Following a long consultation that started in 2019, several changes to the Civil Procedural Rules (CPR) came into force on 1 October 2023. 

One of the most significant changes was the reform of the rules on how cases are managed by the Court. Since the introduction of the CPR in 2001, cases have been allocated into 3 tracks:

•    The small claims track - for cases with a value of not more than £10,000;
•    The fast track - for claims between £10,000 to £25,000; and
•    The multi-track - for cases over £25,000.

There will now be a new track called the ‘intermediate track’ for claims of more than £25,000, but less than £100,000. 

Jody Beard, a ‘calm and strategic EA, entirely focussed on how the operation works', was announced as PA of the Year 2023, at an awards ceremony hosted by SecsintheCity, the UK’s only dedicated PA job site.

The celebration, held at The Ivy, London, championed the essential support provided to businesses and executives by Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Legal Secretaries, and Office Managers UK-wide.

The winners of the PA of the Year awards 2023 are:

PA of the Year - Jody Beard, EA to the Managing Director of Visionary Finance

The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) hosted the biggest ever ‘National Paralegal Day’ celebrations at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday 8th November 2023.

The Jubilee Room was packed for the event which included the very first ‘NALP Paralegal Achievement Awards’.

The winners for the 2022-2023 Awards were:

Highest Achievement for the NALP Level 3 Award in Paralegal Practice 2022/23 - sponsored by NPC (National Paralegal College). The winner was Sarah O’Neill, a student at Law Training Centre, Kent.

Highest Achievement for the NALP Level 3 Certificate in Paralegal Practice 2022/23 – sponsored by Mindful Education. The winner was Madison Earl, a student at Data Law.

Previously, we wrote an article for our Students about applying the hierarchy of needs to their studies. In this article, we would like to explain how those needs can be applied to your work too.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this theory before, the hierarchy of needs was developed by Abraham Maslow who was famous for his work in positive psychology. He believed that our needs form a pyramid, where basic physiological factors must be met first so we can then satisfy other needs such as safety, belonging and self-esteem. When we have our needs met at each level, we have the confidence and motivation to progress to the next. The highest level is self-actualisation.

This month, ILSPA had the pleasure of speaking to former Student, Ellie Braddick. Ellie studied with ILSPA a couple of years ago and it was wonderful to speak to her about how her career has progressed since completing her Legal Secretaries Diploma. Now a Legal PA in Central London, Ellie balances her busy job supporting 6 fee-earners with studying for a Law Degree.

Find out how Ellie juggles work and studying, why she thinks ILSPA gave her a behind-the-scenes insight into her role and what her plans are for when she graduates. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your current role?

Inheritance tax is a proportional payment of a person's assets paid back to the government once they have passed away. It’s a complicated topic, as there are exemptions and varying rates according to personal circumstances. For law students and legal secretaries, there’s a number of factors that you must take into account when advising an individual on their inheritance tax requirements.

Many people want to try and reduce their tax liability as much as possible. Providing accurate advice during a client’s will-writing process and advice to relatives after a death can help with this. To help you begin to grasp the ins and outs, we’ve created a short guide to how inheritance tax (IHT) works.

The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) will be hosting the third National Paralegal Day with an evening event at the House of Commons in London on Wednesday 8 November 2023, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

The event will also host NALP’s very first ‘NALP Paralegal Achievement Awards’, which are being launched this year as part of National Paralegal Day. The Awards are for:

One of the best things about having a Legal Secretary or PA career is that it is a varied and exciting role. It requires a range of skills and attributes and because of this, the role suits a variety of different people. Knowledge of law and legal procedures, being computer literate and an understanding of law firm procedures are all excellent skills to have, but what are the foundations of a good Legal Secretary? What natural attributes and skills can someone bring to the role that haven’t been gained through work experience?

Discretion

Microsoft Office is an essential program in a Legal Secretary's repertoire. Whether it’s formulating documents in Word, tracking hours in Excel or fine-tuning an office presentation in PowerPoint, you would be hard-pressed to find a Legal Secretary or PA who does not use a Microsoft Office program daily. Microsoft Office skills are highly sought after and often mandatory with recruiters when they are looking to fill their next Legal Secretary vacancy. For these reasons, it is clear that Microsoft Office certifications are both sensible investments and hugely beneficial additions to your skill-set.