Attorneys are trained to apply the law to particular circumstances and to counsel their clients on the best way to proceed based on their client’s legal rights and duties. Some attorneys find work in the corporate sector, where they advise their corporate clients on various aspects of commercial transactions. Other attorneys help people through the legal system by arguing on their client’s behalf and representing them in judicial proceedings. Attorneys often focus their practice on a particular field of law, such as patent litigation, criminal defence, or business transactions. The vast majority of attorneys are engaged in private practice, either as sole proprietors or as members of larger legal teams that are retained by clients for the purpose of resolving certain legal issues.
Some attorneys take positions within large corporations or government agencies as in-house counsel. The majority of the legal system operates on a time-sensitive basis, which requires attorneys to put in lengthy hours. The majority of attorneys spend their days either working in an office, a law library, or in a courtroom. After earning a bachelor’s degree, prospective attorneys are required to enrol in and graduate from a law school programme that lasts a minimum of three years in order to be eligible for admission to the bar (J.D.). In order to work as a solicitor, one must pass a rigorous and challenging test, the specifics of which change from state to state.
It is essential for attorneys to have strong analytical skills and the capacity to comprehend legal precedents and statutes. They need to be competent in both the collection and use of information, as well as extremely detail-oriented, capable of remembering enormous volumes of information, and precise in the performance of their responsibilities. It is required of attorneys to have strong communication abilities, both verbal and written, as well as the ability to produce arguments that are convincing. In addition to that, they need to be very good at addressing problems. Based on the wages provided by 6 different companies, an entry-level Attorney or Lawyer with less than 1 year of experience may anticipate earning an average total remuneration of NZ$44,102 (this figure includes gratuities, bonus money, and overtime pay).
Based on the wages provided by 27 different employers, the average total salary for an early career Attorney / Lawyer with 1–4 years of experience is NZ$60,194. According to the results of 15 salaries, an Attorney or Lawyer in the middle of their career who has 5-9 years of experience makes an average total salary of NZ$83,167. Based on the wages provided by 6 different law firms, an experienced solicitor or barrister with 10-19 years of experience gets an average total pay of NZ$145,000.
In New Zealand, the typical annual income for a barrister is $90,000. The minimum annual salary for entry-level employment is $70,753, while the maximum annual salary for most experienced professionals is $125,018.
