What’s the Difference Between a Paralegal and a Solicitor?

A career in the legal industry can be incredibly rewarding. However, the optimal role or area within the landscape of the legal profession might take some time to find. If you’re trying to decide between pursuing a career as a paralegal or as a solicitor, you may be wondering what’s the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor. You also need to consider many factors—the “right” choice will depend on your unique skills, career and personal goals, and situation. 

To help inform your decision-making process, the following guide will outline some similarities and differences between a career as a paralegal and a solicitor. Read on to learn more about the different duties, education requirements, and potential salary expectations between the two roles.

Difference between a solicitor and a paralegal

To better understand the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor, let’s start by clarifying what a paralegal can do. Paralegals may complete many of the same legal tasks that a lawyer does (except those proscribed by law). But paralegals can only do so on behalf of and under the supervision of a solicitor. 

So, while they’re both legal professionals who complete substantive legal work, there are a few broad—but important—areas of difference between solicitors and paralegals:

• The ability to practice law. Put simply—lawyers can practice law. Conversely, there are far fewer formal requirements (we’ll touch on this more later in this post).
• Tasks and responsibilities. While most legal careers come with a certain amount of stress, solicitors shoulder a greater degree of responsibility for legal work. This is because a supervising solicitor is ultimately responsible for their paralegal’s work. 
• Qualification. Solicitors must meet a specific set of educational, training, and licensing requirements to practice law. Conversely, to work as a paralegal, there are far fewer formal requirements (we’ll touch on this more later in this post).
• Salary and compensation. While becoming a solicitor requires more education, there is a higher potential return on investment. As we will discuss later, the earning potential of solicitors is generally much higher than that of paralegals.

Can paralegals become a solicitor?

With the proper education and training, a paralegal can absolutely become a solicitor. 

Paralegals gain the legal knowledge and experience to know if pursuing a career as a solicitor is a good match for their skills and personality. Also, paralegals’ understanding of the law and experience may make it easier to get through their legal education. However, even experienced paralegals will need to complete the same educational and licensing requirements as all other attorneys in order to practice law.

What’s the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor in terms of job responsibilities? 

It’s important to stress that the roles of both paralegals and solicitors vary greatly depending on factors like practice area, level of experience, and type of law firm. However, we can compare the general job duties and responsibilities of lawyers and paralegals.

It can sometimes be confusing to differentiate between the job responsibilities of paralegals and solicitors because paralegals take on legal tasks on behalf of a supervising lawyer. Also, a paralegal’s job responsibilities are quite similar to those of a lawyer (this is the key benefit of hiring a paralegal). 

For example, paralegals often take on the following tasks on behalf of their supervising solicitor:

• Managing client communication and updating clients on their case status.
• Reviewing and organising client files.
• Conducting factual and legal research.
• Preparing legal documents and preparing documents for transactions.
• Case preparation.
• Document management and drafting legal documents.
• Interviewing clients and witnesses.
• Assisting their supervising solicitors at trials (for example, by gathering case information).

However, while solicitors may do any of the above tasks, they have additional job responsibilities that paralegals are not allowed to take on, including:

• Giving clients legal advice.
• Accepting or rejecting client cases.
• Representing clients in court.
• Setting their fees.

Additionally, solicitors are bound by many ethical responsibilities that come with being a lawyer—including when it comes to working with paralegals. 

Ethical rules for solicitors working with paralegals

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Code of Conduct sets out rules for solicitors that include responsibilities related to nonlawyer staff. Specifically, solicitors must ensure that their staff act in a manner consistent with the professional standards expected of solicitors. This includes providing adequate supervision and training to nonlawyer employees.

What’s the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor in terms of salary?

One key advantage that solicitors have over paralegals is earning potential. 

Factors like practice area, firm size, experience, and geographical location impact the salary ranges of solicitors and paralegals. But on the whole, lawyers garner significantly higher incomes than paralegals. Bearing these factors in mind, we can use national averages as a general comparison.

Paralegals in the UK typically earn lower salaries compared to solicitors, especially at entry-level positions. Junior paralegals earn between £14,000 to £25,000, while experienced paralegals can make over £40,000. In London, paralegal salaries are higher, ranging from £26,000 to £42,000. In contrast, qualified solicitors start at £22,000, with potential earnings reaching six figures. Despite some paralegals earning substantial salaries, lawyers generally earn significantly more, though becoming a lawyer involves more extensive and costly training.

What are the job prospects for a paralegal vs. a solicitor? 

Wondering what the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor is in terms of job prospects? The paralegal profession is one of the fastest-growing sectors in UK legal services, with nearly 250,000 paralegals currently employed.

