Getting qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales used to follow a predictable path. Training contract, two years at a firm, qualification. The newer SQE route opened things up considerably, letting candidates count work experience from all kinds of settings – in-house legal teams, compliance departments, overseas placements, corporate governance roles. The catch is that someone still needs to sign off on that experience, and for candidates working outside traditional law firms, finding that someone has become a real headache.
QWE Confirmed launched to solve that specific problem. The service provides independent external solicitor verification of Qualifying Work Experience for candidates whose employers don’t have a solicitor or COLP available to confirm their QWE internally. Under SRA rules, an independent solicitor can review the work and provide that confirmation – but actually finding one willing to do it has tripped up plenty of candidates who otherwise had perfectly valid experience.
The confirming solicitor behind QWE Confirmed brings over a decade of post-qualification experience as General Counsel, which matters here. Someone who’s spent their career in private practice might struggle to evaluate whether compliance work or corporate governance responsibilities genuinely meet the competency requirements. In-house experience looks different on paper than law firm work, and having a reviewer who understands that context makes the assessment more straightforward for everyone involved.
The entire process runs online. Candidates create a portal account, submit their placement details and supervisor contacts, then upload evidence mapping their work to the relevant competencies in the Statement of Solicitor Competence. Written guidance walks them through exactly what’s needed at each stage. There are no consultation calls to schedule, no video meetings to attend, no waiting around for appointments. For candidates juggling full-time jobs while trying to qualify, that flexibility matters.
Pricing works differently than most professional services. QWE Confirmed charges by the number of competencies being verified rather than billing hourly or charging per placement. Someone with experience across four different roles doesn’t pay four times as much – the fee stays the same whether the competencies came from one job or several. Three tiers cover the range: £250 for two to three competencies, £400 for four to six, and £500 for seven or more. Candidates see their price upfront before committing to anything.
The payment structure also removes some risk from the process. Nobody pays until the solicitor has reviewed their evidence and confirmed it meets SRA requirements. If gaps exist, candidates get written feedback on what additional documentation is needed – all before any money changes hands. That’s a meaningful difference from services that collect fees upfront and leave candidates hoping their submission works out.
QWE Confirmed works with candidates based anywhere in the world, since the SRA allows qualifying work experience to be gained in any jurisdiction as long as it involved providing legal services. Overseas placements, remote roles, retrospective experience from previous jobs – all of it can potentially count, provided adequate records exist and a supervisor from that period can verify the details.
More information is available on the official website.
Media Contact
Company Name: QWE Confirmed
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://qweconfirmed.co.uk
