Pay trainees & those on work experience more, firms told

For the past year, the recommended minimums have been £21,024 for trainees outside of London and £23,703 in the capital. Last week, the Law Society upped these amounts to £23,122 outside London and £26,068 in the capital for trainees or those on QWE with a view to qualifying via the Solicitors Qualification Exam.

The recommended minimum salary policy is reviewed each June, with the revised amount coming into effect in September.

‘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.’