Becoming a solicitor requires extensive education and training, typically taking 6 years to complete a law degree, skills training, and practical experience and the legal job market is very competitive.

What’s the difference between education and training required for a paralegal vs. a lawyer?

There is a significant difference when it comes to education and training requirements for paralegals and lawyers.

In the UK, paralegals and lawyers have distinct education and training requirements reflecting their different roles. Paralegals do not need a law degree and can enter the profession with vocational qualifications like diplomas or certificates in legal practice. Practical experience is highly valued, and paralegals can specialise in specific areas of law to enhance career prospects. Typically, it takes 2-3 years to become a paralegal.

In contrast, lawyers must complete a law degree (LLB), followed by the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), and then undertake a two-year training contract. This process, including licensing, usually takes around 6-7 years. The extensive training for lawyers reflects their greater responsibilities and authority within the legal system. Lawyers must also take an oath and be granted a license from the appropriate regulatory body, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

We recommend researching your jurisdiction’s rules before beginning a journey to become a lawyer.

After becoming a licensed lawyer

In the UK, solicitors must engage in continuing education to maintain their competence, governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) under the continuing competence framework. This involves regular reflective practice to identify learning needs, planning and undertaking relevant learning activities, and making an annual declaration to the SRA confirming they have maintained their competence. Unlike previous schemes, there is no minimum hours requirement; solicitors have the flexibility to choose appropriate learning activities. They are also encouraged to keep records of their development activities and focus on key areas outlined by the SRA, such as ethics, professionalism, technical legal practice, and effective communication.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a paralegal vs. a solicitor?

Ultimately, the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a career as a paralegal or a solicitor will depend largely on your personal goals, passions, and background. However, there are a few general pros and cons of each career path.

Pros of being a paralegal

• You need less formal education and training. This means that it costs less (in time and tuition costs) to become a paralegal than it does to become a solicitor.
• You have ample job opportunities. With the employment outlook on the rise for paralegals, there will be more and more jobs available for trained paralegals in the years to come.
• You can find interesting, challenging work. As a paralegal, your day-to-day tasks can be varied to meet the needs of supervising solicitors and the firm. If you focus in one area of law or in a unique area (for example, in legal research), you can create a more specialised career as well.
• You may have less responsibility. While paralegals are a key part of a legal team, the responsibility for a matter’s outcome ultimately falls more to the supervising solicitor. This may lead to lower work stress levels and better work-life balance when compared to solicitors.

Cons of being a paralegal

• You have less income potential. As previously discussed, the average paralegal salary is significantly lower than a solicitor’s. 
• You have less control over your work. Because paralegals work on behalf of a supervising solicitor, they have less autonomy over their professional decision-making and workload (which can sometimes lead to paralegal burnout).
• You can’t practice law. If you want a career in the legal industry because you want to practice law and argue in court on behalf of clients, you can’t do this as a paralegal.

Pros of being a solicitor

• You have greater income potential. The average salary of a solicitor is higher than that of a paralegal, which makes becoming a lawyer your best bet if you’re looking to maximise your earning potential as a legal professional.
• You gain more prestige. Being a solicitor carries a lot of responsibility, but it is also a high-prestige, high-respect career path.
• You’re able to practice law. From arguing cases in court to giving legal advice, you are only allowed to practice law if you’re a licensed solicitor.

Cons of being a solicitor

• You need more education and training. In addition to taking more years, more formal education could mean more student debt—which may offset the higher earning potential for lawyers early in their careers. 
• You will take on more responsibility—and potentially more stress. Whether it’s due to challenging clients, long hours, keeping up with ongoing lawyer training requirements, or dealing with law school debt, being a lawyer can be incredibly stressful and can lead to lawyer burnout. 

Paralegals and solicitors are great career options

If you’re considering a career in the legal industry, it’s important to research the different options that are available to you, so that you can find the best fit for you. Of course, you’ll need to understand “what’s the difference between a paralegal and a solicitor” as well.

While there are many similar tasks completed by paralegals and solicitors, there are also many big differences between the two career paths. You may become a paralegal faster and require less education, but you may not be able to earn as much as a lawyer—and you cannot practice law. Alternatively, lawyers can practice law and are compensated well financially for their work. But it takes more years of expensive and challenging legal education to become a lawyer, and the work can be more stressful once you are one.

Whether you decide to become a paralegal or a solicitor, a legal career is a rewarding way to work with clients, use your skills, and earn a living.

We published this blog post in August 2024. Last updated: August 13, 2024.

Categorized in: Business