Hiring guide: private client
Hiring a private client solicitor in 2026: salaries, costs and what to look for
By Ben Holtom, founder of Sourcefully. Updated .
The short answer
Private client solicitors in regional high street firms typically earn £34,000 to £45,000 at NQ and £48,000 to £68,000 at 4 to 6 PQE, with senior associates on £60,000 to £85,000. Mid-size firms pay more, at around £37,000 to £61,000 at NQ outside London and £55,000 to £79,000 in London. Probate and estates paralegals earn £25,000 to £33,000 or more. A 20% agency fee on a £48,000 private client solicitor is £9,600; a Sourcefully flat fee is £5,000 plus VAT.
Private client work rewards continuity. Clients stay with a firm for decades, often across generations, and the relationship with their solicitor is a large part of why. A short tenure costs more here than in most practice areas, because you lose client goodwill as well as the recruitment fee.
The figures below cover England and Wales, with a regional view of mid-size firm pay and a separate ladder for high street firms.
Salaries in 2026
Private client solicitors by region, mid-size firms
| Region | NQ (0 to 1 PQE) | 4 to 5 PQE | 8 to 15 PQE |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £55,000 to £79,000 | £73,000 to £107,000 | £96,000 to £161,000 |
| South East | £42,000 to £61,000 | £56,000 to £82,000 | £74,000 to £124,000 |
| South West | £41,000 to £60,000 | £55,000 to £81,000 | £72,000 to £122,000 |
| East of England | £38,000 to £56,000 | £51,000 to £75,000 | £67,000 to £113,000 |
| East Midlands | £38,000 to £56,000 | £51,000 to £75,000 | £67,000 to £113,000 |
| West Midlands | £40,000 to £58,000 | £53,000 to £78,000 | £70,000 to £118,000 |
| North West | £41,000 to £59,000 | £54,000 to £80,000 | £72,000 to £120,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £41,000 to £59,000 | £54,000 to £80,000 | £72,000 to £120,000 |
| North East | £37,000 to £54,000 | £49,000 to £72,000 | £65,000 to £109,000 |
| Wales | £37,000 to £54,000 | £49,000 to £72,000 | £65,000 to £109,000 |
Private client solicitors, regional high street firms
| Level | Typical range 2026 |
|---|---|
| NQ | £34,000 to £45,000 |
| 1 to 3 PQE | £40,000 to £55,000 |
| 4 to 6 PQE | £48,000 to £68,000 |
| Senior associate | £60,000 to £85,000 |
| Junior or salaried partner | £75,000 to £110,000+ |
Court of Protection, regional firms
| Level | Typical range 2026 |
|---|---|
| NQ to 1 PQE | £42,000 to £58,000 |
| 1 to 3 PQE | £48,000 to £70,000 |
| 4 to 6 PQE | £58,000 to £80,000 |
| Senior associate | £70,000 to £90,000+ |
Private client support, regional firms
| Role | Typical range 2026 |
|---|---|
| Private client paralegal or probate assistant | £25,000 to £33,000+ |
| Private client legal secretary | £27,000 to £30,500 |
The regional table is from LawBoard salary benchmarking 2026, which models mid-size firms. Many high street private client teams pay below it, which is why the high street ladder is shown separately. Court of Protection and support bands are typical ranges for regional firms outside London.
What moves pay: the mix of work (trusts and tax planning pay more than wills and LPAs), Court of Protection deputyship experience, STEP membership, and whether the person brings or builds their own client relationships.
What it costs to hire
Compared with a typical agency fee of 20% of first-year salary, Sourcefully's flat fees are set by salary band and paid when your hire starts. For roles from £45,000, £500 is due when the search starts and deducted from the fee. Fees are plus VAT.
| Role | Salary | Agency at 20% | Sourcefully flat fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probate paralegal | £29,000 | £5,800 | £3,000 |
| Private client solicitor, 1 to 3 PQE | £48,000 | £9,600 | £5,000 |
| Private client senior associate | £72,000 | £14,400 | £7,500 |
Hiring several roles a year? The Embedded Talent Partner retainer is £2,750 a month plus £1,000 per start. It covers up to three live roles at a time, with adverts under your own brand. Use the Recruitment Cost Audit to see which option works out cheaper for your volume.
What the private client market is like
Demand is steady and long term. Wills, lasting powers of attorney, probate, trusts and deputyship work all grow with an ageing client base, and many firms see private client as the department that keeps clients for life.
The pressure point is experience at 3 to 8 PQE. Many private client lawyers are settled, well looked after and not looking, and Court of Protection specialists are scarcer still. Expect to approach people directly rather than wait for applications.
What to look for when you screen
- The real mix of their caseload: wills and LPAs, probate and estate administration, trusts, tax planning and Court of Protection.
- Inheritance tax experience, including completing IHT400 returns on taxable estates.
- Deputyship work and how they manage vulnerable clients and capacity concerns.
- How they bill: fixed-fee probate packages, hourly rates, or a mix.
- STEP membership or progress towards the STEP diploma.
- Their manner with elderly and bereaved clients. Ask for an example of a difficult family conversation.
How to make your role stand out
- Describe the real work mix rather than listing every service the department offers.
- Be clear on supervision and support, especially at 1 to 4 PQE.
- Show a route to senior associate or partnership. Private client lawyers plan long careers.
- State flexible working terms. Settled candidates rarely move for salary alone.
More hiring guides
- Residential conveyancing
- Corporate and commercial
- Family
- Employment
- Secretaries, assistants and paralegals
- Fee-earning paralegals
See also the law firm salary guide 2026, how much legal recruitment costs and all hiring guides.
Free PDF
Get every regional salary table in one PDF
Solicitor pay for five practice areas across all ten regions, plus legal support roles and what each costs to recruit. Four pages, ready to print for your next salary review or hiring meeting.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private client solicitor earn in 2026?
In regional high street firms, typically £34,000 to £45,000 at NQ, £40,000 to £55,000 at 1 to 3 PQE, £48,000 to £68,000 at 4 to 6 PQE and £60,000 to £85,000 as a senior associate. Mid-size firms pay more: around £37,000 to £61,000 at NQ outside London and £55,000 to £79,000 in London.
Do Court of Protection solicitors earn more?
Usually, yes. In regional firms, Court of Protection specialists earn around £42,000 to £58,000 at NQ to 1 PQE and £58,000 to £80,000 at 4 to 6 PQE, because deputyship experience is scarcer than general private client experience.
How much does it cost to recruit a private client solicitor?
A typical agency fee of 20% on a £48,000 private client solicitor is £9,600. Sourcefully charges a flat £5,000 plus VAT at that salary: £500 when the search starts, deducted from the fee, and the rest when your hire starts.
Should we insist on STEP membership?
Not usually. STEP membership is a strong signal of commitment to the specialism, especially for trusts and tax work, but plenty of excellent wills and probate lawyers do not hold it. Make it a preference rather than a requirement unless the role is heavily trust-based.
About the author
Ben Holtom, founder of Sourcefully
Ben has 15 years in recruitment, including internal recruitment at Reed and The Edwin Group. He founded RecQuest, a South Coast legal recruitment business, in 2025 and partnered with 45 law firms, making nearly a placement a week. He now runs Sourcefully, offering law firms embedded recruitment and fixed-fee hiring.