Sunday, 4 October 2009
What kind of questions to ask your solicitor
No solicitor who is prepared to act for you or your family should object to answering questions fully and honestly. The following questions are blunt, but you should not be afraid to ask them. Take a written list of questions when you see a solicitor for an initial interview, and make a note of the answers given. You may want to ask the person accompanying you to ask the questions. If a solicitor objects to the questions or to your note making, you should ask yourself why.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Requirements to be a solicitor ?
The normal requirements for admission to a Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law course to complete the Academic Stage of Legal Education for solicitors is the award of a degree at a university in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. However, the Solicitors Regulation Authority may also recognise non-standard qualifications, e.g. degrees awarded at certain overseas universities; or degree equivalent qualifications; or professional qualifications including Membership and Fellowship of the Institute of Legal Executives or the Diploma in Magisterial Law; or non-graduate mature persons who have gained considerable experience or shown exceptional ability in an academic, professional, business or administrative field.
Students with overseas degrees or other non-standard qualifications who wish to qualify as solicitors must have obtained a Certificate of Academic Standing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority confirming that the qualifications they hold meet the minimum requirements to commence their training to qualify as a solicitor before enrolling on a CPE/GDL course.
Students with overseas degrees or other non-standard qualifications who wish to qualify as solicitors must have obtained a Certificate of Academic Standing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority confirming that the qualifications they hold meet the minimum requirements to commence their training to qualify as a solicitor before enrolling on a CPE/GDL course.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Is a solicitor needed ?
Solicitors are not the only people who can provide legal advice. Legal help may be available from:-
other professionals, for example, an accountant who can give advice on tax and company law
advice centres, such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux, housing advice centres, money advice centres, law centres
other organisations, such as trade unions and motoring organisations.
You may act for yourself in court proceedings or, if you are acting for yourself, you may have a friend or lay representative to assist you in court.
other professionals, for example, an accountant who can give advice on tax and company law
advice centres, such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux, housing advice centres, money advice centres, law centres
other organisations, such as trade unions and motoring organisations.
You may act for yourself in court proceedings or, if you are acting for yourself, you may have a friend or lay representative to assist you in court.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Solicitor Facts
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers, and a law practitioner will usually only hold one title. However, in Canada, New Zealand and some Australian states, the legal profession is now for practical purposes "fused", allowing a legal practitioner to hold the title of "barrister and solicitor" and practice in both roles simultaneously. The distinction between barristers and solicitors is however retained.
In some other countries with common law jurisdictions, a solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally offers legal services outside of the courts.
re the unification of the Supreme Court in 1873, solicitors practised in the courts of chancery, while attorneys and proctors practised in the common law and ecclesiastical courts, respectively.
In the English legal system, solicitors traditionally dealt with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts (advocacy), with some exceptions.
In some other countries with common law jurisdictions, a solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally offers legal services outside of the courts.
re the unification of the Supreme Court in 1873, solicitors practised in the courts of chancery, while attorneys and proctors practised in the common law and ecclesiastical courts, respectively.
In the English legal system, solicitors traditionally dealt with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts (advocacy), with some exceptions.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Can You Afford a Career in Law?
Financial pressures are common to all students. With the National Union of Students (NUS) remarking that, on average, a degree costs students £20,000, money concerns are very real for anyone considering higher education. The introduction of compulsory payment of tuition fees in 1998 (with exceptions for low income families) added to the pressure. If you consider that students need to find their living expenses on top of their tuition fees, it is easy to see how debt is accrued. To add to these concerns, levels of debt are set to rise as top-up fees are implemented in September 2006. The NUS estimate that by 2010, student debt at graduation could be as much as £33,708. But are the financial pressures for law students any greater?
Studying law is similar in terms of cost to other mainstream degree subjects, with perhaps the only notable difference being the cost of textbooks. Legal textbooks can be more expensive, with core texts typically costing £30 to £40 each. Many are out of date even before they are printed and it’s not unusual for several editions to be brought out in the same year. Generally, second-hand bookshops at universities will not accept law books for this reason, so law students cannot even recoup expenses by selling books when they have finished with them. However, some law faculties hold second-hand book sales for law students, as some books make useful background reading. Students should look out for such sales.
The cost of being a law student can escalate significantly when individuals decide that they want to pursue a career in the law after their undergraduate studies. Students who have not obtained a qualifying law degree will need to complete a CPE/GDL (law conversion course). Anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor or a barrister will need to complete the relevant compulsory, one-year vocational courses; the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for solicitors or the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) for barristers.
Studying law is similar in terms of cost to other mainstream degree subjects, with perhaps the only notable difference being the cost of textbooks. Legal textbooks can be more expensive, with core texts typically costing £30 to £40 each. Many are out of date even before they are printed and it’s not unusual for several editions to be brought out in the same year. Generally, second-hand bookshops at universities will not accept law books for this reason, so law students cannot even recoup expenses by selling books when they have finished with them. However, some law faculties hold second-hand book sales for law students, as some books make useful background reading. Students should look out for such sales.
The cost of being a law student can escalate significantly when individuals decide that they want to pursue a career in the law after their undergraduate studies. Students who have not obtained a qualifying law degree will need to complete a CPE/GDL (law conversion course). Anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor or a barrister will need to complete the relevant compulsory, one-year vocational courses; the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for solicitors or the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) for barristers.
Monday, 24 August 2009
How to dress as a solicitor
Solicitors are finally cottoning on to the idea of dress-down Fridays, though, being lawyers, they regard it as an excuse to draw up lengthy lists of dos and don'ts.
