Expert guidance for legal careers
2026 REGIONAL MARKET FOR NEWLY QUALIFIED SOLICITORS
2026 NQ Recruitment Guide
Are you qualifying as a solicitor in 2026? If so, this is a helpful guide that will provide you with an insight into the current legal market and helpful tips if you are qualifying as a solicitor. This guide will offer advice on how to run a successful search process and will provide information to help set you on the right path for a successful, long-term career in the legal profession.
2025 was a challenging year with very few high-quality opportunities at NQ level. Based on available data, many mid-tier / regional UK firms are retaining a high proportion of their trainees as NQs (reported rates are in the 75–92% range). This suggests that for those firms, NQ retention remains strong in 2025, at least among the firms that choose to publicise their numbers.
We have seen opportunities within a range of sectors, however not all have been hiring, with Corporate and Banking and Finance hardest hit. Regional NQ lawyers in these practice areas have had the hardest job in finding a position.
In 2025, the number of practising solicitors in the UK continued to grow. According to the SRA, there were 212,481 solicitors on the roll (England & Wales) at the end of October 2025. Of those, 176,972 held practising certificates (i.e. practising solicitors) as of October 2025.
Key Trends for 2025
Work-Life Balance & Wellbeing Becoming More Important
Despite high pay, some young lawyers are opting out of positions with extreme hours, citing stress and poor long-term sustainability. This may influence the kinds of roles NQs choose; not just chasing the highest salary, but prioritising firms with more flexible or humane working practices.
Increased Use of Technology & AI
AI and legal tech are becoming more embedded in law firms’ operations. The Law Society highlights increasing adoption of AI for document drafting and contract analysis.
This may change the nature of junior work: more routine tasks could be automated, meaning NQs may need to focus on higher-value, judgment-based work.
Shift to Fixed-Fee Models
There’s a trend toward fixed-fee billing rather than purely hourly billing. For NQs, this could mean less timekeeping pressure (or different kinds of pressure) and potentially a need for different business development or efficiency skills.
Growth in In-House Legal Demand
According to some legal employment outlooks, in-house legal teams are growing, especially in compliance, ESG, data protection, IP, and regulatory risk. CELE SQE. This is a big opportunity for NQs: moving in-house might offer more predictable hours, more business-focused work, and possibly a different career trajectory than private practice.
Competition & Entry Risk for SQE-Qualified Solicitors
There’s some tension around SQE-qualified candidates (especially those without a traditional training contract). According to discussion in legal communities, some firms still prefer TC-trained applicants.
For NQs who came through SQE + QWE (rather than a TC), it may be more challenging to land top-tier NQ roles, depending on firm perceptions.
There is still some uncertainty around how firms view NQ hires from SQE + QWE (versus traditional training contracts). Some recruiting discussions suggest preference remains for TC-trained candidates.
Geographic Shift — Strong Growth Outside London (“North-shoring”)
Our experience is demonstrating that there is a trend of recruitment growth regionally, with more candidates choosing to leave London and seek opportunities across the UK. Our largest area of growth is in the North (e.g., Manchester, Leeds).
Vacancysoft’s “Year in Review” shows regional legal vacancies are rising faster than in London.
Implication for NQs: regional firms or offices could offer more NQ opportunities, possibly with lower cost of living, and potentially less competition than “City-only” roles.
Sectoral Demand Imbalances
There appears to be a sector imbalance within the profession. Certain specialisms like Private Client (particularly trusts and cross-border tax) are seeing strong demand for NQs and less demand in Corporate or Banking. Some practice areas may thus offer more NQ opportunities than others.
Late decision making
Another challenge 2025 NQs have faced this year is late decision making. Many law firms have kept trainees second guessing about opportunities to stay on. Sometimes up to 4 weeks before qualification, and on a few occasions, the week before qualification. For an NQ trying to take control of their qualification and remain at their training firm, this has been challenging.
Key Salary Trends for 2025
Rising Salaries / “Talent War” Intensifies
There continues to be an aggressive pay-race for NQs, especially within the top-tier regional firms. Some regional NQ salaries have moved to the mid to late £70,000s.
Mid-tier firms are also pushing up pay to retain and attract talent. However not every law firm is doing this – some firms are freezing NQ pay to manage “salary compression” (i.e., to prevent NQ pay getting too close to more senior pay).
Some analysts are questioning how sustainable the rapid increases in NQ pay could work in the long term. With a downturn in work, firms may eventually pull back, or restructure how they reward junior talent (e.g., more bonus-based, or salary differentiated by performance).
