Region’s lawyers falling behind northern rivals on pay

Midlands lawyers are falling behind their northern rivals in the pay race after suffering from a decade-long pay stagnation.

Analysis by legal recruitment firm BCL Legal has shown that while the Midlands was traditionally the strongest area for lawyers’ earnings outside of London, the region has fallen behind the North West and Yorkshire.

Its data shows there has not been any notable rise in lawyer salaries in the area since before the global recession in 2008.

It highlighted that lawyers who have been practising for six years since qualifying are earning on average £5,000 less than they were a decade ago. Lawyers who are two and three years past qualifying are on the same rates as their 2007 equivalent, it said.

However there are some ranks doing well. Junior partners are enjoying a £20,000 wage increase since 2007 while newly-qualified solicitors are earning £4,000 more on average than a decade ago.

The firm studied the rates paid to solicitors across the UK since 2007 based on its own internal data.

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