A locum solicitor is a lawyer who works on a short term basis only – sometimes for a few hours, and other times for a few years – to cover for absent members of staff.
Commonly used in local authorities, where staff always seem to require more cover than in private practice (I would imagine this has something to do with the almost impossible working conditions at times, the state of the management in some local authorities, but also the fact that government employers do tend to be slightly better at covering for absent staff than private practice, where at times fee earners can come back to find their desks smothered in paperwork!). Similarly local authority HR departments appear to have got a little lazy in recent times, splashing out rather large sums on third party processors, who process the admin required, set the locum rates, cream off a cut and then control which recruiters are allowed to supply a particular local authority or group of local authorities.
Often a locum solicitor will be self employed, and contract directly with a firm for their services. They will charge a daily or weekly rate for their work. Locums can range from NQ level solicitors up to 45 years PQE +. It usually suits people looking for some flexibility – eg sportsmen and women, or semi-retired practitioners.
A locum will usually be expected to pick up a caseload and run with it, sorting out anything urgent for anything not requiring work on it, and very often they are left to their own devices to get on with it.
The main disadvantage with the set up is that you can find yourself without work for 4 months out of every 12, which is the rule of thumb that most locums work to.
Pay can be varied, ranging from anything around £120 per day for an NQ dealing at a junior level, up to £800 for someone very senior on the commercial side.
Umbrella companies started to become all the rage in recent times, but this has now died off a little bit as tax law changed and made it harder for them to operate. Umbrella companies handle all the administration and save you tax when working as a locum.
Interim Lawyers is our specialist legal locum service for Solicitors. You can visit the site, register as a locum, register locum assignments, view locum rates of pay and download our free guide on working effectively as a locum solicitor. www.interimlawyers.co.uk
List of FAQs (with links to the Interim Lawyer site)
Locum FAQs
- How do I write a CV for locum work?
- Am I considered self-employed or as an employee?
- Am I covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance if I work as a locum?
- What are the rates of pay for a Locum Solicitor or Lawyer?
- What are the Terms and Conditions of Employment for a Locum?
- How, when and what will I be paid for my locum services?
- Will I get any travelling allowance whilst working as a locum?
- Will working as a locum affect my chance of permanent employment in future?
- Can my locum contract be checked?
- What do I do if I have had change in circumstances or a change of contact details?
- How do I register for work as a locum solicitor with Interim Lawyers?
- Once I am registered how do I get booked to work as a Locum?
- Who do I contact if I become available for more Locum work?
- How do you communicate with your locums?
- Why work as a locum?
- How much do I as a locum have to pay you the agency?
- Who pays my tax and National Insurance?
- What do I do if I can’t fulfill an assignment?
- How many locum legal recruitment agencies should I register my CV with?
- I am a solicitor working for a law firm and looking to take on contracts elsewhere – is this possible?
- What Areas of Law are in Demand for Locums?
- What is the difference between a contractor and a locum?
- Should I use an umbrella company to get paid?
- What can I do to improve my chances of locum work?
- I have conditions on my practising certificate – can I still work as a locum?
- A Firm want me to attend an interview before starting an assignment. What should I do?
- Where are Locum Hotspots?
Employers FAQs
- How far ahead can I plan my locum cover for holidays?
- How can I be sure you will send a fully qualified Locum Solicitor?
- The Locum we used was not as good as expected, what can we do?
- How many locum agencies should I register an assignment with?
- What is the cost of having a locum?
- How are locum solicitors screened – what qualifications do they have?
- How quickly can you respond to emergency requests?
- We are a Company looking to use a Solicitor. Is having a locum solicitor a cheaper option than using a law firm?
- I am provisionally seeking locum cover for my firm, what do I need to do?
- I am a sole practitioner and need ongoing cover for annual leave or emergencies – can you help?
- What Areas of Law are in Demand for Locums?
- What is the difference between a contractor and a locum?
Author: Jonathan Fagan MIRP MAC Cert RP LLM Solicitor (non-practising) – Managing Director of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment (www.ten-percent.co.uk) – save time, skip the legal job boards and register with us! Jonathan Fagan is a specialist legal recruitment consultant, author of the Complete Guide to Writing a Legal CV and the Guide to Interviews for Lawyers. He has recruited for law firms across the UK and overseas in all shapes and sizes. If you have any questions that we have not covered above, please email us at cv@tenpercent.co.uk