Interesting Article on Legal cheek
https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/08/is-soaring-nq-pay-impacting-trainee-retention-rates/
Law firm Performance 2025
Strong Profitability & Fee Growth
According to PwC’s 2024 survey, many of the top UK law firms saw substantial fee income growth, and 84% reported profit increases. In the UK, median profit per equity partner (PEP) rose dramatically in 2025 For smaller/mid-size firms, the Law Society’s Financial Benchmarking Survey also found that 71% of firms reported year-on-year fee growth in 2024.
According to NatWest, 84% of UK law firms remain optimistic about the future in 2025. NatWest Group. However, firms are aware of cost pressures (e.g., people costs) and are focused on managing them more effective.
2026 Strategic Advice
Strategic Advice for NQs to maximise potential opportunities.
- Be open to regional roles: Don’t just focus on London — the North / other regions are likely to offer strong NQ hiring opportunities.
- Target growth practice areas: Consider specialisms like private client, planning, ESG/regulatory, or disputes rather than just “classic” corporate.
- Build tech / legal-tech skills: Learn how to work with AI tools, document automation, or data analytics — this could make you more attractive to firms.
- Network in-house: Since in-house demand is growing, start building relationships with company legal teams now.
- Be realistic about your path: If you’re SQE-qualified, understand which firms are open to SQE NQs vs. those which still prioritise TC-trained solicitors.
- Think long-term: Use your NQ role as a stepping stone — don’t assume you’ll stay in the same place forever.
NQ Route
There continues to be a widening of pathways for NQs to take. Alongside the traditional route of qualification into law firms, we have seen an increasing number of lawyers taking positions, on qualification, in-house. We have also seen an increasing number of lawyers deciding to work offshore (starting in Jersey and Guernsey).
We always advise when choosing a law firm to start your career at to take time and make a fully considered decision. When weighing up the available options, we always challenge our candidates to consider where they hope to be in 3-5 years’ time and to try and shape their future career based on those early decisions.
Solicitors want to understand what a law firm is like, its values, its flexible work policy, support network, social side and its attitude to mental health and wellbeing. Training and development, quality of work and quality of clients have always been important but solicitors now want to really see what life will be like before they decide to accept a job.
It is important to take all the factors into account before making any decisions and, with a sometimes £10,000/annum difference in salary between opportunities, it’s incredibly important to take all into account, good and bad.
Questions to ask yourself.
1, What is my preferred area of law?
2, What type of law firm do I want to be at?
3, What are my long-term career aspirations?
4, Do I have any geographical boundaries?
5, Should I consider in-house?
6, What is my back up option?
7, What is my personal timeline?
As mentioned earlier, some law firms have discussed retaining NQs very late in their training contact. This causes doubt and stress and has forced many NQs into an external search when they hadn’t wanted to. We recommend you can talk to your firm as soon as you feel comfortable to do so and try to get some indication on the chance of being retained and the opportunities on the table.
We have always said if you are able to secure a position in the spring it will provide you an opportunity to influence your final seat and will be beneficial to your new position (whether at your current firm or a new employer).
If you have been successful in securing a double seat in your chosen practice area, this should give you a clear advantage during the process of getting your first position. Alongside a greater level of experience, you should benefit from greater technical knowledge and confidence when you start.
If your training firm does offer you a role on qualification, and you are comfortable that it is the best place for you to develop in your chosen practice area, there is a real value in this in a contracted market.
As mentioned, benchmark any offer you receive against the questions above. The early years of your career are vital in shaping your future.
International & Offshore NQ market
For NQs with aspirations to work offshore, Jersey and Guernsey remain by some distance, the leading jurisdictions. Home to offices of every major offshore law firm, roles typically come up in Corporate, Funds, or Banking & Finance, as well as occasionally in Trusts & Private Wealth or Commercial Litigation. The leading firms promise City-calibre work with a better work-life balance, more responsibility, and plenty of client contact. If island life appeals to you, it’s a strong career move that will sit well on your CV, whether you remain offshore or return to an onshore firm.
Elsewhere offshore, whilst it is technically possible, we are rarely instructed on NQ roles in the British Virgin Islands, with most firms having a strong preference for lawyers with at least a year or two of PQE under their belt. Given that teams are typically small here, it is no surprise that they value a bit more experience. The Cayman Islands and Bermuda are both ruled out due to their PQE requirement (3 years) for work permits.
