UK

United Kingdom · Legal · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Legal Secretary

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

See how AI is changing this job, and get the full read by email.

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As a Legal Secretary, a good place to start on Digital Literacy & Automation Mindset is Automating a Repeated Task in Own Work, a free Future Fluency module at Level 3. You'd practise automating the part of a weekly task that never changes, and checking it really saves you time.

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Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toOffice Manager or Senior Legal Secretary
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as Legal Assistant · Mid-Level Legal Administrator · Litigation Secretary · Corporate Legal Secretary

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

ProQual Level 3 Award in Providing Initial Legal Advice ProQual Awarding Body · Level 3 · covers 3 of 10 standards
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Information, Advice or Guidance NCFE · Level 2 · covers 3 of 10 standards
OCNLR Level 2 Award in Information, Advice or Guidance OCN London · Level 2 · covers 3 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Providing initial advice on family law ProQual Level 3 Award in Providing Initial Legal Advice
Specialist advice work in practice – employment NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Information, Advice or Guidance
Specialist Advice Work in Practice - Employment OCNLR Level 2 Award in Information, Advice or Guidance

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Legal Secretary

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Providing initial advice on family law ProQual Awarding Body · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 3
  2. Specialist advice work in practice – employment NCFE · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 2
  3. Specialist Advice Work in Practice - Employment OCN London · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Legal Secretary?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Digital Literacy & Automation Mindset
  • Proactive Risk & Compliance Awareness
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Legal Secretary plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

A legal secretary supports one or two solicitors or partners, keeping their daily work running smoothly. The work covers preparing documents for court and making sure bills go out on time. It means handling the administrative side of a caseload, so the legal team can focus on the law.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

iManage Work / NetDocuments (Document Management System) Intermediate

Saving, retrieving, and profiling documents with precision, managing basic version control, and understanding complex folder structures and ethical walls.

Thomson Reuters Elite 3E / Aderant Expert (Practice Management System) Intermediate

Accurately entering time, running basic client reports, processing expense reports, managing complex billing narratives, and preparing/editing pre-bills.

PACER / State E-Filing Portals (e.g., NYSCEF, CaseFileXpress) Intermediate

Independently managing multi-document e-filings, calculating filing fees, handling service of process, and troubleshooting common e-filing rejections.

MS Word (Advanced Features) Advanced

Expert use of Styles, Tables of Authorities (TOAs), Tables of Contents (TOCs), cross-referencing, and complex formatting. You'll be creating perfect documents from templates and from scratch.

Adobe Acrobat Pro Intermediate

Converting documents to PDF, creating fillable forms, performing redactions, combining and splitting PDFs, and handling digital signatures.

Litera Compare / Workshare Compare Intermediate

Running complex document comparisons ('redlines') to show changes between versions, and interpreting those redlines for solicitors.

MS Outlook, MS Teams, Zoom Intermediate

Managing multiple attorneys' calendars, scheduling complex meetings and depositions across time zones, organising Teams channels and files, and coordinating virtual meetings.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Document Formatting & Content Edits Follows explicit instructions; any substantive changes or complex formatting (e.g., TOA generation) require supervisor review. Independently applies complex formatting (TOA/TOC, styles); makes minor grammatical or stylistic edits without review; escalates substantive content questions to solicitor. Designs and implements complex document templates; makes significant stylistic and structural edits to improve clarity; reviews junior secretaries' formatting for compliance.
Calendar & Meeting Scheduling Schedules internal meetings for one attorney; all external meetings or complex scheduling requires supervisor approval. Manages complex, multi-party, multi-time-zone scheduling for depositions and client meetings for multiple attorneys; independently resolves minor scheduling conflicts. Manages calendars for executive-level partners or entire practice groups; coordinates logistics for large-scale events (e.g., trials, major deal closings); advises on optimal scheduling strategies.
E-Filing & Service of Process Uploads pre-prepared documents for e-filing under direct supervision; basic understanding of service requirements. Independently manages multi-document e-filings, calculates fees, and handles service of process; troubleshoots common e-filing rejections; escalates complex or sealed filings. Manages complex, sealed, or ex-parte filings; acts as the point person for troubleshooting persistent e-filing issues; coordinates with e-discovery vendors for large filings.
Billing & Time Entry Management Accurately enters time as provided; processes basic expense reports; any pre-bill review requires supervisor guidance. Manages complex billing narratives, prepares and edits pre-bills for multiple attorneys; understands WIP/AR reports; processes client intake and related billing setup. Troubleshoots complex billing issues; analyses team productivity reports related to billing; provides input on system customisations or upgrades for billing processes.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Document Turnaround Time
How quickly you get standard documents, like letters or simple pleadings, drafted, formatted, and ready to go once requested.
Target · 90% of standard correspondence completed within 3 hours; complex documents within agreed timelines.

