Sheriff officer
Deliver official orders from the Scottish law courts to instruct a person to attend court, pay their debts or leave a property.
Also known as: messenger-at-arms, enforcement officer, enforcement agent, bailiff
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£346
Entry level
£769
Experienced
Monthly
£1,500
Entry level
£3,333
Experienced
Yearly
£18,000
Entry level
£40,000
Experienced
1,000
people are currently employed
Low growth
No change in number of jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would deliver official orders from the Scottish law courts to instruct a person to attend court, pay their debts or leave a property.
As a sheriff officer you would work on behalf of the sheriff courts in one of six regions of Scotland.
Once you have worked for some time as a sheriff officer you could becomes a messenger-at-arms. You would then be an officer of the Court of Session – the supreme civil court in Scotland – and would work throughout Scotland.
As a sheriff officer or messenger at arms you would personally deliver orders from the court to individuals, making sure that you hand the documents to the named person.
You could be dealing with people who may be upset and angry. You will need to be assertive to make sure they understand why the court has taken this action but make sure that the situation stays calm.
The court papers will instruct the person to do something, for example, to leave a house when they have not paid the rent for a long time.
You would:
Deliver citations which order the person to attend court
Deliver documents which order a person to pay their debts
Talk to people about making arrangements to pay their debts
Serve court orders related to family matters like adoption and divorce
Remove someone from a property in cases of domestic violence
Take a child from a property in custody disputes or cases of child abuse
Take away goods and repossess property
At all times you would have to adhere to the law and follow strict guidelines on what you’re allowed to do.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- negotiating
- reliable
- ethical
- taking initiative
- empathising
- working with technology
- verbal communication
- reading
- cooperating
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
People and Society
Skills for Work: Uniformed and Emergency Services
You'll need qualifications in English and maths at SCQF Level 4 or above.
Once in a job, you'll complete a three-year traineeship through the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers. This would include passing the sheriff officers exam.
Qualifications that show an ability to work with the public, deal with difficult situations and physical fitness such as Skills for Work Uniformed and Emergency Services.
Some employers require you to have a driving licence.
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