How to represent yourself in court as a Litigant in Person
Hopefully you’ll never be in a situation where someone is forcing you into court to defend yourself. But no matter how hard you may try to ‘stay away from trouble’ sometimes it finds you, even if it is thoroughly unprovoked, and you may have no option but to go to court. Your three options If […]
Three business situations where a paralegal may be a better option than instructing a solicitor
It’s always sensible to keep an eye on costs within a business, but it’s more important than ever now – after all, who knows what is around the corner? If you have a legal issue that you need help with, most people turn to a solicitor. But these can be expensive, charging upwards of £200 […]
Could 2024 be the year for a legal apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships have been around for hundreds of years. They were started in England by the Statute of Artificers in 1563. Whilst the popularity of apprenticeships declined in the early 1900s, they have seen a resurgence thanks to the introduction of Modern Apprenticeships in 1992, providing more opportunities for school leavers in a wider variety of […]
What is the true impact of the virtual eradication of legal aid?
In April 2013 The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) came into force. This statute introduced funding cuts to legal aid, resulting in fewer consumers of legal services being able to gain access to advice and assistance. The coalition government’s motivation behind introducing this was, amongst other reasons, to reduce the […]
How to set up your own paralegal practice
If you are planning to set up your own paralegal practice, delivering paralegal services direct to businesses and consumers, there are several issues to consider. These range initially from whether you have sufficient qualifications and/or experience, professional status, and demand to how to go about setting up your business including the dos and dont’s. So, […]
Are Paralegals any good and is it worth using them?
For centuries in England, it’s true to say that consumers of legal services automatically consider a ‘lawyer’ to be either a solicitor or barrister. Not so anymore! With the economic squeeze affecting all of us, it’s understandable that consumers cannot afford the fees of these conventional lawyers. As consumers we also are subject to the […]
How to recognise if you are a paralegal
Does the work you do mean that you are a paralegal? It is clear that a majority of employers do not actually know what a paralegal is, and what they do. And many employees are also not aware that they are actually carrying out skilled paralegal duties. I recently had to examine a CV of […]
How to choose between the services of a paralegal, a solicitor and a barrister
There are two traditional legal professionals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: solicitors and barristers. Both are statutorily regulated professions, meaning both have membership bodies and regulatory bodies and the only people who can refer to themselves as ‘solicitors’ or ‘barristers’ are those who have been through the prescribed training process for either profession. Indeed, […]
How to find legal help
The most problematic element, when things go terribly wrong, is finding the appropriate help and assistance. When we have incidents in the home, such as a leaky pipe or electrical issues, we call either a plumber or electrician. It seems to be relatively simple to find such skilled tradespeople because it is a common requirement […]
Helping a client through the stages of going to Court
If you are a Licensed Paralegal Practitioner and you have been assisting a client with their legal matter, but it seems inevitable that the case cannot be resolved, it may be necessary to go to court. If such circumstances arise, then depending on whether the case is a criminal or civil matter will guide you […]
