Consumer help and advice

Because the legal sector is changing quite rapidly there are more and more people who are referring to themselves as ‘Paralegals’. Paralegals who do not work for solicitors and barristers may offer their services to consumers as individual practitioners. Here are a few guidelines to follow if you are a consumer approached by such a person.

If you are approached by an individual referring to themselves as a ‘Paralegal’ and they do not work for a solicitor or barrister, then you should ensure that they are a member of a recognised body such as NALP.

In addition they should have a NALP Licence to Practise and should also be on the NPR (National Paralegal Register). You should not accept assistance from anyone purporting to be a Paralegal Professional if they cannot provide evidence of their membership to a professional body.

Paralegals can perform a variety of different legal tasks and do not necessarily just work alongside and for solicitors. They can work in company legal departments, local authorities, NHS, and even for themselves. Paralegals can do almost everything that a solicitor can do with the exception of reserved activities which are still the monopoly of solicitors. For example, unless a Paralegal is a Licensed Conveyancer or solicitor, they cannot perform a conveyancing transaction for a client. neither can they apply for a Grant of Probate on behalf of an Executor of a Will after someone dies, although they can advise the Executor him/herself how to do it. 

Paralegals do not have an automatic right to appear in court on behalf of a client, although they can represent a client at most Tribunals and before a District Judge in small civil claims in the County Court. However, most higher Courts will, at the discretion of the Judge, and with prior notice of representation being given, accept a paralegal before it, provided the Judge is of the opinion that the Paralegal is competent to do so.