Legal Secretary

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £45,000

Typical Hours

36 to 38 a week

9am to 5pm

How To Become a Legal Secretary

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
specialist courses run by a professional body

College / University

You could take a course in audio transcription, legal word processing, or a qualification like a Level 3 Diploma for Legal Secretaries.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through an intermediate and advanced apprenticeship in legal services or as a paralegal.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as an admin assistant with a legal business or organisation and then apply for a trainee position. For most trainee legal secretary jobs you'll need excellent word processing skills of around 45 to 50 words a minute.

Other Routes

You could complete qualifications offered by The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Both have information about part-time and online distance learning courses.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

administration skills
excellent verbal communication skills
excellent written communication skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
knowledge of English language
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
the ability to use your initiative
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could be:

producing legal documents like wills and contracts
preparing court forms and statements
handling confidential information
working from solicitors' written notes and audio files (dictation)
dealing with clients
making appointments and managing diaries
accompanying solicitors to court or police stations
delivering and collecting documents
keeping records, filing and general administrative work

Working Environment

You could work in an office, in a court or at a police station.

Career Path & Progression

With experience you could become a senior secretary, PA or office manager in larger firms.

With further qualifications, you could become a legal executive, paralegal or licensed conveyancer.

You could also work towards training as a solicitor or barrister.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more advice about legal secretary careers from The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.