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INLegal Services Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Legal Services Award actually pays — the right classification level, weekend overtime, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Legal Services Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification level — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 15.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading and a minimum 4-hour engagement — longer than most awards, so a two-hour casual shift still costs four hours’ pay.
- Day workers’ ordinary hours sit Monday to Friday, 7am–6.30pm. There are no ordinary weekend hours — any Saturday or Sunday work is overtime from the first minute.
- Overtime runs at 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% (Monday to Saturday noon); Saturday afternoon and Sunday are 200% with a 3-hour minimum; public holidays 250%. The award states permanent rates — the calculator adds the 25% loading for casuals.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.
- After overtime, staff are entitled to a 10-hour break before their next start (8 by written agreement) — bring someone back sooner and every hour is 200% until they’re released.
Who the award covers
- Law firms and legal practices — employers in the business of providing legal and legal support services
- Legal receptionists, records clerks and office juniors
- Legal secretaries and legal assistants
- Paralegals and senior legal support staff
- Law graduates awaiting admission and law clerks
Community legal centres and Aboriginal legal services sit outside this award, and businesses whose main activity isn’t legal services usually classify their admin staff under the Clerks — Private Sector Award. Admitted solicitors aren’t in the classification structure at all.
Which level is your team member?
The Legal Services Award runs a six-step ladder for legal support staff — Levels 1 to 5 for legal clerical and administrative employees, with law graduates alongside Level 5 and law clerks at Level 6. Classify by the supervision the role genuinely needs and the depth of responsibility, not the title on the engagement letter.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $28.24 | $1073.10 | Office junior · Mail and filing clerk | The entry level: works under direct supervision with regular checking — mail handling, filing, basic communication and basic financial documentation. |
| Level 2 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Legal receptionist · Records clerk · Junior legal secretary | Works under routine supervision with intermittent checking: updates records, answers calls, drafts simple correspondence, processes financial documentation. The award’s “standard rate”. |
| Level 3 | $31.11 | $1182.10 | Legal secretary · Legal assistant | Works under limited supervision across a variety of contexts, with some responsibility for others’ work — may co-ordinate a small team; handles more complex information and legal support. |
| Level 4 | $32.67 | $1241.40 | Senior legal secretary · Paralegal | Works under general guidance with broad, deep competencies: significant legal clerical work including preparing and processing legal documents, with some responsibility for others’ output. |
| Level 5 (incl. law graduate) | $33.99 | $1291.80 | Senior paralegal · Legal support team leader · Law graduate | Works under broad guidance with substantial depth of knowledge: complex functions, high-level legal support, advisory work and team leadership. Law graduates awaiting admission sit here at the same rate. |
| Level 6 — Law clerk | $36.03 | $1369.20 | Law clerk | Works under limited guidance against a broad plan: manages and is accountable for the work of others, exercises significant judgment — typically holds an Associate Diploma or tertiary equivalent. |
- The ladder climbs by supervision: direct supervision at Level 1, routine at Level 2, limited at Level 3, general guidance at Level 4 and broad guidance at Level 5 — a practical test you can apply to any role.
- A law graduate — degree finished, admission pending, paperwork approved — is a named classification paid at the Level 5 rate, however junior their day-to-day work feels.
- Level 6 (law clerk) is for genuine management and accountability for the work of others, usually with an Associate Diploma or tertiary equivalent.
- Admitted solicitors aren’t in the classification structure — this award covers legal support roles, not qualified practitioners.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Legal Services Award adds allowances for particular duties and situations — being the designated first aid officer, working overtime without notice, using your own car. They’re small lines individually, but they’re legal entitlements and they add up. The common ones (1 July 2026 amounts):
The calculator below doesn’t include allowances — add the ones that apply to your team on top of the result. The full list lives in the award’s allowances clause.
Break entitlements under the Legal Services Award
Breaks are part of the award too — and missed or worked-through breaks usually carry a penalty rate, so they belong in the roster, not just the tea room. Here’s what the Legal Services Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 14). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Legal Services Award
Enter the week as it’s actually rostered. Weekend, evening and public-holiday hours are paid at the award’s penalty rates; anything beyond 38 hours is priced as overtime; super is applied to ordinary-time earnings only.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026 (adult minimums, MA000116) — first full pay period on or after that date.
This week’s numbers
Nothing is stored or sent — the maths runs on this page.
Are these the exact legal rates?
The classification minimums are the adult rates from clause 15.1, current at 1 July 2026. Junior rates (under 21) are a percentage of these, and shiftworkers have their own loadings — 115% for afternoon or night shift, 130% for permanent nights. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
Where does a law graduate sit?
At the Level 5 rate ($33.99/hour) — a named classification for graduates who have completed the academic requirements for admission, from the day the offer, registration and paperwork are in order. Law clerks with management responsibility sit above them at Level 6.
Can my team work Saturday at ordinary rates?
No. Day workers’ ordinary hours are Monday to Friday only, so Saturday is overtime from the first hour — 150% until noon (for the first 3 hours), 200% after that, with a 3-hour minimum for Saturday-afternoon and Sunday work.
Does super apply to penalty rates?
Yes — penalties on ordinary hours are ordinary-time earnings, so the 12% super guarantee applies. True overtime — which under this award includes all weekend work — is excluded. The calculator applies exactly that split.
This is a general calculator, not legal advice. It applies the award’s published adult minimums to the hours you enter — it can’t see your enterprise agreement, allowances or individual arrangements, and junior, apprentice and shiftwork rates differ. Always confirm pay against the award, your agreement or your adviser. If you believe something here is materially wrong or out of date, please contact us — we’ll review it promptly.
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Tommy applies the right award rates to every shift as you roster — penalties, loading and super included. Start with your email and your numbers come along.
