Legal Executive
Āpiha Mahi Ture
Alternative titles for this job
Legal executives help lawyers prepare and file legal documents, research and prepare cases, give legal advice and help with house sales.
Pay
Legal executives usually earn
$48K-$70K per year
Source: Hays, 2023.
Job opportunities
Vocational PathwaysPay
Pay for legal executives varies depending on experience and location.
- Legal executives usually earn between $48,000 and $70,000 a year.
- Legal executives with specialised skills may earn more than this.
Source: Hays, 'Hays Salary Guide FY21-23', 2023.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)
What you will do
Legal executives may do some or all of the following:
- help lawyers with research and legal documents
- act for clients buying, selling and developing property
- administer estates and trusts and prepare wills
- help with the legal aspects of running a business
- help clients with debt collection
- prepare, analyse and interpret legal documents
- prepare and file court documents
- help prepare court cases.
Skills and knowledge
Legal executives need to have:
- knowledge of legislation and regulations
- understanding of legal terms and methods
- knowledge of how to prepare legal documents
- legal research skills.
Working conditions
Legal executives:
- usually work regular business hours
- work in offices
- may travel to visit clients or companies and also to attend conferences and law seminars.
Entry requirements
To become a legal executive you need a New Zealand Diploma in Legal Executive Studies (Level 6).
It is recommended that you work in a law firm while you are studying for the diploma.
Most legal executives register with the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.
- Open Polytechnic website - information about the legal executive diploma
- Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology website - information about the legal executive diploma
Secondary education
NCEA Level 3 is required to enter tertiary training. Useful subjects include history and classical studies, information management and te reo Māori.
Additional requirements for specialist roles:
Conveyancer
To become a conveyancer you must complete the Diploma in Conveyancing (Level 6) online from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Personal requirements
Legal executives need to be:
- accurate
- reliable and able to keep information confidential
- well organised
- able to work well under pressure
- friendly, patient and helpful.
Useful experience
Useful experience for legal executives includes:
- work as a legal secretary, law clerk or other work in a law office
- working for the courts
- customer service experience
- research work.
Registration
Most legal executives register with the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.
Find out more about training
- New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives
- (09) 250 1630 - enquiries@nzile.org.nz - www.nzile.org.nz
- New Zealand Law Society
- (04) 472 7837 - inquiries@lawsociety.org.nz - www.lawsociety.org.nz
What are the chances of getting a job?
Steady demand for legal executives
Demand for legal executives is expected to remain steady because:
- the strong property market creates regular legal work
- our ageing population creates property sales, power of attorney and will administration work.
According to the Census, 2,031 legal executives worked in New Zealand in 2019.
Artificial intelligence may affect legal executive jobs
Artificial intelligence software has been created that can find evidence for cases, prepare contracts and research legal information. These tasks are a large part of a legal executive's work. In the short term, technology may help legal executives with their work but in the long term it may replace some of the paperwork they do.
Types of employers varied
Legal executives may work for:
- general legal firms
- government departments and community agencies
- boutique law firms, which specialise in a particular area of law
- real estate agencies
- companies.
Sources
- Hays, 'Hays Salary Guide', 2022, (www.hays.net.nz).
- Hays, 'Quarterly Report, July-September 2017', 2017, (www.hays.net.nz).
- New Zealand Law Society, 'Artificial Intelligence and the Law', 20 January 2017, (www.lawsociety.org.nz).
- New Zealand Law Society, 'Strong House Sales Boost Conveyancing Market', 4 November 2016, (www.lawsociety.org.nz).
- Robert Walters, 'Robert Walters Global Salary Survey', 2017, (www.robertwalters.co.nz).
- Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)
Progression and specialisations
- Legal executives may specialise in conveyancer roles.
- Conveyancer
- Conveyancers specialise in property transactions and settlements.
Legal executives may give advice on legal documents
Last updated 27 March 2024