Paralegal

Typical Salary

£14,000 To £40,000

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings occasionally

How To Become a Paralegal

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

You could study for a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in law, legal studies or paralegal practice.

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

You could take a college course before you look for work. Courses include:

Level 2 Diploma in Legal Studies
CILEx Level 3 Certificate in Law and Practice
Level 3 Legal Secretaries Diploma

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

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

Apprenticeship

You could take a paralegal advanced 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 may be able to find work with a legal practice as an admin assistant and do training on the job to qualify. This could be done through the Institute of Paralegals or the National Association of Licenced Paralegals

You'll be expected to have GCSEs or A levels and a good standard of English.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of English language
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

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could be:

researching and preparing legal documents
handling confidential information
interviewing clients and witnesses
giving clients legal information
going to court
handling a caseload of clients
following instructions
general office tasks

Working Environment

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

Career Path & Progression

With further study, you could qualify as a legal executive or solicitor.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

You'll find it useful to have some understanding of how the legal system works.

Further information

You can find out more about paralegal careers from the Institute of Paralegals and the National Association of Licenced Paralegals.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.