A solicitor asks for a standard client letter at 10 AM, and it's on their desk (or in their inbox) for review by 1 PM. For a more complex brief, you'd agree a 24-hour turnaround and hit it.

Time Entry Accuracy & Completeness
Ensuring all billable hours for your assigned fee-earners are entered correctly, with clear narratives, and on time for the monthly billing cycle.
Target · Greater than 99% accuracy rate on processed time entries; all time entered by the 3rd working day of the month.

At month-end, the billing department flags fewer than 1% of your processed time entries for errors or missing details, and all your solicitors' time is in the system by the deadline.

Calendar & Deadline Accuracy
Making sure all court dates, client meetings, and internal deadlines are accurately docketed and updated in the firm's calendar system.
Target · Fewer than 1 critical scheduling error or missed deadline entry per quarter.

You correctly docketed a complex series of court deadlines for a new case, including all response dates, and there were no surprises or missed appointments for your solicitors.

Pre-Bill Correction Rate
The number of changes solicitors need to make to the draft invoices (pre-bills) you've prepared, indicating how well you've captured their time and expenses.
Target · Reduce attorney edits on pre-bills by 15% compared to previous quarter/year average.

Your assigned solicitor usually makes 10-15 edits to their pre-bills. After you took ownership, they now only make 5-7, meaning you're getting it right first time more often.

Attorney Confidence & Trust
Your solicitors feel confident handing over critical tasks, knowing you'll handle them reliably and discreetly, without needing constant follow-up.
  • Solicitors proactively delegate complex tasks to you
  • they consult you on procedural questions
  • they don't double-check your work on routine matters
  • positive feedback in informal check-ins.
Proactive Workflow Management
You don't just wait for instructions; you anticipate needs, flag upcoming deadlines, and suggest ways to improve efficiency.
  • You've already prepared the 'shell' of a document before the solicitor asks for it
  • you remind them about an upcoming deadline they might have forgotten
  • you suggest a better way to organise a client file.
Problem-Solving & Initiative
When a tricky situation arises (e.g., a document won't e-file, a complex meeting needs rescheduling), you try to find a solution before escalating.
  • You've researched the e-filing portal's error codes and tried common fixes before asking for help
  • you've offered three alternative times for a meeting before telling the solicitor it 'can't be done'.
Professional Demeanour Under Pressure
You maintain a calm, composed, and professional attitude even when deadlines are tight and multiple people are asking for things at once.
  • You're not visibly stressed during peak billing periods or trial prep
  • you communicate calmly when managing competing priorities
  • colleagues comment on your ability to stay cool.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Organisational Mastery

You love bringing order to chaos. Your desk is usually tidy, your files are perfectly organised, and you get a genuine kick out of creating a system that makes everyone's life easier. You enjoy the process of setting up a new client file or getting a complex document perfectly formatted.

You've just finished setting up a new client's electronic file, complete with sub-folders for correspondence, pleadings, and research, all perfectly labelled and easily searchable. You feel a quiet satisfaction knowing everything is exactly where it should be.

Enabling Success

You're happiest when you know your support has directly helped a solicitor meet a deadline, win a case, or close a deal. You like being the person behind the scenes who makes things happen, even if you don't get the public credit.

A solicitor thanks you for getting a crucial document filed just before the court closed, which allowed them to proceed with a hearing. You feel a sense of pride knowing your efficiency directly contributed to their success.

Attention to Detail & Accuracy

You thrive on tasks that require precision and a keen eye. You enjoy proofreading, checking citations, and ensuring every document that leaves your desk is flawless. Errors genuinely bother you, and you're driven to prevent them.

You've just proofread a 50-page contract, catching a subtle inconsistency in a defined term that everyone else missed. You feel a quiet satisfaction in knowing you've saved the firm from a potential headache down the line.

What frustrates people
  • The Last-Minute Filer: Solicitors who hand you a 100-page document at 4:55 PM for a 5:00 PM court deadline. It's stressful, and frankly, a bit disrespectful of your time.
  • The Time-Entry Chase: Spending the first week of every month hounding partners to submit their billable hours. It feels less like legal support and more like being a debt collector.
  • Technological Indifference: Supporting brilliant lawyers who refuse to learn basic Word functions or how to use the document management system properly, meaning you constantly clean up their messes.
  • Competing Priorities: Being stuck between two partners, both convinced their 'urgent' task is the only thing that matters in the universe at that exact moment. It's a constant balancing act.
  • Illegible Markups: Trying to decipher handwritten edits on a printed document that look like ancient hieroglyphs, then getting blamed when your interpretation isn't 100% perfect.
  • Scope Creep: The 'quick 5-minute question' that spirals into a two-hour complex research or document revision project, completely derailing your carefully planned day.
What this role does not give you
  • Direct legal advice or client representation (that's for the solicitors).
  • A predictable 9-to-5 day every single day; sometimes you'll need to stay late for urgent filings.
  • A highly creative or unstructured environment; this role thrives on process and precision.
  • The opportunity to avoid administrative tasks; that's the core of the job, even the tedious bits.

