Law Weblog

How much do barristers earn?

Saturday 11 June 2005 at 10:05 am | In News | Post Comment

Many barristers earn less than plumbers and teachers.  Rates of pay for barristers doing legal aid work are £0 – £33.50 per hour before deductions.
It has been revealed that the hourly rate for junior barristers is £33.50 gross.
Out of this they have to deduct their costs, such as tax, insurance, chambers rent and books. Travel time to court is £15 an hour. Some work, such as advising defendants that they have no grounds for appeal, is not paid at all.

In a survey by the Criminal Bar Association in May 2005, one barrister calculated his pay in a three-day drugs case, including 60 hours’ preparation, at £26 an hour. Rates of pay include payment of £1,000 for a one-week rape trial.

It is estimated that it costs £40,000 in professional studies to become a barrister.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs says that the average yearly payment to criminal barristers was £62,000. Simple mathematics shows that those at the bottom end of the scale are therefore poorly paid. The Criminal Bar Association has 2,500 members and the top 9 per cent of barristers earn more than £100,000 leaving very little for those at the bottom.
The “average pay” of barristers is hardly relevant to a newly qualified advocate who is not paid enough to make a living.