- Hong Kong lawyers are divided into solicitors and barristers. Neither ranks above the other.
- According to Indeed, a solicitor’s average basic pay is about HK$20,000 a month, while a barrister’s average is close to HK$70,000 a month.
- Government counsel start at point 32 of the Master Pay Scale, which is HK$70,465 a month.
- To become a solicitor in Hong Kong, you first need a law degree, then complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) and a traineeship.
Hong Kong’s legal profession has more than a hundred years of history. As early as 1844, when Hong Kong was under British rule, a Supreme Court was already set up in Hong Kong.
Lawyers are well paid. If you are considering the profession, this article sets out what it takes to become a lawyer in Hong Kong, what lawyers earn and what the work involves.
Types of lawyer in Hong Kong and their work: solicitors and barristers
Hong Kong follows the British tradition, and its legal profession has two branches: solicitors, and barristers (who conduct litigation in court).
| Solicitor | Barrister | |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Buying and selling property, mergers and acquisitions, helping companies to list, and so on | Specialise in litigation and argue cases in court on behalf of clients |
| Other | Also handle many kinds of work other than litigation | Cannot be instructed directly by clients; must be instructed by a solicitor |
| Rights of audience | The Magistrates’ Courts, the District Court, and chambers hearings in the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal | All courts, including the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal |
A solicitor with more than seven years’ experience can also act as a marriage celebrant and conduct weddings, so over a lifetime people in Hong Kong have many occasions to need a solicitor’s services.
Since the Legal Practitioners Ordinance (Cap. 159) was amended in 2010, a solicitor can also apply to become a Solicitor Advocate. Once recognised, they have rights of audience in the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal.
Otherwise, however, solicitors do not have rights of audience in the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal.
The two names can mislead, but in fact neither ranks above the other. A legal practitioner must choose one or the other and cannot be both.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?
If in doubt, feel free to contact our dedicated consultants.
What divorce lawyers do
Divorce litigation is an important part of the divorce process, but a divorce solicitor can help divorcing clients in more ways. The work mainly includes:
- Giving legal advice
- Helping to gather evidence
- Witnessing the handling of property
- Drafting legal documents, and so on
As the divorce rate has gradually risen in recent years, more and more people are asking how to protect their rights during a divorce.
For many people, getting help from a divorce solicitor has become an important way to deal with this.
More tips on the divorce procedure:
- How do I apply for a divorce?
- Divorce mediation in Hong Kong: the process and its benefits
- Common reasons and grounds for divorce in Hong Kong
- How social media and technology can become a catalyst for divorce in Hong Kong
Lawyers’ pay in Hong Kong: solicitors, barristers and government counsel
According to Indeed’s pay data on lawyers’ pay in Hong Kong, a Solicitor’s average basic pay is about HK$20,000 a month, while a Counsel (barrister) earns much more, with an average close to HK$70,000 a month.
Please note
- Note that these two kinds of lawyer do not actually rank above or below each other.
In addition, the government’s Department of Justice also employs many lawyers, and its pay is another useful benchmark for the market.
According to the Department of Justice website, government counsel can usually be promoted to senior government counsel within a few years, and pay follows the Master Pay Scale:
| Master Pay Scale | Monthly pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Government counsel, entry level | Point 32 | HK$70,465 |
| Highest point for government counsel | Point 44 | HK$110,170 |
| Senior government counsel | Points 45 to 49 | HK$117,580 to HK$135,470 |
Pay can rise further with seniority, and government jobs also carry many benefits, including free medical and dental services and a housing allowance, so they are quite attractive.
Requirements to become a lawyer in Hong Kong
Becoming a lawyer in Hong Kong takes a series of studies and a traineeship. Here are the details of how to become a lawyer in Hong Kong:
-
Degree requirement
First get a law degree. Three universities in Hong Kong currently offer law programmes: the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the City University of Hong Kong.
-
The PCLL
After the law degree, you take the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL), which is offered full-time and part-time and usually takes one or two years.
-
Traineeship requirement
After the PCLL, you need a traineeship to gain practical experience. Students can choose to train as a solicitor or as a barrister.
-
Length of traineeship
Solicitors complete a two-year traineeship. Barristers first complete at least 6 months of pupillage to become a recognised barrister, then another 6 months of pupillage, after which they can practise in full.
-
How to train
Students can join the Hong Kong Department of Justice’s trainee scheme, or apply to the Law Society of Hong Kong or the Hong Kong Bar Association to become a trainee solicitor or a pupil barrister.
Hong Kong’s first law school was set up at the University of Hong Kong in 1969.
Before that, people who wanted to become lawyers had to go to Britain to study and qualify as a barrister or solicitor there, and only then could they practise in Hong Kong.
At that time there were only a few hundred lawyers. Most knew one another, and while they fought hard for their clients’ interests, they treated one another with courtesy.
As Hong Kong’s economy grew, and with the City University and the Chinese University setting up law schools in 1987 and 2005 respectively, the number of lawyers grew quickly.
Becoming a lawyer in Hong Kong takes time and effort, but if you have a passion and interest for the law, it is a challenging career with many opportunities.
What does a divorce solicitor do?
Get in touch, and a dedicated consultant will first understand your situation.
Getting into the legal profession in Hong Kong is hard
The legal profession is highly competitive. Because of the high pay, many top students see it as an ideal career, and just getting into a university law programme is already very difficult.
The competition is comparable to medicine. The University of Hong Kong is extremely hard to get into, with a median DSE admission score as high as 38, a level few people reach.
By comparison, the City University of Hong Kong has looser entry requirements, with a median DSE admission score of 28.
Please note
- Lawyers need a very high standard of English. At the City University of Hong Kong, for example, students’ average English level must reach 5* or above.
Because the number of lawyers in Hong Kong is limited, some people choose to study law overseas, especially in Britain.
Hong Kong law and British law have much in common, so it is also easier to return to Hong Kong later.
After finishing a university programme overseas, you can choose to:
- Return to Hong Kong and take the professional law certificate, in the same way as local students.
- Study further overseas and qualify as a lawyer there, then return to Hong Kong and, once you pass the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination, practise locally.
Career paths for Hong Kong lawyers, and lawyers’ wigs
A lawyer’s career paths are very wide. Besides high pay, lawyers can also rise steadily through government service on their own ability and merit.
Of course, competition for these posts is fierce, so you need to keep improving your ability. Other career paths include:
- Barrister: can argue cases for listed companies or wealthy clients, with a high income. Annual earnings of ten million are not impossible.
- Large companies: a lawyer does not have to argue cases in court to have a career. Many large companies also need legal talent, and offer rich career development.
- Senior roles in listed companies: with a good knowledge of the law and strong management skills, you may even become a senior executive or director of a listed company, with share awards from the company.
Lawyers’ wigs
In court, barristers and Senior Counsel wear black gowns that differ from those of ordinary solicitors, and their wigs differ too:
| Wig | |
|---|---|
| Ordinary lawyers (solicitors) | Usually do not wear a wig |
| Barristers and Senior Counsel | Short wig (Barrister Wig) |
| Senior Counsel at important ceremonies | Long wig (Full-bottomed Wig) |
The custom of lawyers wearing wigs and black gowns comes from British court culture. Traditionally, wigs were made by hand from horsehair, and they turn yellow and look worn.
Wigs are not usually washed, so the older a wig is, the more it is taken as a sign of a senior lawyer.
How do you protect your rights during a divorce?
Feel free to check your situation with us.