8Who you work with

Your work is pretty critical, honestly. You're the one making sure documents are filed on time, clients are billed accurately, and solicitors can actually get their work done without drowning in paperwork. Get it right, and the firm runs like clockwork, clients are happy, and revenue flows. Get it wrong, and we're looking at missed deadlines, unhappy clients, and potentially even professional negligence claims. No pressure, eh?

Inside the business
  • Solicitors and Partners (your primary clients)
  • Office Manager (for operational guidance)
  • Billing Department (you'll work closely on invoices)
  • Other Legal Secretaries (for cover and shared knowledge)
  • IT Support (when the printer inevitably plays up)
Outside the business
  • Court Clerks (for filing and enquiries)
  • Clients (occasionally, for scheduling or basic info)
  • Barristers' Chambers (for booking counsel)
  • Process Servers and Couriers (to get documents where they need to go)
  • External Vendors (e.g., transcription services)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2-3 years of proven experience as a Legal Administrative Assistant or Junior Legal Secretary, ideally within a law firm environment.
  • Demonstrable proficiency in advanced MS Word features (Styles, TOA/TOC generation) and experience with a document management system.
  • A solid understanding of legal terminology and court procedures in at least one practice area.
  • Excellent organisational skills and a meticulous eye for detail, with a track record of managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with a professional and discreet approach.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced AI Prompting for Legal Tasks

As AI tools become more integrated, knowing how to 'talk' to them effectively – crafting precise prompts – will be a superpower. This isn't just typing a question; it's about engineering the right input to get the right legal output.

Context Windows & Token Limits · Temperature Settings · Output Validation

  • This week: Experiment with ChatGPT or Claude to summarise legal articles or draft simple emails. Pay attention to how you phrase your requests.
  • This month: Take an online course on prompt engineering basics. There are plenty of free resources available.
  • Month 2: Start using AI to draft initial versions of routine documents (e.g., engagement letters, basic correspondence) and critically evaluate the output.
  • Month 3: Share your learnings and best practices for AI prompting with your colleagues.

Quick win: Use AI to summarise long emails or meeting notes. It's a low-risk way to get started and immediately saves time.

Legal Tech Integration & Troubleshooting

Our systems aren't isolated; they talk to each other. Understanding how our DMS, practice management, and e-filing systems integrate will help you troubleshoot issues more effectively and even suggest improvements.

API Basics (Conceptual) · Data Flow · Error Log Interpretation

  • This week: Pay attention to how data you enter in one system appears in another. Ask IT about integrations.
  • This month: Shadow an IT support person for an hour to see how they troubleshoot common legal software issues.
  • Next quarter: Take an internal training session on the 'ecosystem' of our firm's legal tech stack.
  • Ongoing: Document any recurring technical glitches you encounter and propose potential solutions.

Quick win: When a system gives an error, google the exact error message. You'd be surprised how often a quick fix appears.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attending firm-sponsored training sessions on new software or updated firm procedures.
  • Participating in webinars or online courses focused on legal tech, data protection, or legal ethics.
  • Joining professional networks for legal secretaries or administrators to share best practices.
  • Taking an advanced course in legal transcription or proofreading to hone your accuracy skills.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Digital Literacy & Automation Mindset

As more routine tasks become automated by AI and other tools, your value shifts to identifying what can be automated and then overseeing those processes. It's about working with the tech, not against it.

  • Process Mapping
  • Workflow Optimisation
  • Human-in-the-Loop

Proactive Risk & Compliance Awareness

With increasing data breaches and regulatory scrutiny, every member of the legal team needs to be a frontline defender. Your understanding of compliance goes beyond just following rules; it's about actively spotting potential issues.

