Solicitors provide a general advisory service to those requiring legal assistance. Clients range from individuals to public organisations, and typical legal services provided by a solicitor include litigation, probate, tax employment, conveyancing, and civil and family law. There are opportunities to work in private practices, commercial practices and with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Entry into the profession is by a combination of academic achievement and vocational training. Those with law degrees can go straight onto the Legal Practice Course, which takes one year full-time and two to three years part-time to complete. Successful graduates can then either take the Professional Skills Course or begin a two-year training contract with a law firm
Solicitors, who are predominantly office-based, generally work a 37-hour week, although there may be a need to work unsociable hours, such as when having to attend a police station late at night. Minimum salaries during training are around £16,600, or £18,500 per annum in London. Depending on experience and the individual employer, qualified rates are between £25,000 and £70,000 a year.