Salary at Sparke Helmore Lawyers

I am not too experienced with bonuses Starting in my career the pay is good

Below market, but not worth giving up because of the flexible work hours and culture

Pay is good. I think it's only when I compare it with the big 6 firms that I realise the big difference in pay. However, I guess the balanced lifestyle makes up for it.

I was told before starting the graduate program that Sparkes' bonus system is super easy to meet as a grad and hence they do not reimburse the entirety of College of Law. However, I have since learnt bonuses are not offered to grads, and as a junior it is very hard to meet the billables for bonuses as a lot of your time is written down. This was super disappointing to learn. I also feel that there hasn't been any transparency around our pay. There should be an increase in pay once admitted as a lawyer or there should be an increase in pay after finishing the grad program year - and we should be aware of this. Cohorts before us left Sparkes because the new graduates who were not admitted were earning more than the lawyers who had already completed the program. I think to avoid this problem the current grad cohort needs some clarity on how this will be avoided.

The pay seems to be the one point of contention at the firm and is raised almost every time there are conversations with HR or pulse surveys. While the graduate salary seems to be on par with most firms, once you are admitted you do not receive a pay rise.

Pay is currently average. There are discussions that the 2024 grad's salary will be more than ours due to indexation, however apparently we will not receive a pay rise next year despite having a further years experience and being admitted to the LPAB which is concerning to many.

Dinners and events

Flexible hours, great team of people and social events

Free breakfast once a month

Free dinners and drinks.