Solicitor: What is the cost of hiring?

Why recruit a solicitor?

A solicitor will be able to provide a degree of representation to your client in areas like family law, property law, criminal law and business law. Sometimes they may represent their client in court, although solicitors will frequently instruct a barrister to do so. Solicitors usually work as the primary point of contact for clients during a case, giving them legal advice on any legal action that they are looking to take. 

Qualities of a great solicitor:

• Intelligent approach to talking through client concerns
• Methodical when it comes to information systems and paperwork
• Applies sector knowledge to real-world issues

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance solicitor

You might choose to recruit a solicitor on a contract or temporary basis rather than as a permanent employee. This might be especially appealing if you are looking to cover a full-time solicitor who is currently on maternity or parental leave. Many solicitor roles are full time, regardless of whether they are temporary or permanent, but some solicitors may choose to negotiate a part-time role while working for you. Freelance solicitors may help to take on some of the paperwork from your full-time solicitors, freeing up time for them to complete other responsibilities relating to cases. 

What are the different types of solicitor?

Because there are many different areas of law for solicitors to specialise in, you will need to find a solicitor who has the right knowledge and skills base for your role. It is a good idea to look for a solicitor who specialises in employment law if you are looking to find a solicitor for that role. Other kinds of solicitors include property solicitors, divorce solicitors, injury/accident solicitors and commercial solicitors. At the head of your solicitor team, you may have a senior solicitor. With over five years of PQE (Post Qualified Experience), senior solicitors are responsible for organising projects and dealing with more complex cases.

• Property Solicitor: Property solicitors deal with legal matters regarding premises on behalf of clients such as investors, developers and retailers. 
• Divorce Solicitor: Divorce solicitors deal with matters and disputes regarding custody pending divorces, wills and filing documents at court.
• Injury/Accident Solicitor: Accident solicitors represent clients who have been injured such as in a workplace, due to negligence caused by another individual. 
• Commercial Solicitor: Commercial solicitors help advise businesses on law regarding their commercial negotiations.
• Senior Solicitor: A senior solicitor works with your junior solicitors, overseeing all of their responsibilities and dealing with complex cases that junior solicitors need guidance to handle. 

Where to find a solicitor?

To find the right solicitor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Via a law database: You can search for qualified candidates via a UK law database and contact them directly.
• Hiring internally: Send an email to your employees about the role available.
• Advertising on your firm’s website: Write a job description and upload it to your firm’s website, with relevant contact details.
• Advertising online via solicitor social media groups and forums: Add a short job advertisement linking to your website on relevant law or solicitor social media groups.

Post your job online: Try posting your job for a solicitor on Indeed to find and attract quality solicitor candidates.

Skills to look for in a great solicitor

A great candidate for a solicitor role will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• written communication skills
• excellent knowledge of UK law
• strong analytical skills
• excellent time management
• natural problem-solving skills
  

Writing a solicitor job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified solicitor candidates. A solicitor job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your job description for a solicitor, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms resulting in clicks on jobs for solicitors, according to Indeed data:

• trainee solicitor
• solicitor
• legal
• paralegal
• law
• trainee
• law training contract
• lawyer

Interviewing solicitor candidates

Strong candidates for solicitor positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• experience dealing with stress and other behavioural questions
• background and training
• UK law
• career aspirations
• personal interest in the firm

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of solicitor interview questions for examples (with sample answers).