London is one of the most popular places for Solicitors to work in, with a huge number of legal firms located across the city. Solicitors London provide a variety of services to clients from a range of backgrounds, including personal legal advice, defending claims in the Courts and representing companies in commercial disputes.
What is a Solicitor?
Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, formerly known as the Law Society’s Regulation Board. The SRA sets and monitors legal standards, enforces professional rules and deals with disciplinary matters.
How to Become a Solicitor
To become a solicitor, you will need a degree in law or a related subject and a qualification called the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). You can also qualify by undertaking a conversion course if you have no law degree. You must then take the Legal Practice Course and complete a two-year training contract before you can begin practicing as a solicitor.
A Solicitor can be either a self-employed or employed lawyer, working for a legal firm, an in-house solicitor within a business or a government department or a barrister. Solicitors are often the first point of contact for their clients, and are responsible for advising them on their options and preparing legal documents.
How to Become a Lawyer
In the UK, lawyers are qualified legal professionals who advise clients on issues such as conveyancing and drawing up wills. They can also represent their clients in the lower courts or instruct barristers to represent them in the higher courts.
The majority of lawyers will start their career in a legal firm, where they work with clients and learn their trade over the course of four or five years. After this, they may go on to specialise in a particular area of law or move into a more generalist practice.
Solicitors are a vital part of the British legal system, providing expert legal advice and representation to both domestic and international clients. Their work can be a rewarding and challenging one, with high levels of earning potential.
A Solicitor’s career is extremely flexible, with most firms operating under standard 9 – 5 hours and most working unsociable hours to research and prepare cases to meet deadlines and ensure their client needs are met. Evening and weekend working is also not uncommon, particularly for those representing overseas clients.
Whether you want to work in a large or prestigious law firm is up to you, as is the type of client base you want to deal with. For example, if you want to work in a specialised legal department at a major UK company, you might choose to join a Magic Circle law firm or other prestigious London-based firm.
What is the salary for a Solicitor?
In the UK, a solicitor’s salary can be very lucrative, depending on the specialism and level of experience. Solicitors can expect to earn up to £65,000 per year and more, but the amount depends on your individual experience.