What is a Paralegal Practising Certificate?

Paralegals who are registered with the PPR can apply for a Paralegal Practising Certificate (PPC) and be regarded as a Professional Paralegal Practitioner.

Paralegals who hold a PPC are fully regulated by the PPR for all of the services that they are authorised to undertake, provided these services are specified on their practising certificate.

This provides visibility and certainty to consumers, or other clients, such as companies or local authorities who use their services and want to know whether they are a bona fide Paralegal.

The PPR can hear complaints relating to conduct only in respect of Registered Paralegals and do not fully regulate the services that they offer.

A Professional Paralegal Practitioner’s clients are able to utilise the compensation fund when things go wrong. Members of the public who use PPR Paralegals that are only Registered, do not have access to the compensation fund.

A PPC is your licence to practise and enables you to carry out legal services and be held accountable by the PPR.  A proportion of the PPC fee contributes to the compensation fund.

Paralegals that hold ‘Practising Certificates’, ‘Licenses’ or ‘Certificates to Practise’ via a membership organisation are not regulated by the PPR.

TYPES OF PRACTISING CERTIFICATES

There are two types of Practising Certificates:

SPECIFIED

A Specified Certificate is appropriate for Tier 2 and above Registered Paralegals who offer services to consumers in one area of law or service, for example Employment or Will Writing.

This is £155 per year and includes an application handling fee of £30 and a contribution to the compensation fund of £25.

GENERAL

A General Certificate is appropriate for Tier 3 and above where one or more areas of law or services are being provided. For example, Will Writing, Employment Law and Family Law.

This is £205 per year and includes an application handling fee of £30 and a contribution to the compensation fund of £35.

EXPERIENTIAL ROUTE

At the PPR we recognise that competency can be achieved through non-academic routes.

The experiential route assessment is available to Paralegals who may have many years’ experience in a specific practice area/s but do not meet the necessary qualification requirements to apply for a Paralegal Practising Certificate (PPC) and be regarded as a Professional Paralegal Practitioner.

Taking the Experiential Route Assessment will enable you to reflect on your skills and knowledge to date.

To find out more about the Experiential Route please click here

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?

You will need to:

  • Be a Registered Paralegal with the PPR and have an active membership with one of our Recognised Bodies.
  • Meet the requisite qualification and/or experience within the practice areas you wish to hold a PPC.
  • Commit to comply with our CPD (Continuing Professional Development) requirement of a minimum of 12 hours in each year of practice.
  • Hold Professional Indemnity Insurance with a minimum of £1m cover for the legal services you or your company offers.

The PPR has a responsibility under the PPR Code of Conduct made in accordance to the principles contained in the Legal Services Act 2007, and to the PPR Practising Certificate Rules and the Paralegal Practitioners Rules to ensure that there are no issues which could call into question a Paralegals character and suitability.   

You can also find Guidance Notes here

WHY APPLY FOR A PPC?

Being a Professional Paralegal Practitioner is a mark of excellence and you can market yourself or your firm to clients to offer advice and assistance in the areas of expertise in which you have been awarded a certificate.

It also demonstrates you are committed to working to high ethical standards and provides clients trust and confidence in your commitment to integrity and consumer protection.

TO APPLY FOR A PRACTISTING CERTIFICATE

To apply for a Practising Certificate, please download the Practising Certificate Application Form Guidance Notes.

You may also wish to refer to the Practising Certificate Rules and the Paralegal Practitioners Rules

If you are unsure about the type of Practising Certificate you require, please contact your Recognised Membership Body or contact the PPR admin team on for advice.

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