In the onshore sector, it is technically feasible that roles could come up in the Middle East or Asia but in practice, the opportunities are extremely rare given the current market in London. With both regions dominated by the major international law firms, any NQ requirements that firms do have are typically being filled by internal candidates, often those who have completed secondments.
Exceptions may exist. If you have strong ties to the location you are targeting, have native level language skills (likely Arabic or Mandarin), or have done a secondment over there with a top-tier firm, it may open doors.
For any 2026 qualifiers who aspire to work in the offshore and international markets, whether now or in the future, get in touch with Jason, Lexi, or Charlotte.
Jason Horobin [email protected]
Lexi Nemeth [email protected]
Charlotte Hooper [email protected]
You can also view our Guide to Building an International Career here https://www.originlegal.co.uk/resources/international-resources/international-moves/a-guide-to-building-an-international-legal-career/
The market for 2025 NQ Planning Lawyers mirrored that of 2024, and I anticipate 2026 will remain much the same.
With an unprecedented increase in projects across all major sectors, leading planning firms were able to offer internal roles to the majority of NQs keen to work in Planning. In some cases, firms retained several NQs, while others looked to hire externally. Internal firm politics can sometimes influence retention, meaning not all NQs seeking a role in this sector will secure one.
Given the current climate and the volume of infrastructure, regeneration, and housebuilding projects the government is eager to progress, NQs interested in this sector are likely to find opportunities. If vacancies in private practice prove challenging, roles can also be found within central and local government.
The rise in London salaries can be a restrictive factor for juniors seeking roles.
National practices often prefer to hire in their regional hubs—Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, or Edinburgh. Juniors with a connection to these centres are more likely to have a choice of opportunities.
It may sound obvious, but Planning is not a sector you simply fall into—you must genuinely want to do it. I always ask this question of any trainee I speak to, so be prepared to explain why you want to pursue this area.
The Environment sector continues to gain momentum, but like Planning, it is important to understand your motivation for working in this field and to conduct due diligence on the types of clients the firm represents before committing.
I have worked in the Planning & Environment market for 20 years and am well placed to provide independent and honest advice to any NQ considering a post-qualified career in this sector.
Stuart Phillips is a Managing Consultant at Origin Legal and can be contacted on 01206 326 904, by email at [email protected] or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-phillips-7b62729
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September 2026 NQ Timetable:
February/ March
Engage a good and experienced recruitment consultant. Ask friends for referrals; speak to previous year trainees and find out who they would recommend; look for specialists in your market. LinkedIn is a great tool for checking your recruiters background if they are unknown to you. Check their online LinkedIn recommendations to see if they have moved candidates similar to you and have experience of your chosen practice area and location. A good recruiter will be able to advise you on the range of opportunities available and the best way of going about securing a position. Try to start the process of making internal applications to the jobs you want at your training firm.
Start thinking about the area of law that you would like to practice and the locations you would like to work in. Also try and engineer discussions with your training firm about your final seat. Aim to make that seat work for you and your chosen practice area on qualification.
Prepare your paperwork. Work with your recruiter to produce a strong CV that is tailored to the roles and locations you are targeting. Consider including a profile that highlights your motivations and career ambitions. Also consider who you will use as referees and make sure your academic certificates are accessible in case needed.
April / May
Continue to investigate internal applications. Ensure you have a strong LinkedIn profile which can be viewed by potential employers to support your application. Add a professional picture to your LinkedIn profile if needed, and try to ensure you have good, professional content on your page. Your LinkedIn profile is the main access point to your information alongside your CV. It is equally as important.
Try to focus on the geographical areas and specific discipline you are looking for. Make applications and attend interviews in these areas. Hopefully with some detailed interview coaching and support from your recruitment consultant you can secure the position you want.
June / July
If you have not secured a position in your chosen location / discipline, continue to keep a watchful eye on your local market. Also, this is the time to widen the search into different geographical areas or a 2nd choice discipline.
August
If you are still available in August, widen your search with recruiters to ensure you are visible for when those final September positions are released.
September
Start your new position.
INTERESTED?
For a confidential conversation about the NQ market Please contact Jason Nottage.
Jason Nottage
Origin Legal is a specialist legal recruitment company launched in January 2005 by a management team that first came together in 1996. Origin Legal is recognised as one of the UK’s leading providers of legal jobs at all levels for lawyers, legal executives, solicitors and paralegals. The company’s primary goal is to deliver the highest quality of service and through successful legal recruiting develop and maintain long term client relationships.
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