Legal Services – Spend, Processes and Roles

“Please could I have the following information for your authority:

1. For each of the last three financial years, what was the total cost of your in-house legal function?
Year Outturn costs for Legal Services
16/17 £1,126,342
17/18 £1,117,754
18/19 £1,217,256
2. For each of the last three financial years, how much have you spent on external solicitors (including e.g. shared service/alternative delivery model)?
Year Outturn costs on solicitors
16/17 £1,127,240
17/18 £415,139
18/19 £431,292
3. For each of the last three financial years, how much have you spent on external barristers?
Year Outturn costs on barristers
16/17 £1,043,334
17/18 £693,921
18/19 £1,117,071
4. What are the current job titles within your in-house legal function and the salary grades for those roles?  Please see response to question 5 below.
5. How many of each role do you have?
FTE Number Job Title Salary grades
1 County Solicitor £111,437
1.6 Deputy County Solicitor £67,867
1 Assistant County Solicitor £55,299
3 Senior Solicitor £49,222
0.8 Head of Conveyancing £49,222
12.2 Solicitor From £42,683 to £46,561
3 Principal Legal Executive From £36,876 to £40,760
3.8 Senior Asst Solicitor From £36,876 to £40,760
0.8 Corporate Insurance Manager From £36,876 to £40,760
1 Assistant Solicitor From £32,029 to £35,934
4 Legal Executive From £27,905 to £31,371
1 Land Charges Manager From £27,905 to £31,371
1.2 Corporate Insurance Officer From £23,369 to 26,317
7.36 Senior Legal Assistant From £23,369 to 26,317
4.54 Legal Assistant From £19,554 to £21,589
1 Land Digitisation Assistant From £19,554 to £21,589
1 Land Charges Assistant From £18,426 to 19,171
1 Apprentice – Clerical Assistant £17,364

6. Do you have a shared service or alternative delivery model for legal services? If yes, what is it?

Devon County Council has a shared service agreement with Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, Cornwall Council and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.