The PDA in Domestic Conveyancing at SCQF Level 8 has been developed as part of a suite of awards for paralegals in close collaboration with the Scottish Paralegal Association (SPA), the Law Society of Scotland, SQA and the Paralegal Steering Group, comprising a wide range of representatives of the sector in Scotland.
The suite of PDAs in specialist areas of law in which paralegals work is designed to provide one route whereby paralegals can qualify for registration as part of the Law Society of Scotland’s Registered Paralegal Scheme, which was introduced in August 2010. The scheme is voluntary but has been designed, as part of the deregulation of the legal sector, to formally recognise the competence of paralegals to a minimum professional standard.
In order to become a Registered Paralegal under the Law Society of Scotland Registered Paralegal Scheme, learners must hold a relevant ‘formally recognised and assessed qualification’. The Trainee Registered Paralegal entering the scheme will work during a one-year training period to achieve general competencies and competencies specific to the legal area in which the paralegal is working, and as a result, will qualify as a Registered Paralegal.
The PDA in Domestic Conveyancing is one of a number of PDAs which are suitable qualifications under the Law Society of Scotland Registered Paralegal Scheme.