Compensation benchmarking for Property lawyers: pay steps for juniors, assistants and runners that match the market
Property practices often set pay by negotiation. Benchmarking sets stipend and salary steps for each role against nearby practices, so fair pay is visible and exits over small differences become fewer.
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Share your requirementsWhy compensation benchmarking matters in property lawyers
Pay in a property practice is usually settled at joining and rarely reviewed. A junior with title search skill earns similar to a new joiner. A runner who has carried documents for years earns little more than at the start. Staff compare notes with friends in other practices and leave for modest increases.
Benchmarking collects what similar practices pay for similar roles in your city, sets a range for each role and ties steps to skills such as drafting or independent registry work. It also checks internal fairness between people doing similar work. It does not mean matching everyone. It means knowing where you stand and choosing consciously.
How to set it up
1. List roles and their duties
Junior advocate, drafting assistant, title search assistant, record clerk and runner, each with a one-page description.
2. Gather market information
Speak to peers, check published listings and ask recruiters. Note pay for comparable roles in your city and practice size.
3. Set a range for each role
A minimum, middle and top for each role, with the skill that moves a person up. Keep a few steps, not many.
4. Place current staff in the ranges
See who is below, within or above range. Plan corrections over a year rather than at once. The compensation benchmarking page describes how.
5. Review yearly
Check ranges against the market once a year and communicate the steps to staff.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Compare the pay of two juniors with similar skills in your firm.
- Ask a runner what they would earn in a bank office.
- Check whether anyone has had no review for two years.
- See if pay steps are explained to juniors anywhere.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach compensation benchmarking in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
No. Decide where you want to sit, such as the middle of the market, and use non-pay factors such as learning and steady work to support it.
Ask peers and recruiters for ranges, and avoid asking staff to disclose others' pay. Combine sources to form a picture rather than relying on one.
Mostly skill, with tenure as a minor factor. Pay for being able to run a task alone, such as a registration or a title search with a clean report.