Our specialist Legal Recruitment Consultants act for departments in both private practice law firms and public sector organisations including local authorities, registered charities and not for profit organisations. There is a demand for solicitors and in house lawyers who are available to work at short notice and who have the necessary skills and technical experience. These solicitor jobs usually become available as a department needs to recruit a solicitor to cover a period of absence, often maternity or sickness; if a department or organisation has a head count freeze for permanent recruitment or if they need someone for a period of time to cover a busy period or general crisis management.
Working in a temporary job can satisfy many lawyers' desire for flexibility. Temporary employment and can even provide an entry into a different type of work as you are often asked to get involved in different disciplines and areas of the law. You will also often gain new skills and if working in-house, a real insight into advising a business from within. The image of a Locum lawyer has definitely changed for the better and there are increasingly more people turning to careers as temporary lawyers.
There are many issues to consider when thinking of becoming a temporary or contract worker. There is no guarantee that you will sustain regular/full time employment so there are usually financial considerations. Below is a summary of some important points to note.
1. Notice Period
If you are working on a non fixed term basis no notice period is required to terminate temporary employment by either party.
If you are working on a fixed term basis, you will normally have it written into your contract that both parties are required to give notice to terminate the working arrangement.
2. Pay, Tax and National Insurance
If you are working on a non fixed term basis also known as a 'rolling' contract, you will usually be paid an hourly or daily rate of pay and will be paid through the BCL Legal payroll.
BCL Legal will deduct PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax and National Insurance (NI) from your salary automatically.
If you wish to work through a limited company, we recommend that you seek independent, professional advice regarding the set up and operation of such a company. This is particularly important in the light of the Government's anti-tax avoidance legislation, IR35. For further information on IR35, visit the Inland Revenue website.
If you are recruited on a fixed term contract you may be paid on a pro rata basis and placed on the payroll of the business you are working in. Generally, for termination of contract both parties require a notice period.
3. Holiday Entitlement
The European Working Time Directive stipulates that all employees should receive a minimum of four weeks paid annual leave. BCL Legal pays holiday pay, along with standard hourly pay to every PAYE temporary worker.
4. Visa Requirements
To be considered for temporary and contract roles, you must be eligible to work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of this to a BCL Legal Consultant. This will often be in the form of a passport. If you are not a British, EC or EEA national, your application will be rejected unless you have secured, or are eligible for, a UK visa.
5. Practising Certificate
Unless you are about to be employed for a fixed term contract in excess of 6 months, you will be required to pay and obtain your own practising certificate from the Law Society and forward a copy to BCL Legal.
Please submit your CV or visit a selection of our temporary and contract job listings. You can search all our vacancies or contact our specialist Consultants from the Temporary and Contract team.
Mark Levine, Legal Recruitment Director
The North West including Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria
Direct Line: 0845 241 0934 marklevine@bcllegal.com
Mary Nowell, Legal Recruitment Consultant
The North West, Yorkshire and North East
Direct Line: 0161 209 3316 marynowell@bcllegal.com
Elizabeth Lawson, Legal Recruitment Consultant
The Yorkshire and North East
Direct Line: 0845 241 2185 lizlawson@bcllegal.com
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