainees, particularly those working for City or Magic Circle businesses, earn a premium salary.
WHAT TYPES OF LAWYERS ARE THERE?
Solicitors and Barristers may pursue a variety of jobs in law. Options range from corporate and commercial law to family and medical law. Also, some legal careers pay better than others. This article will examine some of the top paid legal positions so you can choose the correct career path.
AREAS OF LAW
Considerations for a legal profession are many. For example, business lawyers assist huge corporations, while family law lawyers assist people in divorce, custody, and adoption issues. Solicitors and barristers may also specialise in other areas of law, such as:
Corporate and business law
Legal management and administration
Civil, human and animal rights
Medical malpractice
Road traffic accidents and injury
Family and divorce law
Estate and probate law
Real estate law
Employment and labour law
Criminal litigation
TYPES OF LAW CAREERS YOU CAN PURSUE
What influences a lawyer's salary? Each area of law has a different remuneration. Some legal fields pay more than others. Your total legal experience and education level might also impact how much you can earn as a lawyer. Where you reside also affects how much money you earn as a lawyer.
TYPES OF LAWYERS AND SALARIES
What are the highest-paying jobs for lawyers? The following is a list of the top highest-paying law careers for lawyers and legal professionals:
CIVIL LITIGATION PARALEGAL
National average salary: £24,197 per year
Civil litigation paralegals help practising lawyers with court filings, pleadings, and trial preparation. Many of these legal professionals work in private law firms, although they may also work in the public sector. These paralegals will operate under the supervision of a litigation solicitor until they are able to practise law independently.
PERSONAL INJURY PARALEGAL
National average salary: £25,000 per year
Personal injury paralegals, like litigation paralegals, collaborate with practising Solicitors. Typically, they will assist with the preparation of legal documentation in personal injury lawsuits involving either the claimant or defendant. Personal injury paralegals often operate under the supervision of a lawyer, interviewing clients, gathering medical records, obtaining insurance information and papers from defendants, and assisting in the organisation and preparation of compensation requests.
BANKRUPTCY PARALEGAL
National average salary: £28,227 per year
Bankruptcy paralegals and solicitors typically work for government organisations, companies, and lending institutions, preparing and filing proofs of claims on their clients' behalf. These paralegals must be familiar with financial laws and regulations governing bankruptcy claims and work directly with practising lawyers to prepare financial records, claim forms, and any other paperwork their clients may need in a bankruptcy case.
FAMILY LAW PARALEGAL
National average salary: £22,878 per year
Paralegals in family law provide support to practising solicitors in situations involving child custody, divorce, social services, adoption, and tax and finance law. Paralegals in this area of law often meet with and interview clients, gather documentation from persons engaged in domestic conflicts, arrange papers and records in divorce or child custody proceedings, and do other responsibilities that assist family lawyers with familial and legal matters.
EMPLOYMENT LAW ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR
National average salary: £60,000 per year
Employment law associates solicitors, or employment and labour law solicitors, give help and advice to businesses and employees in the Employment Tribunal employment laws. Typically, these lawyers assist employers in ensuring that their workplaces comply with applicable employment laws and that all workers are treated fairly and consistently. Additionally, employment lawyers often defend workers in allegations of discrimination and unfair dismissals.
GENERAL BARRISTER AT LAW
National average salary: £89,400 per year
A barrister at law or (trial lawyer) is a barrister with a practising certificate and has completed his pupillage and who advises and represents clients and their legal rights in both civil and criminal trials. Barristers at law are most often trial lawyers, assisting clients with preparing statements of case and pleadings, and even appearing in court on their clients' behalf.
IMMIGRATION BARRISTER
National average salary: £40,000 per year
Immigration barristers and solicitors provide advice and counsel clients on immigration concerns such as Home Office applications, visa applications, naturalisation and citizenship, as well as deportation and employment difficulties for foreign nationals. Numerous immigration barristers will also take on issues involving immigration and criminal law.
LEGAL MANAGER
National average salary: £59,117 per year
Legal managers help major organisations and their divisions with legal issues. Typically, these legal professionals have prior experience as practising lawyers. Similar to a patent and intellectual property litigator, legal managers often operate as owners of a company's intellectual property assets, such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Legal managers are also responsible for counselling and providing legal advice to the human resources, information technology, and management departments of a business, coordinating with these department professionals to ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements regarding licencing, data protection, and legal document organisation.
CIVIL LITIGATION BARRISTER
National average salary: £60,000 per year
While civil litigation barristers perform many of the same obligations as trial lawyers, they are more often involved in minor claims and civil disputes. Clients, whether claimants or defendants, will meet with, and provide information and documents to counsel. Additionally, they will assist customers in preparing court and trial paperwork, drafting pleadings, and entering settlement. In extreme circumstances, litigation lawyers may also testify in court on their clients' behalf although this is rare.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PARALEGAL
National average salary: £54,147 per year
Paralegals that specialise in intellectual property (IP) or patent work with clients to aid them in patenting or trademarking their works. IP paralegals often collaborate with IP lawyers who advise clients on how to apply for and enforce trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other forms of intellectual property licencing. Additionally, IP paralegals will aid customers in obtaining patents, trademarks, and copyrights and will assist in legally protecting these assets in the event that their clients' intellectual property is infringed.
CORPORATE BARRISTER
National average salary: £89,400 per year
Corporate barrister advises and represents huge businesses and organisations. They are in charge of preparing legal papers, structuring transactions, negotiating commercial agreements, and ensuring that contract conditions, policies, and legal compliance are clear and consistent. Corporate lawyers are often the legal specialists who ensure that a company's activities comply with applicable laws and regulations and that specific business practises are implemented within legal limitations and will not result in future legal troubles.
PATENT BARRISTER
National average salary: £66,628 per year
A Patent barrister, like IP lawyers and paralegals, deal with comparable matters; however, patent barristers focus exclusively on the methods and legal ramifications associated with patenting intellectual property. Patent lawyers often assist inventors in preparing, filing, and submitting patent applications. If another person or business attempts to infringe on a patent lawyer's client, the barrister aids the client in bringing a case against them.
CONCLUSION
We have tried to provide you an average of the types of lawyers and salaries. Some places like London have a stronger demand for skilled lawyers and pay much more than others like in Wales. For example, some big cities may provide a greater income potential for business, civil, and family law practitioners than more rural or less populated areas. Having said that, some kinds of solicitors and barristers make more money because of the specialised nature of the sector of law in which they operate.
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