Sills & Betteridge Solicitors

Overview

Sills & Betteridge is a long-established regional full-service law firm headquartered in Lincoln with a broad presence across Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the East Midlands. The firm traces its recorded origins to 1759, runs a network of 17 UK offices and employs over 400 people, offering personal and commercial legal services to individuals, families, businesses and public-funded clients. It is frequently recognised in independent directories (Top Tier in the Legal 500 for family/private client work), holds Lexcel, the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme and the Legal Aid Agency Specialist Quality Mark, and sits inside the UK’s top 200 law firms (UK200, position 157). The firm emphasises hands-on client service, community engagement, and multiple entry routes into the profession including apprenticeships and trainee solicitor programmes.

• Headquarters: Lincoln, Aquis House, Clasketgate
• Founded: 1759
• Lawyers: 400+ (headcount across the firm)
• Offices: 17

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Family Law
• Private Client & Wealth
• Real Estate
• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Immigration
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Agriculture & Rural
• Pensions
• Tax
• Criminal Law

Geographic Focus: Regional focus across Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the East Midlands with 17 offices located in market towns and cities across those regions. The firm serves local and regional private clients and businesses and also acts for national clients from its regional platform; growth has been by merger and acquisition to expand presence across the East Midlands and into South Yorkshire.

Training Contract

Two-year training contracts commencing in September. Trainees are immersed from day one and given responsibility early, including carrying their own caseload where appropriate and opportunities for advocacy. Trainees are supervised by an assigned lawyer and have regular review meetings with the firm’s Training Partner (Simon Breeden). The firm organises regular in-house training days and wider HR-led development activity; there is an open-door approach to discussing training and progression.

• Academic Requirements: Degree 2:1 or above (law or non-law degree); good academic A-levels. The firm also values legal work experience, client care skills and broader personal experience.
• Application Deadline: 2026-08-31

Seat Options

• Litigation
• Corporate & Commercial
• Commercial Property
• Family Law
• Mediation
• Wills, Trusts & Probate
• Personal Injury and Medical Negligence
• Criminal Law
• Dispute resolution

Sponsorship

Apprenticeship routes: the Level 4 paralegal apprenticeship and the Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship are supported by the firm; the Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship route includes SQE and SQE preparation course fees (BPP). Apprentices are paid a competitive salary at least equal to the UK National Living Wage. No GDL/PGDL grants or fixed maintenance stipend figures for training-contract trainees are specified.

SQE Support

For the apprenticeship route the firm works with BPP Law School: Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship provision includes fees for the SQE and SQE preparation courses provided by BPP Law School.

Mentorship

Each trainee has an assigned supervising lawyer and regular review meetings with the Training Partner (Simon Breeden). The firm promotes an open-door policy, in-house training days, and access to a dedicated training department and Sills Academy resources.

Apply on the Sills & Betteridge Solicitors website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Sills & Betteridge Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Proactive mindset
• Commercial awareness
• Client care and interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Teamwork
• Resilience and adaptability
• Relevant legal or sector experience (including work experience or apprenticeships)
• Commitment to local community and client service

Evidence Signals

• Legal work experience (paralegal, vacation scheme or employed experience)
• Pro bono and community involvement
• Relevant practice experience (e.g., conveyancing for property seats, family law experience for family seats)
• Good academic record (Degree 2:1 or above; strong A-levels)
• Demonstrable client care and communication examples
• Participation in apprenticeships, CILEX or other alternative routes

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Generous holiday allowance (25-30 days plus bank holidays)
• Competitive salaries and annual pay reviews
• Staff commission
• Pension scheme
• Flexible and part-time working
• Life cover
• Compassionate leave
• Generous sick pay
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave for senior staff
• Mileage paid (in accordance with contract)
• Use of company vehicles for designated staff
• Aquis House passes - free parking evenings, weekends and bank holidays
• 25% discount on legal services
• Social committee, social events and annual Christmas party
• Eye test vouchers
• Medicash Employee Assistance Programme
• Medicash Benefits - Perks At Work
• Private healthcare for partners
• Training and development programmes, Sills Academy, CPD courses
• Financial support for further training and awarding body memberships
• Management training course with Lincoln University
• Study leave arrangements for employees studying with Learning Agreements (1 day study, 1 day exam)
• Apprenticeship programme and internal progression pathways
• Junior Lawyers scheme at Lincoln branch

Wellbeing

Medicash Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Medicash Benefits - Perks At Work, eye test vouchers and wellbeing-related discounts; the firm promotes social activity and community involvement as part of wellbeing.

Awards & Recognition

• Legal 500 - Top Tier recognition (Family / Private client) and special award for Client Satisfaction
• Listed in The Lawyer UK200 (position 157)
• Lexcel practice management standard (held since 2002)
• Legal Aid Agency Specialist Quality Mark
• Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)
• LexisNexis Family Law Awards - Family Law Firm of the Year (Midlands & Wales) (2024) and other family award wins
• British Wills & Probate Awards - Solicitor Firm of the Year and Probate Team of the Year (dates as referenced on site)
• Yorkshire Legal Awards - multiple team awards (dates as referenced on site)
• Sheffield Law Society - Private Client Team of the Year (date as referenced on site)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Committed to Services for All (access to legal services and provision of public funding where eligible). The firm promotes respect between staff, supports local communities through donations and sponsorship, encourages staff to join local committees/boards, and endorses alternative entry routes into the profession to improve access to law.

• Equal opportunities and diversity policy
• Free initial advice clinics and pro bono advice clinics
• Work experience programme (25 placements per year)
• Apprenticeship Programme (paralegal and solicitor apprenticeships)
• Business in the Community (BITC) participation
• Partners in Reading school project
• Close links with local schools and school governor involvement
• Support and donations for local charities across the region
• Sponsorship of local sports clubs and community organisations

Pro Bono

Encourages lawyers to provide free or low-cost legal services to local charities and not-for-profit organisations; provides free initial advice at clinics held in offices and other locations across the region; community fundraising and pro bono activities are promoted.

Innovation

The firm invests in professional development and training (Sills Academy, CPD events) and partners with BPP Law School for apprenticeship delivery; there is no detailed public listing of proprietary legal‑tech platforms or named digital tools on the available pages. Trainees and staff engage with regular in-house training and practice-tailored course materials.

Quick Application Angles

• Reference the firm’s long regional heritage (recorded origins in 1759) and explain why you want to work for a large regional full-service firm that combines local community engagement with broad practice exposure.
• If applying for family or private client roles, cite the firm’s Legal 500 Top Tier recognition and recent family awards (Family Law Firm of the Year 2024) and explain how your experience would support that team’s remit (e.g., child law, financial remedies, high-net-worth divorces).
• Emphasise practical experience and client care: the firm prizes applicants who can show hands-on legal work (conveyancing, probate, family advice, paralegal tasks) and clear examples of communication and case management.
• For apprenticeship or paralegal applications, highlight practical learning, team-working and readiness for BPP-based study; reference the firm’s apprenticeship pathway (Level 4 paralegal → Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship with SQE fees/support included).
• Mention regional knowledge or community engagement (local schools, charities or sports clubs) if relevant — the firm places importance on local relationships and community links.