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Original poster

LPC life in London

32 replies

voluminous · 31/01/2022 09:32

Hi all,

Dd has gotten herself a training contract with a law firm. She has to do the LPC in London for 7 months (the fast one). She gets a grant for £10,000.

We don't live in London so she would have to find a room to live in. I have read online that it is very difficult to get a contract for less than 12 months for flats. So looks like she will have to sign up for the year. Are there any recommended areas?

She has a small amount of savings, and we can give her a bit of money. But we had hoped that after uni we would stop funding her.

Do most people do the LPC and then work the remaining time in order to make some money to live on?

OP posts:
WhatAFusspot · 31/01/2022 11:00

I can't answer your question about where to live. Which LPC provider is she with? She wants to be within easy commuting distance of them. Would it be better to go to one outside London where life is cheaper? BPP and university of law both have providers outside of London.

When I didn't LPC many moons ago I had a part time job. Lots of students did.

But my course ran Sept- June so perhaps the condensed one has longer hours.

goodbyestranger · 31/01/2022 11:20

Is the firm not in London voluminous? By which I mean wouldn't she go on to her TC after the seven months, thereby making use of the room? She could always sublet after the seven months if not, with the landlords agreement.

The chances are that she'll need a modest sub for the LPC. Two of my DC have done the accelerated course for City firms and I would say probably not a great idea to work during the course, but not impossible. Working in a cafe etc might put pay to much of a social life though. Online tutoring is a possible additional source of income but beware flaky tutees and only sign up to a firm which pre-pays, in case the tutees do no shows.

goodbyestranger · 31/01/2022 11:21

My two got more than £10k plus fees paid but were still a bit short.

Original poster
voluminous · 31/01/2022 11:42

Yes, her employer is in London. But her training contract doesn't start until the August. Her fast track LPC finishes in February.

I also don't think it would be wise to work on top of the LPC, as she still needs some sort of social life.

OP posts:
goodbyestranger · 31/01/2022 11:59

Oh I see. The firms definitely don't give the whole whack that's needed. Presumably for reasons of policy, because they can certainly afford it. It's hard for those without well off parents or savings from previous work, that's for sure.

To be fair, if she gets through the course at a firm which pays a £10k grant on top of fees, she can replenish her savings pot pretty fast.

The government postgrad loan didn't cover the LPC when mine did it; perhaps worth seeing if that's changed?

onedayoranother · 31/01/2022 12:12

She might be better off as a lodger rather than taking out her own lease.

londonmummy1966 · 31/01/2022 14:22

She could look at lodging in one of the more family orientated areas - sometimes she could get a reduced rent in return for offering a couple of nights baby sitting - there shouldn't be a problem then with the length of the let. I had a few lodgers of this type when my DC were small - from 2 - 6 months at a cheap rent (mainly to have someone in the house as DH worked away a lot) and they'd babysit once or twice a week.

Xenia · 31/01/2022 14:56

That is interesting - I thought the whole point of offering trainees the 7 months accelerated LPC was they would start with the firm as soon as it finished eg in March. (My twins are currently doing the LPC in London with BPP but living at home as we live near and they only have seminars on 2 days a week).
They have a friend with a TC who is going the LPC entirely online with BPP by the way so may be your daughter would be allowed to do that if she prefers to and then live at home? The firm may not allow that but it may be possible.

I think the answer if she must do it in person and you are not commutable for the day to get to the seminars is that she takes a year's tenancy and then has a job in London from March to August t pay the rent for that period. Another option might be some kind of month by month airbnb for a shorter period.

titchy · 31/01/2022 15:07

Why wouldn't she consider working between finishing the LPC and starting the TC? Confused

goodbyestranger · 31/01/2022 18:20

She might want to travel/ have a break, especially if she's going straight from her final year to the LPC.

HasaDigaEebowai · 31/01/2022 18:30

Why does she need to do the fast track loc if she doesn’t start her testing contract until August?

goodbyestranger · 31/01/2022 18:35

HasaDigaEebowai a number of firms specify which course is done. The content can vary.

TizerorFizz · 31/01/2022 22:23

Lots of the law firms will have contracts with their chosen provider. The trainee won’t get to choose how long it is or where it is. However earnings should be very good afterwards, so maybe loan the extra money needed? Obviously rents vary but there are rooms available and these are much cheaper than a flat. I think spareroom.co.uk is a popular place to advertise and for people to look. DD used that for the spare room in our/her flat.

HasaDigaEebowai · 01/02/2022 06:55

Op she should contact the firm since if it’s a large firm that funds her lpc she won’t be the only new trainee. They might be able to put her in touch with others in her cohort and she might be able to find accommodation together.

SeasonFinale · 02/02/2022 13:27

Also the firm may be prepared to let her start work before the training contract begins as a paralegal.

But I agree looking for a position as a liger rather than a tenant may be the way forward.

Comefromaway · 02/02/2022 13:29

I can;t help with LPC but dd is currently doing a postgrad in London alongside working. Where does your dd need to be near?

Dd is in a houseshare. She took over an existing contract so her tenancy was from October to July.

SlipperyLizard · 02/02/2022 13:34

She should easily be able to fit in a part time job & socialising. I did the LPC in one year (Sept - Sept) while working a 9 day fortnight in a demanding job, with a toddler & pregnant (did my final exams at 38 weeks).

goodbyestranger · 02/02/2022 13:50

SlipperyLizard did you go out and enjoy a normal young person's social life too? Probably not. The accelerated LPC is a very different creature in any event.

TizerorFizz · 02/02/2022 15:16

@SlipperyLizard
Fast track requires at least 45 hours a week. Working 9/14 and having a child probably isn’t possible on this course!

goodbyestranger · 02/02/2022 22:08

Yes I don't think SlipperyLizard's experience probably translates very well,

corvalia · 09/03/2022 20:26

Read these with interest. Ds is in a similar position, and we are thinking of paying some money to him every month. We looked at rent for a room in a safe area that is not miles out and his stipend from his sponsoring firm won't even cover that. All being well and good, he would be earning £160k at age 25. (long long hours of course). Maybe we will make it a loan.

I don't see the point in living in a dangerous/grotty area/miles and miles out. You are only young and living in London once in a life, so may as well enjoy it.

givethatbabyaname · 09/03/2022 20:36

£160k at 1 year PQE?! Wow things have changed since my time Confused

NatriumChloride · 09/03/2022 21:03

@corvalia

Read these with interest. Ds is in a similar position, and we are thinking of paying some money to him every month. We looked at rent for a room in a safe area that is not miles out and his stipend from his sponsoring firm won't even cover that. All being well and good, he would be earning £160k at age 25. (long long hours of course). Maybe we will make it a loan.

I don't see the point in living in a dangerous/grotty area/miles and miles out. You are only young and living in London once in a life, so may as well enjoy it.

Is that so?
TizerorFizz · 09/03/2022 22:55

£160,000 at 30 is possible. But you need to be working for an American firm or major uk one. At 25? Probably not.

givethatbabyaname · 09/03/2022 23:21

Right. And I think it’s more a question of “could” than “would”, and giving much, much more than just long hours. If only it were that easy. Good luck to everyone aiming for it, though!

To answer the OP’s question, things will change quite quickly when the DD starts earning. This period comes after years of parental input, but the end is in sight. She has a contract nailed down, her LPC fees are covered. One last push and she’ll be on her way. Lodging, flatsharing, renting a room - all these are fine. The LPC isn’t a big or memorable time, you don’t make lasting friendships or (frankly) learn anything that critical. It’s not a seminal time for a solicitor. She just has to get through it. That can probably help inform an approach to accommodations.