What Legal Recruitment Agencies Charge, and What Moves the Number
6 min read
A straight answer for hiring firms, including why our retained rate is lower than our contingency rate.
Recruitment fees in the UK are not regulated and not standardised. One firm is quoted 15%, another 25% for a similar role, and neither is told why. That opacity is not accidental, and it makes it very difficult to work out whether you are getting fair value.
This is what the market actually charges, what pushes a fee up or down, and what to ask before you sign anything.
What the UK market charges
Across the UK, permanent placement fees generally sit between 15% and 30% of the candidate's first year salary. Specialist and professional services roles, which includes legal, sit at the upper end of that range, commonly quoted between 22% and 35%.
Within that, contingency recruitment, where you pay nothing unless a placement is made, is typically 15% to 20% for standard roles and 20% to 30% for specialist or senior appointments. Retained search, where part of the fee is paid on instruction, is typically quoted at 25% to 33% nationally.
Regional variation is real. The South and South East sit above the North of England on percentage, reflecting both salary levels and competition for candidates.
Why we price retained below contingency
Nationally, retained search costs more than contingency. That is the market norm, most firms assume it without question, and it is why so few of them ever seriously consider retained work.
We do the opposite. A retained instruction at RecQuest costs less than the same role on contingency.
On contingency, an agency works your role between other priorities while two or three others chase the same candidates. Everyone is hedging. The agency carries all the risk, so the fee has to cover every search that never completes.
On a retained basis we know the role is ours and we know it will be worked properly. Genuine market mapping, direct approaches to people who are not applying anywhere, and a process that runs to a timetable rather than in the gaps. Better work, far more likely to succeed, and much less wasted effort. We pass that back.
A retained instruction includes:
A full market and competition map for the role and the local area
A long list of the entire relevant local market, not just the people who happen to be looking
A written timetable, delivered within five working days of instruction
Named and branded advertising, which would normally be charged separately at around £500
A retainer is payable on instruction and is deducted from the final fee on placement. That upfront commitment is what makes the lower rate possible. For hard to fill roles, senior appointments and confidential replacements, it is almost always the better arrangement for both sides.
What pushes a fee up
A single hard to fill role. Niche practice areas and rural locations take substantially more work per placement.
Seniority. Partner and head of department appointments involve mapping, discretion and a longer process.
Confidentiality. Replacing someone who does not yet know changes how the search has to be run.
Multiple agencies on the same brief. Putting three agencies on a role feels like it improves your odds. In practice it reduces the effort each one puts in, because none expects to be paid.
An unrealistic salary band. If the offer sits below market, the search takes longer and the fee reflects that.
What brings a fee down
Exclusivity. Sole agency on a role means the work gets done properly, and we price it accordingly.
A retained instruction. As above, this reduces the rate rather than increasing it.
Multiple roles. Two or three vacancies with one agency reduces the cost per hire.
An ongoing relationship. Firms we work with regularly are priced differently to one off instructions.
A realistic salary band. Roles priced to market fill faster and cost less to fill.
Flexibility on the brief. Being open on practice area or PQE widens the pool considerably.
Our fees are set against these factors and agreed openly before any work starts.
The rebate deserves more attention than the percentage
Firms negotiate hard on the headline percentage and barely glance at the rebate. That is the wrong way round. A 15% fee with a four week rebate can leave you considerably worse off than a 20% fee with proper protection.
For transparency, here is ours. Where an engagement ends within twelve weeks of the start date and the fee has been paid, you elect either a replacement candidate at no additional cost, or a rebate on the following scale:
Within the first week: 100% refunded
Weeks 2 to 4: 50% refunded, with a further 50% held as credit against a future placement
Weeks 5 to 6: 50% refunded
Weeks 7 to 8: 35% refunded
Weeks 9 to 10: 25% refunded
Weeks 11 to 12: 15% refunded
Qualifying conditions apply. The provision covers material misrepresentation by the candidate, gross misconduct, or a formally documented probation failure. It does not cover redundancy, restructuring, withdrawal of the role, or a decision based on personality or preference. Notification is required within five working days. The full terms are set out in our terms of business.
We publish this because almost nobody else does, and a firm comparing agencies deserves to see it before signing rather than afterwards.
What to ask any agency before signing terms
What is the fee, and what specifically does it cover?
How long is the rebate or replacement period, and does it reduce over time?
What voids it?
Is it a refund or a replacement, and who decides?
What happens if we hire a candidate you introduced twelve months later?
Do you charge separately for advertising, assessments or background checks?
Will you reduce the fee for exclusivity or a retained instruction?
How many other agencies are you willing to compete with on this role?
An agency that will not answer these plainly is telling you something.
Work out what your hiring is really costing you
The fee is the visible cost. The invisible one is a vacancy sitting open, work redistributed across a stretched team, and a process that quietly loses good candidates.
The Legal Hiring Health Check is a free five minute assessment that benchmarks your salary levels, timescales and process against what firms in your area are actually doing.
Start your free Legal Hiring Health Check
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do recruitment agencies charge in the UK?
Permanent placement fees generally run between 15% and 30% of first year salary. Specialist and professional services roles, including legal, commonly sit between 22% and 35%. Contingency work is typically 15% to 20% for standard roles, and retained search is usually quoted at 25% to 33% nationally.
Is retained recruitment more expensive than contingency?
Nationally, yes. At RecQuest it is the other way round. Our retained rate sits below our contingency rate, because exclusivity and an upfront commitment allow a proper search. It also includes a full market and competition map, a long list of the local market, a written timetable within five working days, and branded advertising that would otherwise be charged separately.
Do I pay anything if you do not find anyone?
On a contingency basis, no. You pay only when a candidate starts. On a retained basis a retainer is payable on instruction, which is what allows the lower overall rate, and it is deducted from the final fee on placement.
Should I use more than one recruitment agency for the same role?
It is usually counterproductive. Multiple agencies on one brief means none of them expects to be paid, so none commits properly. You typically get faster, shallower work from everyone and the same candidates presented three times.
Are recruitment fees negotiable?
Generally yes, though what you should be negotiating is the arrangement rather than the number. Exclusivity, a retained instruction, multiple roles or an ongoing relationship all reduce the cost legitimately. Pushing the percentage down without changing anything else usually reduces the effort you receive.
