The road to becoming a solicitor is long and in most cases costly. As well as funding your way through an undergraduate degree you will be faced with the costs of the further stages of qualification required to enter the profession. This page provides an outline breakdown of the financial costs you may incur.
University
Fees can vary depending on personal circumstances. Exactly what you are charged depends on the university you are attending, the chosen course and where in the UK you are studying. It is advisable to check the prospectus of your university for exact fees and how much the fees are likely to rise over the length of your course.
- For courses starting before 1 September 2012 (academic year 2011/2012), the changes to tuition fees will not have an effect.
- For courses starting from 1 September 2012 (academic year 2012/2013), different rules apply to tuition fees. From 2012/13 universities and colleges can charge new full-time students up to £9,000.
There are no regulations stating how much universities can charge in tuition fees for most part-time courses. You will need to check this with your university.
Living expenses
You should also consider living expenses. Rent will depend very much on where you decide to study. In London and the larger cities, for example, rent will be higher than elsewhere. Average rent costs can vary from approximately £2,600 to £7,800 per academic year.
Other living costs will depend on personal preference and circumstance. Figures can fluctuate from £1,500 - £4,000 per year. Factors include:
- Travel - take into account that there may be some travelling to and from campus.
- Food - could amount to between £1,450 to £3,165 per year.
- Socialising - your budget as well as your studies may dictate how much you spend on socialising.
- Study costs - each law student will be required to spend money on books, other costs may include stationery, printing and photocopying. The average student spends between £200 - £540 on study costs.
There will be many more costs such as clothes, laundry and phone calls.
Converting to law
If your first degree is not a qualifying law degree, you will have to complete a conversion course in order to go on to the further stages of legal training. You will need to undertake what is known as the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). This can be taken over one year full time or two years part time.
The fees charged for conversion courses are different from those charged per year for undergraduate degrees. Fees for the Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law can vary between £3,320-£8,950 for the year depending on the type of course you choose and where you decide to study. This will be in addition to any costs incurred through gaining your intial undergraduate degree in another subject.
The Legal Practice Course
If you wish to become a solicitor you must undertake a vocational stage of training called the Legal Practice Course (LPC) after obtaining a qualifying law degree or undertaking a conversion course. This is taken on a full time basis over a period of one year or part time over two years. This flexibility enables students to take paid work whilst they are undertaking the course.
When considering taking the Legal Practice Course you must appreciate the financial implications. Living costs are similar to those at university, however, fee costs are more expensive. Fees for the Legal Practice Course range from £8,500 to upwards of £12,900 depending on the type of course you choose and where you decide to study.
Total costs
It is estimated that the overall cost of a degree could be as much as £26,000. Add to this the fees for the Common Professional Examination and/or the Legal Practice Course, it is estimated that an individual could be carrying a total debt of £25,000 - £50,000 at the beginning of the training contract. Therefore, careful thought and extensive research is required before you embark on your legal path.