Paralegal
Paralegals carry out research, prepare legal documents and give legal advice to clients.
Also known as: Legal assistant, property assistant, contracts assistant
- Starter salary£20,000 a year
- Experienced£40,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a paralegal you could:
- research and draft legal documents
- handle a caseload of clients and give them legal information
- manage data and confidential client information
- interview clients and witnesses
- go to court
Working environment
You could work in an office, in a court or at a police station.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to read English
- excellent verbal communication skills
- excellent written communication skills
- administration skills
- the ability to work well with others
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a paralegal
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
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.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You could do a college course before you look for paralegal work.
Courses include:
- legal studies
- law and practice
- paralegal practice
- T Level in Legal Services
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Paralegal Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, or Advanced Paralegal Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.
These usually take around 2 years to complete and combine workplace training with study.
You could also do a Legal Technician (conveyancing or probate) Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, if you wanted to specialise in either of these 2 areas.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Work
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.
Career path and progression
With further study, you could qualify as a legal executive or solicitor .
You could become self-employed or set up your own paralegal practice.
Career tips
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.
Guides for this industry
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