Solicitors are finally cottoning on to the idea of dress-down Fridays, though, being lawyers, they regard it as an excuse to draw up lengthy lists of dos and don'ts.
A memo issued by Virginia Glastonbury, the managing partner at Denton Wilde Sapte, one of the top ten law firms, informs staff that "smart casual" does not include shorts, sloppy sweaters, shirts with no collars, inappropriate T-shirts or trainers. Neither, continues the memo, does "dress-down" equate with "under dressing" and solicitors are expressly warned not to bare their midriffs to clients.
Solicitors are finally cottoning on to the idea of dress-down Fridays, though, being lawyers, they regard it as an excuse to draw up lengthy lists of dos and don'ts.
A memo issued by Virginia Glastonbury, the managing partner at Denton Wilde Sapte, one of the top ten law firms, informs staff that "smart casual" does not include shorts, sloppy sweaters, shirts with no collars, inappropriate T-shirts or trainers. Neither, continues the memo, does "dress-down" equate with "under dressing" and solicitors are expressly warned not to bare their midriffs to clients.
Solicitor Fact 1
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers, and a law practitioner will usually only hold one title. However, in Canada, New Zealand and some Australian states, the legal profession is now for practical purposes "fused", allowing a legal practitioner to hold the title of "barrister and solicitor" and practice in both roles simultaneously. The distinction between barristers and solicitors is however retained.
In some other countries with common law jurisdictions, a solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally offers legal services outside of the courts.
re the unification of the Supreme Court in 1873, solicitors practised in the courts of chancery, while attorneys and proctors practised in the common law and ecclesiastical courts, respectively.
In the English legal system, solicitors traditionally dealt with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts (advocacy), with some exceptions.
In some other countries with common law jurisdictions, a solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally offers legal services outside of the courts.
re the unification of the Supreme Court in 1873, solicitors practised in the courts of chancery, while attorneys and proctors practised in the common law and ecclesiastical courts, respectively.
In the English legal system, solicitors traditionally dealt with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts (advocacy), with some exceptions.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Mortgage Protection Life Insurance
With mortgage protection life insurance, you choose the amount of life insurance cover you want and how long you want the policy to run for. The amount of cover reduces each month during the term of the policy and is calculated to be enough to cover the capital outstanding under a normal repayment mortgage. If you die during the life insurance policy term, your insurer will pay the amount due at that time.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
How to arrange Life Insurance
Arranging life assurance cover is the best way to ensure your family is taken care of in the event of your death, giving both you and them peace of mind.
Many of us are superstitious about planning for after our death, believing it to be a morbid topic and one that might even hasten the inevitable. But knowing you have a comprehensive life assurance programme in place will provide peace of mind for both you and your loved ones.
Life assurance, put simply, is a policy provided by an insurance company that pays your family either a lump sum or a series of smaller sums in the event of your death. Policies vary widely; some may guarantee a payout, others expire after a certain period of time. Some have premiums and payouts set in stone, while others offer more flexibility.
Many of us are superstitious about planning for after our death, believing it to be a morbid topic and one that might even hasten the inevitable. But knowing you have a comprehensive life assurance programme in place will provide peace of mind for both you and your loved ones.
Life assurance, put simply, is a policy provided by an insurance company that pays your family either a lump sum or a series of smaller sums in the event of your death. Policies vary widely; some may guarantee a payout, others expire after a certain period of time. Some have premiums and payouts set in stone, while others offer more flexibility.
How do the directories on the Community Legal Advice and the Law Society sites differ?
How do the directories on the Community Legal Advice and the Law Society sites differ?
Community Legal Advice gives details of firms of solicitors that hold the Community Legal Service's quality mark. Your search results will include other help agencies matching your search criteria as well as solicitors
The Law Society web site gives details of all solicitors so your results may show a larger number of solicitors, but they may not all have the quality mark
On Community Legal Advice you can search a smaller number of broad subject categories, while on the Law Society site you can search a larger number of more precise categories
On Community Legal Advice, you can search for rather more features than on the Law Society site. For example, you can specify that you are searching for providers who are 'LSC Funded'. This means providers who will do work that is funded by the LSC (the Legal Services Commission). This funding used to be called 'Legal Aid'
Community Legal Advice gives details of firms of solicitors that hold the Community Legal Service's quality mark. Your search results will include other help agencies matching your search criteria as well as solicitors
The Law Society web site gives details of all solicitors so your results may show a larger number of solicitors, but they may not all have the quality mark
On Community Legal Advice you can search a smaller number of broad subject categories, while on the Law Society site you can search a larger number of more precise categories
On Community Legal Advice, you can search for rather more features than on the Law Society site. For example, you can specify that you are searching for providers who are 'LSC Funded'. This means providers who will do work that is funded by the LSC (the Legal Services Commission). This funding used to be called 'Legal Aid'
How to find a solicitor?
Search Find a legal adviser on the Community Legal Advice site, or Find a solicitor on the Law Society web site. See how these two directories differ
Alternatively, consult the printed Waterlow's solicitors' and barristers' directory, at Bedford Central, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard libraries
For quick access to solicitors' web sites, see Gateway > Law and your rights > Solicitors, barristers and other legal professionals
Alternatively, consult the printed Waterlow's solicitors' and barristers' directory, at Bedford Central, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard libraries
For quick access to solicitors' web sites, see Gateway > Law and your rights > Solicitors, barristers and other legal professionals
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Solicitors Daily
What exactly is a solicitor you may be asking?
In many common law jurisdictions, such as England and Wales, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, and Singapore, a type of lawyer whose traditional role is to offer legal services to clients apart from acting as their advocate in court. ...
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