A SENIOR Government minister has confirmed an order allowing Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (Cilex) members to be authorised to practise independently in the reserved areas of probate and conveyancing.
Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling says he will make the change, which will put chartered legal executives on equal footing with other legal professionals.
Stephen Gowland, Cilex president, has welcomed the decision.
He said: “Consumers can be confident that chartered legal executive-run businesses will provide a competitive and high quality service, and the public will have greater choice over who they get their legal services from.
Mr Gowland, a chartered legal executive and solicitor, runs ILS Solicitors, in Durham City, and last year became Cilex's first dual-qualified president.
Cilex is the professional and representative association for about 20,000 practising chartered legal executive lawyers, paralegals and legal professionals across England and Wales.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here