Court Administrative Officer Job Application – Full Career Guide

How to become a Court Administrative Officer. Read our comprehensive job guide if you want to learn more about this career.

What does a Court Administrative Officer do?

As an administrative assistant or officer in the Courts Service, you would help with the day-to-day running of the courts and their supporting offices.

Your work would typically include:

• dealing with enquiries from the public
• booking dates and times for court hearings
• allocating cases to courtrooms
• preparing lists of the day’s court sessions and keeping ushers informed of these
• making sure that judges, magistrates and lawyers have the right paperwork for the case
• following up the court’s judgements after a hearing (for example, issuing court orders)
• taking notes in court for legal advisers.

If you worked in the section that specialises in fines and fees, your duties would involve collecting fines, sending out compensation or maintenance payments, producing summonses and helping people to complete forms.

Working Hours

In a full-time job you would work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Part-time work is often available.

You would be mainly office-based, but would also spend some of your time in the courtroom.

How much does a Court Administrative Officer earn?

Salary and pay information:

• Administrative assistants earn between £17,824 and £21,912 a year.
• Administrative officers can earn between £18,551 and £26,200 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry Requirements

You will often need at least two GCSEs (A-C) including English to work as an administrative assistant in HM Courts Service, and five GCSEs (A-C) including English to become an administrative officer.

If you have previous office experience you may be accepted without these qualifications. You may instead be able to take an aptitude test in the skills you need for the job, such as computer and communication skills.

Training and Development

You will usually be trained on the job and attend some in-house or external short courses. Your training may include the chance to gain recognised qualifications in business and administration.

Skills for Justice has developed work-based qualifications for court services, including:

• NVQ Level 2 in Court and Tribunals Administration
• an Apprenticeship in Courts, Tribunals and Prosecution Services.

Contact Skills for Justice for more information.

Skills and Knowledge

• excellent organisational and administrative skills
• accuracy and attention to detail
• respect for confidentiality
• good communication skills
• a calm, understanding and helpful manner
• the ability to avoid becoming emotionally involved in distressing cases
• good computer skills
• the ability to work well in a team and follow instructions
• an interest in the law.

Job Opportunities

In England and Wales, you would work for Her Majesty’s Courts Service, which oversees all magistrates’ courts and crown courts in England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, you would work for the Northern Ireland Court Service.

Jobs are advertised in the local press, in Jobcentre Plus and on the Courts Service websites.

The promotion structure is from administrative assistant to administrative officer and then to executive officer or team leader. You may need to transfer to a court in another area to gain promotion.