Junior solicitors have warned of exploitation and reduced access to the profession for the less well-off if regulators decide to ditch the minimum salary for trainees.

Current minimum salary ­levels for trainee solicitors - £18,590 in central London and £16,650 outside - have been frozen for the last two years. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has begun a consultation on whether to scrap the minimum rate policy, which dates back to 1982.

The Junior Lawyers Division (JLD), which opposes the move, has warned that some firms will abuse any relaxation of the rules.

In its response to the consultation, the JLD said: ‘The removal of the minimum wage would not only serve to restrict entry to those who could not afford the low wage, but it would open up trainee solicitors to further exploitation and the loss of talented individuals to other professions.

‘It could also deter talented individuals from pursuing a career in legal aid and traditionally less well-paid areas of practice.’

The JLD said it has already come across cases of exploitation of paralegals and young people on work experience. Desperate trainee solicitors, it warns, could be forced to work for very low salaries or even for nothing, leading to a legal profession populated by individuals from wealthy backgrounds who are able to accept low pay because they can live on family money.

However, the SRA argues that few other professional regulators set rates of pay. Executive director Samantha Barrass said: ‘It would appear that setting a minimum salary does not address any identified risk to the public interest or the rule of law, nor is it clear that it improves access to the profession.’

A decision is likely to be made at the SRA board meeting on 16 May.

The consultation is open until 10 April. Access the paper.