STRENGTHEN YOUR TEAM · VACANCY COVER
Interim cover for a legal or compliance vacancy
For interim cover of a legal vacancy or a compliance vacancy, Alpinum Solutions provides interim lawyers and compliance professionals who fill the open position until the permanent hire starts: from junior legal counsel to head of legal, part-time or full-time, via staff leasing or freelancing. Assignments run in Switzerland, Germany and Austria; your company directs the work.
A resignation, an internal move or a newly approved headcount: between the last working day or the approval and the start of the new hire there are often months. Contracts, requests and reporting duties continue in the meantime. An interim professional takes on the position as advertised and hands over to the successor in an orderly way.
Typical assignments between departure and new hire
Example scenarios based on typical vacancies, not individual client cases.
Legal counsel resigns, the search is on
Recruiting starts after the resignation, and the successor has a notice period of their own. An interim legal counsel takes over contract work and advice to the business. Duration: usually several months. Workload: as in the open position, often full-time.
Head of legal position is open
Without a head, decisions, budget responsibility and the voice towards management are missing. This is what the Interim Head of Legal is for. Duration: until the new head has settled in. Workload: full-time or on fixed days.
Role with regulatory responsibility is vacant
When a compliance officer, data protection officer or MLRO leaves, the function must still be performed. Whether interim cover via staff leasing or freelancing is possible depends on function, country and supervisory requirements and is clarified before the start. Duration: until the new hire. Workload: part-time or full-time, depending on the function.
New headcount approved, profile not yet found
The position is approved, but the market for the profile is tight. An interim professional starts on the tasks right away while the search continues. Duration: until the permanent hire starts. Workload: full-time or part-time, depending on urgency.
Interim cover for a legal vacancy: keeping the position working
Job profile, not a wish list
The basis is the open position: tasks, level, languages, systems, reporting line. That way the interim cover fits the role that will later be filled permanently.
Secure the leaver's knowledge
If there is an overlap with the notice period, a short joint handover pays off. Otherwise a list of open matters, deadlines and contacts helps.
Link the term to recruiting
An end date can rarely be planned exactly. An initial term with an extension option, aligned with the progress of the search, works well.
Plan the handover to the successor
When the new hire starts, the interim professional onboards them and hands over open files in writing. Then the assignment ends.
Interim cover at every level, from junior to head of legal, and how you direct it
The interim professional matches the level of the open position, neither higher nor lower.
- Junior (0–2 years): covers an open assistant or entry-level role, such as contract administration, research or KYC checks to instructions.
- Mid-level (3–6 years): replaces a legal counsel or compliance officer in day-to-day work, with their own files and direct contact with the business.
- Senior (7+ years): fills a senior or leadership role, leads a team and represents the function towards management and supervisors. For leadership vacancies in compliance, an Interim Compliance Officer fits.
Your company sets tasks, priorities and reporting line as for the permanent role. In staff leasing, the right to give professional instructions lies with you and the professional is integrated into your organisation; in freelancing, they deliver the agreed mandate independently.
Interim cover in Switzerland, Germany and Austria
- Switzerland: freelancing or Personalverleih (staff leasing).
- Germany: temporary agency work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) or freelancing; more on the market at interim lawyers in Germany.
- Austria: freelancing; staff leasing runs through Alpinum's Swiss or German company.
If the interim professional should work like a team member, with your instructions and systems, temporary legal staff via staff leasing fits. For a clearly defined mandate, freelance lawyers fit. Limit: Alpinum is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice; responsibility for legal decisions stays with your company.
Process and timing: from resignation to handover
1 · Describe the position
You send the job profile or describe tasks, level, workload and preferred start. A call clarifies reporting line and term.
2 · Review profiles
Selected profiles reach you within 48 hours. You hold the interviews and decide.
3 · Start the assignment
You and Alpinum agree the start date together; it depends on availability, contract and access and is not guaranteed. Ideally it overlaps with the notice period.
4 · Extend or hand over
If the search takes longer, the assignment is extended. Once the successor is confirmed, you plan the handover together.
What interim cover for the open position costs
The price depends on the level of the position, model, country, workload and term. The guide cost models in interim legal and compliance compares it with permanent hiring and law firms.
Hourly ranges (excl. VAT, as of October 2026)
- Germany, staff leasing: EUR 60–90 (junior), 90–120 (experienced), 120–180+ (senior)
- Germany, freelancing: EUR 90–120 (junior), 120–170 (experienced), 170–250+ (senior)
- Switzerland: CHF 75–100 (junior), 100–150 (experienced), 150–225+ (senior)
For a part-time vacancy, only the agreed hours or days count.
FAQ on interim cover for legal and compliance vacancies
How long does vacancy cover usually last?
Until the successor starts and has settled in. Because recruiting and notice periods are hard to plan, many assignments begin with an initial term and are extended.
Can the interim professional also lead the legal department?
Yes. For an open head-of-legal role there is a dedicated service: Interim Head of Legal. If leadership is only needed on certain days, a Fractional General Counsel fits.
Is compliance vacancy cover possible for formal functions?
Professionals can take on functions such as compliance officer or data protection officer. For an MLRO, regulatory requirements may restrict the model; we clarify this before the start.
Does Alpinum also help with the permanent hire?
Yes. Besides temporary support, Alpinum offers executive search and permanent recruiting. The interim solution stays in place until the permanent hire starts.
How does a vacancy differ from a staffing shortage or parental leave?
In a vacancy, the position is free and will be filled again. In a staffing shortage, someone is temporarily absent or the team is too small. If the person returns, for example after parental leave, it is parental leave cover for legal counsel. For an overview of every occasion, see interim legal support.
Discuss your open position
Send us the job profile or describe the vacancy. Selected profiles follow within 48 hours; we agree the start date together.