Sheriff Officer Careers

Work Environment:

As a sheriff officer and messengers at arms, you'd work for the Scottish courts, collecting debts, imposing orders of court and serving legal papers. You would do similar work to county-court bailiffs within Wales and England.

In this work, your tasks might comprise:

• maintaining precise records and being liable for any goods and money retrieved
• conversing with debtors and organizing for debtors to do repayments in installments
• giving advice on money management
• sending letters to debtors to demand payment
• providing court documents like summonses and writs
• reclaiming property and goods
• organizing for retrieved goods to sell at auction

As a sheriff officer, you'd work for the civil courts and have a commission to work within a specific district, and as a messenger at arms; you can voyage anywhere within Scotland to impose orders of Court Session.

Qualification, Education and Experience:

Generally, you'd begin as a witness to a sheriff officer. To become a sheriff officer your age should be 20 or above, with training of minimum 3 years by an officer of court. You'll also have to pass examination of the Society of Messengers at Arms and Sheriff Officers.

To take the sheriff officer examination, generally you'll require minimum 5 S grades (1 to 3) with mathematics and English. Related work experience or qualifications might be allowed. Confirm with the Society of Messengers at Arms and Sheriff Officers.

You can begin as a witness before you're 20, although your age should be 20 to take the examination and get the commission. You'll also generally require a driving license for this work.

Training Details:

You'd be given training at the work, by a combination of attending short training courses and working with an experienced officer of court, which usually takes 3 years.

You may carry on training and development all through your career, with the CPD (Continuing-Professional Development) program, which is provided by the Society of Messengers at Arms and Sheriff Officers for its affiliates.

After having experience of minimum 2 years as an entitled sheriff officer, you may give a further examination and apply to be appointed as a messenger at arms.

Skills and knowledge:

• readiness to work by yourself or as member of a smaller group
• the capability to cope with persons from every backdrop
• physically fit
• diplomacy and fine negotiation abilities
• business understanding, for evaluating value of possessions
• calmness under-stress, since people might become aggressive or distressed
• the capability to study and comprehend the related laws
• a confident and assertive approach
• mathematical abilities, for computing payments with debtors
• fine judgment

Salary and Other Benefits:

• Initial remunerations can be around £17,000 for a year.
• Generally, entitled sheriff officers can receive about £27,000 for a year, with £29,000 for messengers at arms.

Working Conditions:

You'd work weekly for about 38 to 41 hours. You should be adjustable in your hours of working, and be capable to work in weekends and evenings. You may also work on part time basis.

You'd be working within office, although you'd employ most of working time voyaging to meet debtors. This work often includes bringing and lifting goods.

Different Opportunities:

You can discover work chances with private companies of messengers at arms and sheriff officers and be appointed to work for the courts.

To get contacts for available vacancies, check the members' directory on the website of the Society of Messengers at Arms and Sheriff Officers.

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