Morlings Solicitors

Overview

Morlings Solicitors is a long-established Kent-based full-service regional law firm providing specialist advice to individuals and businesses across over 50 areas of law. The firm operates from five offices across Kent (Maidstone, Gravesend, Tonbridge, Chatham and Tenterden) and emphasises local accessibility, practical solutions and an approachable client-facing model in which matters are typically managed by a single solicitor. The practice combines private client work (wills, probate, LPAs, trusts and wealth management) with commercial, property, family, litigation and regulatory services, and highlights community engagement and charity work as part of its identity.

Headquarters: Maidstone, 1/3 Clarendon Place, King Street
Partners: 5
Trainees: 2 (intake for Sept 2023) and 2 (intake for Sept 2024)
Offices: 5

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Charities & Not-for-Profit
Corporate & M&A
Employment
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Family Law
Immigration
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Private Client & Wealth
Real Estate
Tax

Geographic Focus: Strong regional focus across Kent with five offices (Maidstone, Gravesend, Tonbridge, Chatham, Tenterden). The firm serves individuals and local businesses throughout Kent and offers remote/Skype appointments where appropriate.

Training Contract

Trainee solicitors usually spend six months in each seat across a mix of contentious and non-contentious areas; training is primarily on-the-job working on live files with direct client contact and supervised development. Trainees can discuss preferred seats but are encouraged to keep options open; supervisors provide the principal guidance throughout seats.

Trainee Intake: 2 (for September 2023) and 2 (for September 2024)
Academic Requirements: Minimum of a 2:1 degree. Applicants for the 2023 start must have completed their LPC by September 2023 (completion by application acceptable). Applicants for the 2024 start have funding options available. Candidates must hold a current clean driving licence (required to work between offices).

Seat Options

Civil Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Conveyancing
Private Client / Wills, Trusts & Probate
Family Law
Employment
Medical Negligence / Personal Injury
Commercial Property
Notary Public / Notarial services
Immigration
Criminal Law

Sponsorship

Funding options are referenced for applicants applying for 2024 start dates (the trainee page states funding options are available for 2024 applicants).

Mentorship

Each trainee is supervised on the job by a seat supervisor who guides their work; trainees are allocated to a single supervising solicitor on matters and are encouraged to get involved with firm networking and social responsibilities. The programme emphasises hands-on supervisory support rather than task delegation without oversight.

Apply on the Morlings Solicitors website →

Programmes & Schemes

Two-week placement (part of trainee recruitment process)

As part of the trainee recruitment timetable, shortlisted candidates were invited to undertake a two-week placement (April 2023) to gain hands-on exposure to the firm's work across areas such as debt recovery, private client, complaints handling and immigration. The firm also hosts ad-hoc work experience placements described in firm news.

Duration: 2 weeks

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Work Experience Placement (general)

The firm offers work experience placements (examples in firm news) where participants observe and assist across multiple departments, including debt recovery, private client, complaints and immigration, and may produce a reflective write-up at the end of the placement.

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Notable Matters

Charity formation and Charity Commission registration work

Advising charities and charitable ventures on establishing new charities, restructuring existing charities, charity mergers/acquisitions, Charity Commission registration and HMRC charitable status, plus associated governance and funding arrangements. (Described on the firm's Charity Law service page.)

Charities & Not-for-Profit

Notarial and document legalisation work for cross-border transactions

Providing notarial services (through Hatten Wyatt Notaries) to verify documents for use abroad, apostille/legalisation and notarial acts in support of international property, corporate and immigration matters. Pricing starts from £180 for notarial services as stated on the firm's pages.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Business Lasting Power of Attorney and Business succession advisory

Advising business owners on creation of Business Lasting Powers of Attorney to protect business continuity if a key individual loses capacity, and advising on related Court of Protection and company-articles implications.

Corporate & M&A

What Morlings Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

Enthusiasm, drive and ambition
Great personal skills and client-facing ability
Team-working skills
Attention to detail
Technical competence and strong academic record
Creativity and a sense of fun
Willingness to travel between local offices (clean driving licence required)

Evidence Signals

Completion (or near completion) of the LPC by the required date
Work experience placements or two-week assessment placements
Direct client-contact experience and handling 'live files'
Community involvement or charity fundraising participation
Demonstrable teamwork and attention to detail examples from prior roles or coursework

Benefits & Wellbeing

One-off taxable welcome payment of £1,000 after six months continuous service when applying directly through the website
25 days holiday plus statutory and bank holidays
Private healthcare through AXA after six months of continuous employment (opt-in)
Workplace pension through Scottish Widows
30% discount on legal services for staff (where staff instruct the firm)
25% discount on legal services for immediate family members (parents, siblings, children)
Introduction bonuses payable for referring new staff (subject to T&Cs)
Sick bonus (text on site: 'No sick bonus of £100 payable in December if you have zero days off sick in the year')
Formal black tie Christmas party and annual summer BBQ/party firm-wide

Wellbeing

The firm runs employee recognition (Employee of the Month) and encourages staff volunteering and community engagement (charity of the year fundraising, support for Alzheimer's & Dementia Support Services). Private healthcare is offered after six months (AXA).

Awards & Recognition

Accredited by the Law Society for family law, residential conveyancing and criminal litigation
Law Society Family Law Advanced Accreditation (re-accreditation noted for Partner Avril Croud, 2024)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm states it is an equal opportunities practice, collects workforce diversity data and submits anonymised data to the Solicitors Regulation Authority to assist monitoring of the profession.

Annual staff vote to select a Charity of the Year (firm-wide fundraising and volunteering)
Workforce diversity data collection submitted to the SRA (data collected anonymously and voluntarily)
Legally Pink – dedicated services supporting the LGBTQ+ community
Employee of the Month recognition scheme
Community volunteering (e.g., National Arts in a Care Home Day participation, food bank donations)

Pro Bono

The firm promotes community and charity engagement through fundraising and volunteering initiatives; specific pro bono hours/targets are not stated.

Innovation

Quick Application Angles

Emphasise your readiness for hands-on client work: give examples where you handled live files or direct client contact and explain outcomes — the firm places trainees on live matters from day one.
Demonstrate local commitment and mobility: note willingness to travel between Kent offices and confirm you hold a clean driving licence (this is explicitly required).
Highlight a strong academic record (minimum 2:1) and LPC completion timing — for the 2023 intake LPC had to be completed by September 2023; for later intakes mention awareness of firm funding options.
Reference community engagement and values: mention interest or experience in fundraising, volunteering or local causes (the firm runs an annual Charity of the Year and active staff volunteering).