If you work as a paralegal and are pursuing qualification through the SQE route, there is a good chance that your day-to-day work already counts as Qualifying Work Experience. The challenge is not usually whether your experience qualifies — it is getting it formally confirmed.
This guide covers everything paralegals need to know about QWE sign-off, including your employer's obligations and what to do if they are reluctant to cooperate.
Does Paralegal Work Count as QWE?
In most cases, yes. The SRA does not require QWE to be completed under a training contract or in any particular type of role. What matters is that the work involves providing genuine legal services and that you have been exposed to at least two competences from the Statement of Solicitor Competence.
Typical paralegal tasks that contribute to QWE include:
- Drafting legal documents, correspondence, and contracts
- Conducting legal research and advising on options
- Communicating with clients, witnesses, or other parties
- Managing case files and applying legal procedures
- Assisting with advocacy, dispute resolution, or transactional work
If you have been doing substantive legal work for at least two years (full-time equivalent), your paralegal experience very likely qualifies.
Can Your Employer Refuse to Sign Off Your QWE?
This is unfortunately a common concern. Some firms are reluctant to confirm paralegals' QWE because they worry about losing staff to qualification, or because they have not engaged with the SQE framework.
However, the SRA's position on this is clear. If a candidate produces evidence of QWE that meets the required criteria, a solicitor or COLP is expected to confirm it. The SRA has stated that refusing to confirm qualifying experience simply to retain an employee in a non-qualified role would be a breach of the firm's regulatory obligations under the SRA Principles and Code of Conduct.
In practice, though, having that conversation with your employer can be difficult. That is where external confirmation comes in.
External QWE Confirmation for Paralegals
If your employer will not confirm your QWE, or if you have left the firm and can no longer get sign-off, an independent SRA-regulated solicitor can review and confirm your experience instead.
The external confirming solicitor will:
- Review your evidence — a training diary, portfolio of work examples, or structured review form mapping your experience against the SRA competences.
- Contact your supervisor to obtain the feedback the SRA requires.
- Provide a formal signed confirmation of your QWE if satisfied that it meets the SRA's criteria.
This process does not require your employer's permission. The confirming solicitor works independently and only needs access to your supervisor for the feedback stage — most supervisors are willing to have a brief conversation even if the firm itself has not initiated the process.
What If You Have Worked at Multiple Firms?
QWE can be gained across up to four different organisations. If you have worked at two or three firms as a paralegal, you can combine that experience to meet the two-year requirement. Each period of experience would need to be confirmed separately, but this is straightforward once you have your evidence organised.
How to Prepare Your QWE Evidence as a Paralegal
The stronger your evidence, the smoother the confirmation process. Here is what to gather:
- A log of your work: Dates, tasks, and the type of legal work involved. This does not need to be a formal training diary — even a retrospective summary is acceptable.
- Examples of work product: Redacted documents, research notes, or drafts you have worked on (with client details removed).
- Performance reviews or feedback: Anything from your supervisor that speaks to the quality and nature of your work.
- Competence mapping: A brief summary of which SRA competences your work covered and how. Most external confirming solicitors will provide a template for this.
Common Paralegal QWE Scenarios
Commercial law firm paralegal
You have worked for three years at a mid-size commercial firm, handling contract reviews, due diligence, and corporate filings. Your supervising partner is a solicitor but the firm has no formal QWE process. Your work clearly satisfies the competences for drafting, research, and applying legal knowledge — an external solicitor can confirm this based on your evidence and a brief conversation with your supervisor.
In-house legal team paralegal
You work in the legal department of a large company, supporting the General Counsel on employment law matters, compliance reviews, and contract negotiations. Although your supervisor may not be an English-qualified solicitor, an external confirming solicitor can still verify your QWE by reviewing your evidence and obtaining supervisor feedback directly.
Legal aid or advice centre paralegal
You have spent two years advising clients on housing, welfare benefits, or immigration matters at a legal advice centre. Even though this is not a traditional law firm setting, the work involves providing genuine legal services. As long as you can evidence the competences and a supervisor can provide feedback, this experience qualifies as QWE.
Frequently Asked Questions for Paralegals
My firm says paralegal work does not count as QWE. Are they right?
Almost certainly not. The SRA has been clear that QWE can be gained in any role — including paralegal positions — provided the work involves genuine legal services. There is no requirement for a training contract or any particular job title. If you have been doing substantive legal work, it very likely qualifies.
Can I get my QWE signed off without my employer knowing?
The external confirming solicitor will need to contact your day-to-day supervisor for feedback, which is an SRA requirement. However, the process does not require your employer's formal permission or involvement beyond that supervisor conversation. Many paralegals find that their supervisor is supportive even when the firm as a whole has not engaged with the QWE process.
I left my paralegal job — can I still get that experience confirmed?
Yes. There is no time limit on when QWE was gained. As long as you can produce evidence of the work you did and your former supervisor is contactable for feedback, previous roles can be confirmed retrospectively.
How much does external QWE confirmation cost for paralegals?
At QWE Confirmed, pricing is based on the number of competences being verified, not the number of placements or hours. Packages start from £250 for 2–3 competences, with no hidden fees and no payment required until the solicitor has confirmed your evidence is acceptable.
Getting Started
If you are a paralegal wondering whether your experience is enough to qualify, the simplest first step is to get an informal opinion before committing to anything. At QWE Confirmed, you can send your documentation to [email protected] for a free initial review — no obligation and no sign-up required.
Many paralegals are closer to qualification than they realise. The SQE pathway was specifically designed to recognise the kind of practical legal experience that paralegal work provides.