Annual Salary
£20,000 to £40,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Paralegals carry out research, prepare legal documents and give legal advice to clients.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; occasionally
There will be
2.9% more Paralegal jobs in 2027.
As a paralegal you could:
You could work in an office, in a court or at a police station.
You can get into this job through:
You could study for a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in law, legal studies or paralegal practice.
It's competitive to get a place on a law degree, so you'll need to have good grades when you apply.
You'll usually need:
You could do a college course before you look for paralegal work.
Courses include:
You could take a Paralegal Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
This usually takes 2 years to complete as a mix of workplace learning and study.
You could also do a Legal Technician (conveyancing or probate) Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship if you wanted to specialise in either of these two areas.
You might be able to find work with a legal practice as an admin assistant and do training on the job to qualify.
You can do training through the Institute of Paralegals or the National Association of Licensed Paralegals.
You'll be expected to have GCSEs or A levels and a good standard of English.
You'll find it helpful to get some experience in the area of law you want to work in, such as family, criminal or property law.
As well as opportunities with law firms, look out for placements in legal departments of businesses, charities, central and local government.
You can find out more about paralegal careers from the Institute of Paralegals.
With further study, you could qualify as a legal executive or solicitor.
You could become self-employed or set up your own paralegal practice.
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) Law School has details of training while working and earning a salary. It has information about the Trailblazer apprenticeships, which can qualify you as a paralegal, a legal executive or a solicitor.
You'll need a good understanding of the legal system, so experience working at a law firm could help you start your training. Qualifications in paralegal practice or a degree in law could also help you begin your career.
The Institute of Paralegals has more details about careers.
You'll need: