Contract and temporary hiring trends in legal finance

As we progress through Q2 2025, the contract and interim legal finance recruitment market continues to show strong momentum. There has been a consistent rise in demand for temporary legal finance professionals, with law firms increasingly turning to contract solutions to support growth, cover leave, and navigate internal restructures.

At the same time, more professionals are recognising the value of temporary and contract roles in legal finance, enjoying the flexibility, variety, and opportunities they provide.

Here’s a closer look at the areas where we’re seeing the greatest contract hiring activity this quarter.

1. Revenue control: A key growth area for interim legal finance

Revenue control has remained consistently active this quarter, reflecting its growing strategic importance within law firm finance teams. Many of our clients are implementing new initiatives to support wider firm growth, which has led to the creation of newly defined revenue roles.

For example, we recently supported a hire resulting from a full team restructure, where the focus has shifted away from traditional revenue control tasks towards more commercially driven responsibilities such as pricing strategy and client profitability analysis.

Conversely, earlier in Q2, we partnered with a firm creating a brand-new position designed to reintroduce the full-cycle revenue control model, highlighting the ongoing demand for both innovative and traditional approaches within this evolving space.

2. Partnership tax & tax accounting

Tax roles have continued to come through at a steady pace, spanning all levels across both Tax Accounting and Partnership Accounting. However, this remains one of the more challenging areas to recruit into, particularly within Partnership Tax, which is an especially niche specialism with a very limited pool of active candidates.

As a result, many law firms have had to adapt their hiring strategies, becoming more flexible in order to secure the right talent. This has included considering candidates seeking part-time opportunities, as well as those with higher salary expectations reflective of their specialised expertise.

3. Legal accounting

We have also seen a rise in contract roles within the accounting space, an area that continues to present recruitment challenges, particularly for short-term cover. Most of these vacancies have arisen due to periods of leave, yet finding suitable interim talent at short notice has been challenging.

Legal accounting functions are typically lean and, in many firms, becoming even more streamlined as focus shifts towards more commercially driven roles. As a result, many of our clients have had to adjust their hiring criteria, often considering candidates from outside the legal sector to fill these gaps effectively.

Encouragingly, we’re seeing a wider variety of roles across the contract and temporary legal finance market, with more firms recognising the value of flexible resourcing. In fact, several clients are now adopting a temp-to-perm hiring approach as part of their long-term recruitment strategy.

It’s encouraging to see a growing number of law firms embracing contract and temporary hiring as a strategic solution. Not only does this approach help bridge immediate resource gaps, but it also supports broader business agility. Many firms are now adopting temp-to-perm hiring pathways, allowing them to assess team fit before making long-term commitments.

Advice for firms hiring interim legal finance professionals:

1. Flexibility is crucial

So much outstanding talent in the market is being overlooked due to a lack of flexibility. By being open to hybrid working, reduced hours, or industry crossover, firms can dramatically expand their talent pool.

2. Speed is essential

Good candidates, particularly those available at short notice, are often involved in multiple recruitment processes. To secure top-tier talent, employers must act quickly and streamline their hiring timelines.

Looking to hire or find a contract legal finance role?

Whether you’re hiring for an urgent interim need or searching for your next contract position in legal finance, our specialist team is here to help. We specialise in recruiting experienced legal finance contractors across London and the wider UK.

Contact me today to explore the latest opportunities or discuss a tailored recruitment solution for your team.

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About the author

Ummara Qureshi is a legal finance & accounting recruiter specialising in contract and temporary assignments. Ummara is committed to finding legal finance professionals roles that align with their expertise and career aspirations. If you are ready to explore contract opportunities in legal finance and accounting, get in touch today!