How much does a junior barrister earn UK?

Asked by: Mathew Gorczany DVM  |  Last update: October 5, 2022
Score: 4.5/5 (9 votes)

The average pay for a junior criminal barrister with up to 15 years experience is about £40,000 a year. Once you subtract the fees to rent chambers and other costs, this falls to about £28,000, according to figures from the Bar Council.

What does a junior barrister earn?

Successful junior barristers doing work supported by legal aid – be that criminal or civil – can earn under £20,000 a year. Some juniors in this field may struggle to make enough money to live on, and certain chambers whose juniors have low earnings offer them interest-free loans to cover costs.

How much does a first year barrister earn?

As a very rough guide, a barrister may expect to earn between £12,000 and £90,000 in the first year of qualification. For some criminal work, a junior barrister may earn as little as £50 per day.

How much does the average UK barrister earn?

The average salary for a barrister in the UK is £89,200 gross per year, £5,030 net per month, according to Jobted, 202% higher than the UK's national average. Barristers also average bonus payments of £4,900 per year and profit sharing incomes of £1,870 per year.

What is a junior junior barrister?

Junior juniors are very junior barristers who are within 4 years from end of pupillage and who are not yet panel members. They can assist on things like discovery exercises on large cases. They cannot do advocacy of any sort. A nomination from the Attorney General is not necessary.

HOW MUCH DO UK BARRISTERS MAKE IN THE UK - UK LAWYERS SALARY

40 related questions found

What do junior barristers do?

Junior and Senior Counsel

Junior counsel tend to do most of the paperwork in cases (drafting legal documents) and they represent clients mainly in the lower courts (the District Court and the Circuit Court). After about 10 to 15 years of practising as a junior counsel, a barrister may apply to become a senior counsel.

What is the difference between senior and junior counsel?

Senior counsel are also colloquially known as “silks.” This is because their robes include a gown made of silk – junior counsel wear gowns made of cotton. The only difference between a QC and SC is the name. Up to and including 1992, senior counsel in New South Wales were known as Queen's Counsel.

What type of barrister earns the most money UK?

Britain's richest barristers earn as much as £1.5m a year, according to a table of legal rankings to be published today. Tax specialists are at the top of the list, charging an estimated £900 an hour in fees for advising some of the best-known companies on their tax-avoidance strategies.

Is being a barrister worth it?

Being a barrister can be immensely satisfying in that it offers an opportunity to provide the specialist knowledge that can assist a client in obtaining their desired result, and therefore make a real difference to their lives. You are offering advice and representation to clients at a very stressful time.

What GCSEs do I need to be a barrister?

You'll usually need: 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including maths and English.

How much does a trainee barrister earn UK?

Hourly rates also vary from just £20 for a newly qualified barrister in criminal law to £900 per hour for a tax specialist. As an employed barrister, you can expect to earn from around £25,000 to in excess of £100,000.

How much does a Queen's Counsel earn UK?

For many barristers, the eventual aim is to become a Queen's Counsel (QC), which involves leading in very serious cases or entering the judiciary as an assistant recorder prior to becoming a judge. Top QCs can earn £1m per year.

Do you get paid during pupillage?

What do we Offer? The grant paid during the first year's pupillage will be £40,000.00 which will include £10,000 of guaranteed earnings in the second-six practising period of pupillage. Pupils will receive annual travel cards and appropriate travelling expenses outside London will be reimbursed.

Is a barrister higher than a solicitor?

Barristers can be distinguished from a solicitor because they wear a wig and gown in court. They work at higher levels of court than solicitors and their main role is to act as advocates in legal hearings, which means they stand in court and plead the case on behalf of their clients in front of a judge.

What is the best paid job in the UK?

According to Glassdoor salary data, the highest paying jobs in the UK are:
  • Chief Financial Officer.
  • Executive Director.
  • Chief Technology Officer.
  • Senior Leader.
  • Chief Operating Officer.
  • Chief Executive Officer.
  • Medical Manager.
  • Director.

What is the most paid job in the UK 2020?

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in UK
  • Aircraft Controllers. ...
  • Chief Executive and Senior Officials. ...
  • Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers. ...
  • Marketing and Sales Directors. ...
  • Legal Professionals. ...
  • Information Technology and Telecommunication Directors. ...
  • Brokers. ...
  • Financial Managers and Directors.

Can a 2.1 be a barrister?

Your career at the Bar

The process of becoming a barrister is not complex to understand. Almost anyone can get into Bar School, provided you have a 2:2 and can pass a straightforward entrance exam. The tough part of landing yourself a pupillage and then tenancy.

How hard is the Bar exam UK?

The Bar is competitive, but it is by no means impossible. Outside of London is probably infinitely easier than within. It's impossible to quantify how hard it is though, but just take it that loads and loads of really good people struggle intensely to get pupillage!

How many hours a day do barristers work?

How many hours will I work as a barrister? The average working week for barristers will depend on caseload and area of speciality. As a guide, you can expect the day to start around 8.30 am and finish at 7 pm, with later finishing hours for busier days.

How long does it take to become a barrister UK?

Becoming a fully-fledged barrister takes five years - including three years for your law degree, one year for a Bar course and a one-year pupillage in chambers.

Is it hard to become a barrister?

The path to becoming a barrister is very challenging and competitive. Aspiring barristers can come from any degree discipline and they will need to undertake additional training and study after they leave university.

Do barristers get a salary?

Remember these are very general numbers – there will be barristers both earning more and less. A typical barrister can be paid anywhere between £25,000 and £300,000 per year. However for a senior (over 10 years experience) barrister salaries up to £1,000,000 are not uncommon.

Can you be both a solicitor and a barrister?

Have you trained to become a solicitor and had a change of heart? Don't despair – solicitors can become barristers if this is the route you wish to take. Read on to find out how to do it.

What is a Silk barrister?

A Silk lawyer is the colloquial name given to a Queen's Counsel (QC), a senior barrister (in England) or advocate (in Scotland) who is selected by an independent panel committee due to their knowledge, experience and skill.

Do barrister readers get paid?

Significantly, there are solicitors and indeed some barristers who may take advantage of readers. In that respect, such solicitors and barristers may provide work to readers with the promise of payment for services rendered, yet when the work has been completed, the reader never receives payment.