One of the fundamental skills for every lawyer is writing well. As a Legal Secretary studying one of our Advanced Single Subject Legal courses or performing Paralegal duties within your firm, this is a skill you also need to have. This month we will consider some top tips, strategies and techniques that may help you be a better legal writer.
Five ways that will help you improve your writing skills are as follows:
Know your audience
Legal Secretaries will often be expected to proofread documents as part of their role. We have, therefore, put together a list of tips in order to help you proofread effectively.
1. Remove as many distractions as possible. You will need all of your concentration when proofreading.
2. Read the document slowly to ensure that you don’t miss anything.
3. Print out a copy of the document that you are proofreading if possible rather than editing it on a screen.
4. If you are editing on a screen, use the Track Changes function in Word in order to note the changes as you go along.
5. If proofreading on a computer, use a spell checker during your first read-through, but remember that it is not infallible.
A question that we are commonly asked here at ILSPA is how much time is needed to complete one of our courses. People want – or, probably more accurately, need – to know the study time required for their desired course before they embark on it. That way they know they are able to commit to the work needed to gain their qualification. However, establishing the time required is just the first step. Here is our guide to finding the time to manage your course along with your other commitments.
Set yourself a time frame and create a timetable
The civil justice system aims to ensure that there is a fair way for individuals and businesses to recover money they are owed. This aim has to be balanced against the need to protect the rights of those who owe money. The Ministry of Justice is currently consulting about the use of default judgments. The aim behind the consultation is to ensure that the process for debt recovery strikes a fair balance between the legitimate right of a business or individual to pursue a money claim and the right of the debtor to know about a claim against them and have the chance to defend themselves.
Lawmaking in the UK is about proposals being made by the Government and finally being passed by Parliament. Proposals from the government are aimed at shaping a better society or to address specific issues and problems. Laws come to the government’s attention originally because of the different political parties competing for support from the British voters. They will campaign about their visions for the country, setting out how they would go about changing things. The winning political party is the one that forms the next government, basing its legislative agendas on what its manifesto is.
Proposals to government come from different sources
If you are currently studying with ILSPA, you have the opportunity to attend one of the tours which take place monthly at the Royal Courts of Justice. The feedback which we receive from students shows the tour to not only be an enjoyable and informative day out, but also a valuable resource for their studies.
After the personal tax allowance and the duty on alcohol and tobacco, one of the most eagerly scrutinised elements of the UK Government’s Annual Budget Statement is Stamp Duty. More correctly known as Stamp Duty Land Tax, this is a levy that is of interest to anyone who is considering the purchase of a house.
What is Stamp Duty?
Stamp Duty is a tax levy that is payable on the purchase of a residential property or piece of land. The tax is applicable to freehold and leasehold, whether the transaction is financed by a mortgage or is an outright purchase. Stamp Duty is also payable on second and subsequent homes but at a different rate.
Who pays Stamp Duty?
If your studies with The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs have delved into the intricacies of land law, you will appreciate that there are a number of rights in land that can arise within our legal system. From the beneficial interests that flow from trusts in land to covenants and easements, there are myriad ways in which a particular piece of land may be burdened by another person’s right, and this article aims to look at these in turn.
Restrictive covenants
The first thing you need to know about restrictive covenants is that they are never any more than an equitable interest in land (in line with S.1 of the Law of Property Act 1925). This is unlike the easement that we will discuss next, which can also be a legal interest in land.
As a student with The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, it is always a good idea to acquire a clear appreciation of exactly how the English legal system works. From the conventions of Parliament that have accrued over many centuries to how evidence may be given in court in light of the fact that we now live in an advanced technological age. It is this latter dimension of our judicial system that we will turn our attention to in this article.
Good old-fashioned methods
When most people think of paying a visit to a court, it is usually either associated with a wrongdoing, for example, criminal activity – or, perhaps, as part of an educational field trip. Yet, the recent announcement from tourist review site TripAdvisor, recognising the UK Supreme Court with an Award of Excellence, is encouraging those outside these typical visitors to enjoy a day at the courts. There are also great reviews about the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand.