Legal Secretary
Also advertised as: Conveyancing Secretary, Legal Administrator, Legal Assistant, Legal PA, Legal Secretary, Litigation Secretary
Provides administrative and secretarial support to solicitors, including document preparation.
What the job involves
Legal secretaries prepare correspondence and legal documents, manage diaries and files, and liaise with clients and courts on behalf of their solicitor. Accuracy and confidentiality are essential given the sensitivity of legal work. Many progress into paralegal or practice management roles after gaining experience of a particular area of law.
Typical responsibilities
- Prepare and format legal documents and correspondence
- Manage solicitors' diaries and case files
- Liaise with clients, courts and other parties
- Process billing and file opening procedures
- Maintain confidential records accurately
Common employers
- Law firms
- In-house legal departments
- Local authorities
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£19,000 – £23,000 a year
With experience
£25,000 – £32,000 a year
Typical hours
35 to 37.5 hours
Working environment
Office based
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Typing and document formatting
- Legal terminology
- Organisation
- Confidentiality
- Communication
Transferable skills you may already have
- Administrative support
- Diary management
- Client-facing communication
Requirements employers ask for
- Typing and document formatting
- Legal terminology
- Organisation
- Confidentiality
- Communication
Useful but not essential
- Administrative support
- Diary management
- Client-facing communication
- CILEx legal secretaries qualification
- Touch-typing or audio-typing skills
Helpful qualifications
- CILEx legal secretaries qualification
- Touch-typing or audio-typing skills
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Legal Secretary apprenticeship (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business administration
Where this career can lead
next
Paralegal
next
Practice Manager
next
CILEx Lawyer
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Accessible entry route into the legal sector
- Transferable across most areas of law
- Structured, predictable working day
What people find hard
- Work can be repetitive and deadline driven
- Pay progression is limited without further qualifications
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a legal secretary?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a legal secretary earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £19,000 to £23,000 a year, rising towards £32,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Administrative support, Diary management, Client-facing communication.
Related careers
Compliance Officer
Checks that an organisation follows the rules that apply to it, and fixes gaps.
Paralegal
Does legal research, drafting and case preparation to support solicitors.
Solicitor
Advises clients and represents them in legal matters such as property, family or business disputes.
Barrister's Clerk
Manages barristers' diaries, fees and case allocation within a set of chambers.
Licensed Conveyancing Assistant
Supports licensed conveyancers and solicitors with the legal work of buying and selling property.
Court Usher
Supports the smooth running of court hearings, guiding witnesses, jurors and the public.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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