Confirmation has been issued by the Ministry of Justice that the Order needed so that CILEx members can be authorised to practise independently in the reserved areas of probate and conveyancing is to be made. Together with approvals made by the Legal Services Board (LSB) last year of rule changes on litigation, advocacy and immigration activities, this puts Chartered Legal Executives on an equal footing with other legal professionals.

Other measures, when presented to Parliament later this year, will cut the red tape that prevents CILEx members from practising independently, and will allow ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) to regulate law firms run by Chartered Legal Executives providing specialist legal services.

The orders, which will enable IPS to authorise CILEx members to provide conveyancing or probate services, follow the recommendation of the LSB in December, which was supported by the Legal Services Consumer Panel and the Office of Fair Trading. The decision recognises the parity between CILEx members and other legal professionals, as well as IPS’s capability to regulate new areas.

Alan Kershaw Chair of IPSIPS Chair, Alan Kershaw, said:

“This is an important step for consumer choice and for recognising the standards IPS expects of those we regulate. Consumers expect their lawyers to be well trained in their area of specialism and to have a means of recourse if they are not satisfied. These orders help ensure this, and we will now work with our colleagues in Westminster to ensure their smooth passage through Parliament.”

Further details can be found on the CILEx web site at http://bit.ly/1iN9g47