Do legal executives earn the same as solicitors?

Jul 12, 2022

Written By Thomas Cserep

Qualifying as a solicitor is not the only way to have a career in law; legal executives also work in law firms and in-house law departments of businesses. But are the salaries of the legal executives and solicitors the same? We will explore how their earnings differ. But first – what is a legal executive?

Legal executives – who are they?

Legal executives are legal practitioners who gained their qualification via The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), a professional body that is authorised to qualify lawyers.

Commonly referred to as CILEx lawyers, they fulfil very similar roles to solicitors. From advising clients on legal issues to carrying out research, legal executives are very much involved in the day-to-day activities at a law firm.

In fact, the legal industry has been trying to narrow the gap between legal executives and solicitors, granting the former more authorisations to carry out certain tasks and hold certain positions that they previously weren’t able to. For example, as of 2009, a legal executive can be promoted to partner within a law firm.

Legal executives are much more specialised in a particular area of law than their solicitor counterparts, which means that they may actually supervise the work of solicitors in their area of expertise.

While CILEx lawyers tend to work in less prestigious areas of law such as personal injury and family law, many solicitors aim to enter highly-reputed law firms that specialise in fields such as corporate and commercial law.

Why do some choose the CILEx pathway?

The CILEc route is becoming increasingly more popular amongst those who want a career in law.

To qualify as a legal executive you need to complete a CILEx Professional Qualification (CPQ). Unlike solicitors, who need to have completed an undergraduate degree prior to starting their postgraduate studies, you don’t need prior experience in higher education to enrol on a CPQ course.

The CPQ is broken down into three stages, each of which takes between 18 and 24 months to finish. Most CILEx lawyers become qualified legal executives in the space of five years, which is much shorter than the path to becoming a solicitor.

Legal executives also pay much less for their qualification. The whole process to complete your CPQ will cost around £12,500. However, these costs will be partially offset during your paid placements as a CILEx student.

Solicitors on the other hand can accumulate over £50,000 worth of debt over the course of their training, which they will have to pay back once they start working.Thus, a career as a legal executive certainly seems attractive if you do not want to do a degree or accumulate student debt.

Salary differences

Legal practitioners on the CILEx route will start earning before their solicitor counterparts due to the possibility of doing apprenticeships on their programme. Indeed, a CILEx student can have a salary which is worth between £15,000-£28,000 a year.

However, the table turns in the favour of solicitors later on. A newly qualified solicitor can earn comfortably above £60,000 at a reputable firm, with Magic Circle firms offering contracts worth at least £90,000 a year.

Legal executives who have completed their qualifications will receive a starting salary in the region of £35,000, which can rise to £55,000 over the subsequent couple of years. CILEx lawyers may be able to push for the £100,000 salary mark if they have performed successfully in their role.

Nonetheless, as we have mentioned earlier, the road to qualifying as a legal executive is much cheaper, and CILEx lawyers don’t have to worry about repaying the student debt that solicitors have accumulated to qualify. Additionally, it is a great option to take if you do not want to enrol on a degree programme, but want to have a career in the legal field.

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