PDA Paralegals (Executries)
Aim
This Professional Development Award delivers the essential skills and knowledge for practising executry paralegals and is suitable for continuing professional development (CPD), or for anyone seeking to enter employment in this area.
Objectives
With the implementation of the new Law Society of Scotland, Registered Paralegal Scheme, to be launched this year, paralegals will require a recognised qualification, such as the PDA Executries to register under the scheme.
Course Content
The award consists of five mandatory Units:
Executry Law and Practice (F51W 35) - Covers the administrative procedure and ingathering funds in an executry estate.
Accounting and Tax for Executries (F19S 35) - Covers tax liability of a deceased person and preparing an executry account and scheme of division to enable distribution to proceed.
Legal and Ethical Issues (F50D 35)
Covers composition and the procedures involved in the Scottish legal system and provides an understanding of the role of the Law Society and of money laundering regulations
Legal Secretarial Practice (F1A3 34) - Covers the role and function of a legal secretary and/or paralegal in Scotland Explains the laws of confidentiality in a legal environment.
Legal Research Techniques (F1B1 35) - Covers the specialist research skills required to locate and retrieve legal information from the main sources of Scots law.
The course will run over a maximum of 36 weeks. The specialist units will require attendance at class, 1 evening per week for 24 weeks.
The 3 common core units will be delivered by flexible learning which will combine online and distance learning material and tutor support with optional tutorials and compulsory attendance in college for assessment and some training e.g. in use of Westlaw.
Attendance in college for these units will be a maximum of 4 sessions per unit.
Assessment
The PDA in Executries forms one of a suite of PDAs in the paralegal area and consists of Units that are also in the Higher National Certificate (HNC) and HND (Higher National Diploma) Legal Services.
For applicants who have already achieved the 3 common core units as part of previous study, it may be possible for them to enrol for the 2 specialist executry units at a reduced cost.
Entry Requirements
A good level of literacy and numeracy is required which can be demonstrated by qualification or experience. Applicants should feel confident about completing course work at higher level. All applicants will be invited to an information session in mid August and may be interviewed.
Basic word processing and IT skills are necessary.
