The August 2026 edition of Legal Recruitment News is now available, with the latest information for solicitors, legal staff, law firms and in-house legal departments.
Permanent legal recruitment remains quiet. Solicitors are still cautious about changing jobs unless a move provides a clear improvement in salary, professional development, flexibility or working conditions. Candidate registrations with the Ten Percent Group were considerably lower than during the same period last year, despite law firms continuing to register new vacancies.
The locum market has also been steadier than would normally be expected during the summer. Conveyancing remains one of the areas with the strongest demand, although hourly rates have started to ease. The lowest conveyancing rates currently being seen are around £40 per hour.
This month’s salary guide includes indicative figures for solicitors of approximately three years PQE and above. Current ranges include:
- Commercial property: £55,000 to £100,000
- Conveyancing: £45,000 to £75,000
- Property litigation: £50,000 to £70,000
- Wills and probate: £45,000 to £65,000
- General commercial in-house work: £80,000 to £120,000
The newsletter also considers how law firms can use AI to prepare job adverts without producing generic or inaccurate content. It looks at the risks of approaching a local competitor about a sale or merger and asks whether proposed regulatory changes will place further pressure on smaller law firms.
Read the full Legal Recruitment News for August 2026.
The newsletter is free and published by Ten Percent Legal Recruitment for lawyers, law firms and other legal employers throughout the UK.
