Trainees should see rise in recommended salary
Aspiring solicitors should be paid £23,122 outside of London and £26,068 in the capital for qualifying work experience (QWE) for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) or during their training contract, the Law Society of England and Wales said today.
“We consider the increase in the recommended salary for aspiring solicitors to be appropriate at this time,” said Law Society President Lubna Shuja.
“There are a range of factors that were considered during our discussions around the minimum salary policy and uplift, including the rise in cost-of-living expenses – which have particularly hit those on lower salaries – and the economic impact on solicitors’ businesses.
“We encourage employers to consider this recommendation when looking at how much they will pay their employees.
“The policy applies to anyone undertaking a period of recognised training, such as a training contract, or anyone employed with the primary purpose of gaining QWE.”
Notes to editors
The recommended minimum salary policy is reviewed in June each year, with the revised amount coming into effect in September in line with the academic year/ new trainee or QWE year.
The recommended minimum salary is updated annually. This is not a regulatory requirement, but a matter of voluntary good practice. It was introduced by the Law Society in 2015 after the Solicitors Regulation Authority ended the regulatory requirement for a minimum salary for trainees.
The current recommended minimum salary for trainee solicitors is £21,024 outside of London and £23,703 in the capital. The rise for 2023/2024 is 9.98% compared to 3.99% in 2022/2023.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority reported that in its first year of running, 433 individuals entered the profession through the SQE. 5,196 individuals qualified via the Legal Practice Course. The number of solicitor apprenticeships has more than doubled from 222 in 2020/2021 to 584 in 2021/2022. Find out more.
About the Law Society
The Law Society is the independent professional body that works globally to support and represent solicitors, promoting the highest professional standards, the public interest and the rule of law.
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