There are different areas of specialization for lawyers, and one of these is to become a medical lawyer that is an expert when it comes to handling cases around improper medical care. They are also referred to as medical malpractice attorneys or lawyers.
Are you a fresh medical lawyer, or you are inspired to be one, and you’ve been wondering what awaits you as a salary? Well, the average salary of a medical lawyer in South Africa R 690 000, which is higher than the national average income.
Therefore, working as a medical lawyer in the country is not just impacting and prestigious, but it is also highly rewarding financially. As a successful medical lawyer, you can enjoy a whole lot of things without having to be restrained by financial difficulties.
Medical Lawyer Salary In South Africa
The average medical lawyer salary in South Africa is R 690 000 per annum although different medical lawyers in the country are earning different salaries, as ordained by different factors.
If you are a fresh medical lawyer who is working in an entry-level position, your salary should revolve around R 240 000 per year. This is still way ahead of what is available in several other careers and professions here. Additionally, as you progress in the job, your salary is bound to increase.
This is one of the core perks of working as a professional that offers valuable services to others. You should remember that it takes effort to be trained to become a medical lawyer, and this is not something anyone can just do.
On the other hand, the average salary of an experienced lawyer in South Africa can be as huge as R 7 200 000 per annum. These are in a level of professionalism and have become so good in the job and can be handsomely rewarded. They are well known when it comes to the application of the law to achieve the desires of the client, and can even help mentor younger lawyers in the profession.
How Much Does Medical Lawyers Earn In South Africa Monthly
Medical lawyers in South Africa earn an average monthly salary of R 57 500. It should be noted that this is an average estimation that can be influenced by different factors.
Some lawyers are earning below that figure per month, and some are earning much more. It is usually dependent on where you work (some firms will pay you more than others), as well as your level of experience and expertise (this is a big factor a client will look at when patronizing your services).
So, a fresh medical lawyer just starting may expect to earn R 20 000 per month as a salary. If you should find yourself in a very big organization, you should expect to earn more.
On the other hand, the average monthly salary of an experienced lawyer could be R 600 000. Of course, this is a whole lot of money, but it takes hard work and patience to get to the stage.
How much do medical lawyers earn in South Africa?
This is how much money many lawyers earn in South Africa:
Senior Associate (5-6 years’ post-qualified experience) – R900 000 to R1 400 000
Associate (3-4 years’ post-qualified experience) – R740 000 to R900 000
Associate (0-2 years’ post-qualified experience) – R580 000 to R740 000
So, you should observe already that salaries are usually greatly influenced by experience and level of expertise. This applies to many other professions in the world, and working as a lawyer is not excluded.
To get to the top of the cadre in this profession, you must be hardworking and do all you could to keep adding to your knowledge so you can keep impressing your clients and moving higher in the ranks.
What Is A Medical Lawyer?
These lawyers have developed expertise when it comes to representing patients that went through medical malpractice with unpleasant effects. Such can also be of help when it comes to cases that examine the practice of medical professionals.
When a medical lawyer is contacted and their services are patronized by the patient (or their family member), the major goal is to utilize the law to get payment for the clients and see to it that they are properly compensated for what they passed through.
These are some of the most prominent responsibilities of a medical lawyer:
A. They conduct interviews with the clients to know more about what happened
B. They investigate the operations of medical professionals to know if the error truly happened
C. A Medical Lawyer conducts research on the situation their clients went through to give them an edge in the court.
D. They make motions to use in courtroom proceedings
E. A medical lawyer work on strategies for trials and hearings
F. They partner with medical professionals and experts to get all is needed to help their clients.
G. They get medical records to analyze for evidence
H. A medical lawyer records depositions from those at a medical facility where their clients went through the malpractice.
Is It Still Lucrative To Be A Medical Lawyer In South Africa?
First, let’s explore the law profession in detail. Lawyers are professionals that are trained to practice law in society. A lawyer (particularly as determined by their training) can function as an attorney, advocate, counselor, solicitor, etc.
They pass through a lot of processes to acquire the skills of applying the application of legal theories and knowledge to fulfill the interests of their clients. Of course, when you need an expert to perform legal services, you simply go to a lawyer.
In South Africa, to become one, there are things you must do, and it takes years before you can officially become an attorney here. The first step is to enroll and engage in a four-year LLB degree. This is better in South Africa because, in some other places, you have to study law at the university for 5 years.
There are several universities in the country that are offering the course, and you have the liberty to go through any of them with the right accreditation. In addition to getting the degree, it is also expedient to pass the licensing examination which is usually organized by the government body in charge.
Now, attorneys in South Africa are experts in an area of law. There are various paths to opt for, ranging from contracts to criminal cases, and so on. We should also note that many attorneys in the country choose to work in private practice. Many set up their things (self-employed), and several others work with a group of lawyers that are hired by clients for specific things.
Additionally, some attorneys are working as in-house counsel for different types of organizations (from commercial companies to Non-government organizations, government entities, and so on).
Now, despite how lucrative the law profession is, a lot of people can’t cut because they won’t be able to go through the procedure required to become a lawyer in South Africa. You must realize the fact that even when it comes to getting a basic law degree (LLB), one must be willing to give a whole lot of effort and investments.
We should also add that in South Africa, anyone can go ahead to study law irrespective of their career path. However, they have to be good when it comes to the English language.
And just if you are thinking if the efforts you must put in to study law are really worth the investment, we can advise you to proceed, at least due to the nature of the average lawyer salary in South Africa.
Just like it is done in other parts of the world, there are several types of lawyers in the country, and you have the liberty to opt for anyone you are comfortable with. You can become a medical lawyer, family lawyer, corporate lawyer, or candidate attorney.
Finally, once you have successfully obtained your law degree after completing your course in the university, you can simply get all other licenses in little time, and you will have the chance to thrive in various sectors as a legal representative.
As you grow and progress in your career as a lawyer, you can easily get to the stage where you earn over R 500 000 per annum as a salary.
In Conclusion
While medical lawyers are not some of the most paid in the world, they still earn reasonably well due to the nature of their services. The average medical lawyer salary in South Africa is close to R 700 000 per annum. This is reasonably higher than the national average, and it means that many medical lawyers are doing well when it comes to finances.
Many lawyers in South Africa are more comfortable with practicing independently, so they could determine what they want in terms of freedom and income. On the other hand, many others are earning stable salaries by working as legal representatives for different types of organizations.