Law

Jersey’s legal sector is a focal point of the financial services industry, with a range of firms servicing both the 'onshore' and local markets. The majority of lawyers in Jersey practice corporate and commercial law, working closely alongside lawyers based in other jurisdictions (particularly law firms based in the City of London) and professionals working in the banking, funds and trusts sectors. Although it is a generalisation, the Jersey legal market also tends to be split between lawyers providing services to local people and businesses, including lawyers who will spend much of their time engaged in relation to Court related matters, and those lawyers who provide specialist Jersey commercial and corporate law advice in relation to transactions and clients predominantly derived from the onshore markets, particularly the City of London.

A corporate and commercial lawyer will act for businesses of all sizes. Local market work might involve advising on a wide range of issues relevant to a business, such as commercial contracts, intellectual property and employment law. Many Jersey lawyers will work almost exclusively on corporate structuring and financing work driven from the on-shore markets and involving Jersey based structures established by financial institutions and larger corporate groups.

Most commercial lawyers tend to specialise in particular areas of law, for example, corporate, real estate, employment, finance, funds or intellectual property. However, the degree of specialisation in Jersey tends to be less pronounced than is the case in larger jurisdictions due to the relative size of the jursidiction's legal community and its law firms. As a result, it is often the case that the Jersey lawyer is required to work on a broader range of legal matters by comparison, for example, with lawyers at firms based in the City of London.

The Jersey Legal Profession

Qualification as a Jersey Lawyer

Institute of Jersey Law 

Study for an English Law Degree in Jersey