Aspiring solicitors should be paid at least £24,320 outside of London and £27,418 in the capital for qualifying working experience or during their training contract, the Law Society has said. The recommended rise for 2024/25 is 5.18% compared to the 9.98% uplift put forward last year.

Chancery Lane has been recommending minimum pay levels since 2015, after the Solicitors Regulation Authority stopped setting mandatory rates.

Society president Nick Emmerson said: ‘The increase in recommended salary for aspiring solicitors is considered appropriate at this time. The minimum salary policy and uplift supports those seeking to enter the profession with an appropriate salary recommendation. 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.

The current recommended minimum salary is £23,122 outside London and £26,068 in the capital. The Society said last year's 9.98% uplift - the largest since the Society began setting minimum rates - reflected the rise in cost-of-living expenses.

 

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