I think I'm in the wrong game...

[craig1]

The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm partner is £850 per hour.
The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm newly qualified solicitor is £350 per hour.
(Link to The Lawyer)

That said, the higher billing rates and take-home pay of these lawyers does have to compensate for them signing their souls away for eternity.

(Note: The article says "up to £850p/h" when the original work referred to says it's an average. I know some who charge up to £2000p/h. Sorry, can't link to the original)

[MarillionFan]

The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm partner is £850 per hour.
The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm newly qualified solicitor is £350 per hour.
(Link to The Lawyer)

That said, the higher billing rates and take-home pay of these lawyers does have to compensate for them signing their souls away for eternity.

(Note: The article says "up to £850p/h" when the original work referred to says it's an average. I know some who charge up to £2000p/h. Sorry, can't link to the original)

But being a lawyer requires you to be qualified, any old Tom, Dick or Bob can do IT.

[russell]

The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm partner is £850 per hour.
The average hourly billing rate of a top 5 law firm newly qualified solicitor is £350 per hour.
(Link to The Lawyer)

That said, the higher billing rates and take-home pay of these lawyers does have to compensate for them signing their souls away for eternity.

(Note: The article says "up to £850p/h" when the original work referred to says it's an average. I know some who charge up to £2000p/h. Sorry, can't link to the original)

Yeah but can you post on a forum all day and still get paid?

[craig1]

But being a lawyer requires you to be qualified, any old Tom, Dick or Bob can do IT.

There's a difference between "can do" and "can do well". The former's a commodity, the latter's where you earn the better money. I suppose it's the same with these lawyers, you don't get to be a partner at a top 5 law firm if you're a lazy party animal with a 3rd class honours from a modern university.

[Paddy]

There's a difference between "can do" and "can do well". The former's a commodity, the latter's where you earn the better money. I suppose it's the same with these lawyers, you don't get to be a parter at a top 5 law firm if you're a lazy party animal with a 3rd class honours from a modern university.

+1

Having spent much money on litigation I have concluded that there are very few good lawyers, most seem to be utterly incompetent. I find the average IT person has far more skill than the general high street solicitor. With the exception of a few, barristers seem to be specialists in lying via manipulation of words.

[CheeseSlice]

Are lawyers and solicitors always fully utilised?
Unless there is client paperwork to do or court appearances to be made, I can imagine quite a bit of sitting behind a desk throwing paper air planes waiting for the phone to ring.

[craig1]

Are lawyers and solicitors always fully utilised?
Unless there is client paperwork to do or court appearances to be made, I can imagine quite a bit of sitting behind a desk throwing paper air planes waiting for the phone to ring.

The bigger firms have aggressive billable hours targets. Don't meet them and you're on the slippery slope to oblivion at a lower tier law firm. Typically you're looking at 1800 billable hours a year as a minimum. Some have slightly higher. There was a notable situation in New York when Clifford Chance (a London based firm) set its NY lawyers a target of 2420 billable hours a year to qualify for bonuses or progression and still expected them to attend training and do pro bono work, that caused more fuss for it being leaked than it did for being a ridiculous target.

[d000hg]

+1

Having spent much money on litigation I have concluded that there are very few good lawyers, most seem to be utterly incompetent. I find the average IT person has far more skill than the general high street solicitor. With the exception of a few, barristers seem to be specialists in lying via manipulation of words.

The average high-street solicitor doesn't bill £800p/h. And "more skill" is hugely subjective.

[original PM]

all lawyers seem to do is look in books for similar cases to quote precedence...

I also now how to use the dewey decimal book cataloging system

and besides lawyers and solicitors are not interested in justice and law simply the money that can be made from them.

[Paddy]

The average high-street solicitor doesn't bill £800p/h. And "more skill" is hugely subjective.

Instead they will do an hour’s work and charge for three.