The North Westís based legal recruitment consultancy, Clayton Legal, have just announced the results of their first North West Legal Salary Survey. The North West legal market has a diversity that stems from the many local, cultural and professional variations within the region. Although there have been regional salary surveys before, what has never previously been attempted is a breakdown of all the individual scales of remuneration as they are reflected within the region.
One aim of the survey was to focus on the differences in remuneration, benefits and incentives, as well as the individual trends that are peculiar to the different parts of the region. Another was to try, where possible, to show how the business trends in the different disciplines of law have affected the recruitment and remuneration of people.
The survey was carried out over the 6-week period prior to 31st December 2004.
The survey showed very distinct variations in both traditional remuneration, benefits and incentives packages throughout the region. Merseyside proving to be the most unique.
Firms in the north of the region gave the lowest overall remuneration, with packages increasing the more southerly the geographical location.
There were also expected variations, which were surprisingly significant between city centre firms and other firms practicing in the same field of law. These variations seem only to apply more to lower PQE lawyers rather than more experienced staff within firms.
Manchester remains the dominant centre within the North West, with salary levels still significantly outweighing those of other major cities. In Liverpool, despite continuous image strengthening, and an overall feeling that the city is a commercial centre on a par with Manchester, salaries at all levels and in all disciplines remain somewhat lower.
At most levels Chester and Cheshire salaries fall just behind Manchester City and are ahead of Liverpool. The main reason for this is believed to be the shortage of quality legal staff in the area and the need to provide additional incentives for people to commute.
Most firms suggested that on the whole there were no different bands of remuneration based on PQE in disciplines other than Commercial, PI and Criminal work.
The demand for Property and Private Client fee earners continues to grow across all parts of the region and regardless of the size of the practice. This growth is expected to continue at an increased rate over the coming year.
In PI firms the introduction of fixed costs has triggered a slow down in overall demand for staff. This trend is expected to change, with firms focussing on the recruitment of paralegals and legal executives rather than Qualified Solicitors.
There is a strong feeling towards the future amalgamation of firms specialising in Crime, with mid tier firms taking larger slices of this market. It is expected that in the longer term this trend will eventually result in firms operating in a similar way to those involved in PI work but not due to the introduction of fixed rates but a lack in the increase of Legal Aid rates.
Finally, the survey showed increasing demand for experienced Practice Managers having a background in management, HR and Finance. This trend is expected to continue, particularly in medium sized and smaller practices that are slowly realising the benefit of a professional manager to oversee key aspects of practice support.
Lynn Sedgwick, Operations Director of Clayton Legal and the main driver behind the Legal Salary survey commented that ìThe survey has shown really strong indications on how all types of firms throughout the whole of the North West region are feeling in the current climate; some of which we expected and already had signs of in the last few months, but others significantly surprising us.î
North west legal salary shows north south divide
Clayton Legal have just announced the results of their first North West Legal Salary Survey