  • Cybersecurity Best Practices
  • Data Privacy Principles
  • Ethical AI Use

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Civil Procedure & Court Rules
  • Legal Document Formatting & Citation
  • Timekeeping & Billing Hygiene
  • Conflicts Checking & Client Intake
  • Ethical Wall & Confidentiality Management
  • Practice-Specific Terminology

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Legal Administrative Assistant

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Foundational document formatting, basic calendar management, accurate time entry, understanding of firm procedures, and strong attention to detail.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently produces error-free basic documents.
    • Manages a single attorney's calendar effectively with minimal supervision.
    • Proactively identifies and flags minor issues.
    • Demonstrates a strong desire to learn and take on more responsibility.
  2. 2

    Office Junior / General Administrator (with legal exposure)

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • General office management, strong organisational skills, basic data entry, exposure to confidential information, and a keen interest in the legal sector.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Handles multiple administrative tasks efficiently.
    • Shows initiative in learning about legal processes.
    • Maintains high levels of confidentiality.
    • Has actively sought out opportunities to assist the legal team.
  3. 3

    Direct Entry (with relevant experience)

    N/A

    Skills to master

    • Transferable administrative skills from a similar professional services environment (e.g., accountancy, finance), coupled with a quick learning ability for legal specifics.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Can demonstrate 2-5 years of experience in a fast-paced, detail-oriented administrative role.
    • Has experience with complex document production and calendar management.
    • Shows a clear understanding of confidentiality and professional ethics.
    • Expresses a strong, genuine interest in transitioning into the legal sector.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to supervising other legal secretaries, managing legal support for an office, or moving into a paralegal role with further study.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £26,968 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Legal secretaries), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Legal Secretary is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Senior Legal Secretary / Practice Group Secretary

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Providing initial advice on family law, worked against Legal Secretary.

Providing initial advice on family law Level 3

Applied to your work in Legal Secretary

1. To enable the learner to explain the core legislation pertaining to divorce and civil partnerships. 2. To enable the learner to discuss the legal implications of child-related proceedings in family law. 3. To enable the learner to identify the overarching legislative framework for providing initial advice on family law matters.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Legal Secretary
  • Civil Procedure & Court Rules
  • Legal Document Formatting & Citation
  • Timekeeping & Billing Hygiene
  • Conflicts Checking & Client Intake
  • Ethical Wall & Confidentiality Management
  • Practice-Specific Terminology
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Legal Secretary is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Legal Secretary / Practice Group Secretary

    3-5 years in current role

    Level 3 (Senior)

    • Supporting a Senior Partner or multiple fee-earners with highly complex cases/transactions.
    • Becoming the go-to expert for specific practice area procedures or court rules.
    • Taking on more responsibility for managing entire workstreams, like trial preparation or large deal closings.
    • Contributing to process improvements and best practices for the secretarial team.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of a Legal Secretary's day is spent on tasks that are repetitive but absolutely critical. Imagine if you could offload some of that grunt work to an intelligent assistant, freeing you up for the more interesting, high-value stuff. Well, that's not sci-fi anymore; it's here.

AI isn't here to replace you; it's here to make you incredibly efficient. For a Legal Secretary, this means less time wrestling with formatting, less chasing for time entries, and more time anticipating needs and truly supporting your solicitors. We're talking about taking the 'admin' out of 'administration' so you can focus on being the indispensable force you truly are.

Automated Document Shell Creation

Forget starting from a blank page. AI can draft initial pleadings, engagement letters, or basic motions by pulling client and matter data directly from our practice management system. It'll pre-populate captions, party information, and standard clauses, giving you a solid head start. You'll just need to review and refine, not build from scratch.

Intelligent Proofreading & Citation Checking

Imagine a tool that doesn't just catch typos but understands legal language. AI can go beyond basic spellcheck, reviewing documents for legal-specific errors, checking citation formats against Bluebook or local styles, and ensuring consistency in defined terms across a 100-page brief. It's like having an extra, tireless pair of eyes.

Smart Time Narrative Improvement

Chasing solicitors for clear time entries is a pain, we know. AI can scan draft time entries and flag vague or non-compliant language (e.g., 'attention to file'). It then suggests more descriptive, client-friendly narratives, which not only saves you editing time but also improves our billing realisation rates. Less back-and-forth, more accurate bills.

Proactive Deadline Docketing

Court orders and emails are full of critical dates, and missing one is a nightmare. AI can scan these incoming documents, automatically identifying key dates and deadlines. It then suggests calendar entries for our docketing system, complete with calculated response times based on court rules. You'll still verify, but the heavy lifting is done for you.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Legal Secretary?

Common routes in include Legal Administrative Assistant (1-2 years), Office Junior / General Administrator (with legal exposure) (2-3 years) and Direct Entry (with relevant experience) (N/A). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Legal Secretary progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Legal Secretary / Practice Group Secretary (3-5 years in current role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Legal Secretary?

Increasingly, Digital Literacy & Automation Mindset and Proactive Risk & Compliance Awareness. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in legal

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built as a legal secretary transfer well to other settings. These include in-house legal departments, government agencies, and other professional services firms such as accountancy or consulting. Strong administrative and organisational skills, along with an understanding of confidentiality and process, are useful in any of these settings.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.