To train to be a paralegal at 41

[Everytimeiseeher]

Iva had a 20year plus career in the hair and beauty industry but always wished I had done something else.
I worked part time in a administrative role in a bank for 10 years supplementing my income when I first went self employed to support the family when my kids were babies.
I always wanted to be a lawyer or something along they lines but thought I’d never be able to accomplish the studying.
I’m now 41 and decided that I have just over 20 years of working still to do and my hair/beauty career has an expiry date. Who wants a 50 plus doing their beauty/hair??? So I applied to do a legal services course at college and yay! I got accepted. I plan to do a hnc/hnd after the year long course. My worry is, at the end of the two years of studying and I apply for a trainee paralegal type job will I look silly going up against 20 something’s for an trainee job? Will any potential employer even consider me? Should I even begin this?

I’m a lawyer and I know quite a few older paralegals, it isn’t just graduates. The older ones I know have often started as secretaries though and then moved to doing paralegal work. I’d say £20k is a normal paralegal salary where I am (south east Home Counties) but possibly not in Edinburgh unless at one of the largest firms.

I say you should do what you want, its your life, I would look into your options carefully, and make sure its worthwhile to you and you are happy to invest.
I would say though that there might be other options such as teaching for you in the beauty industry which might add a bit more of an interesting career for you? I would look at all of your options

I don't know about the jobs market in Edinburgh but in the South East, legal secretaries are being made redundant and those remaining are asked to work for more and more lawyers doing more personal assistant (travel, expenses, photocopying/printing) than secretarial work. Paralegals, as other posters say, are young'uns holding out for a training contract and will work all hours to impress. Your competition for a paralegal role is very stiff and your profile is not the sort of person that a law firm would seriously consider as a new employee if there are others beating down their door. I agree with another poster that there is hardly any training given to paralegals. They are not the career track in the UK that they are in the US.

I think it is worth spending some time researching the Edinburgh market with recruitment agents before you go down the paralegal route. Hopefully it is different. Sorry to be a downer.

Do you have very good language skills other than English? If so, a potential role is as a document reviewer (working on contract), like for a massive due diligence for a corporate transaction or a litigation/investigation.

I have to confess I don't know too much about how people get into this field or get the initial experience but there is a demand for this.

I’m a Scots lawyer and I think you should go for it.

Lots of solicitor work is being outsourced to paralegals and specialist paralegals can be very valuable. Find a niche and learn the law and you could go far.

My experience is that this most true in litigation. There is a litigation partner in Edinburgh who is not qualified as a solicitor but knows his area inside out. If you are interested in claims handling, insurers will be interested in your paralegal qualification. There are several over those based in and around Edinburgh.

Well I have the college place now and I think if I’ve got the chance to do this I will. I think if I were to apply for jobs just now I’m not ready to go back. This will give me the Wee boost I need. Even getting the unconditional offerfrkmnthe college has sent my confidence soaring.
I’m taking on board everyone’s advice and will look into the suggestions given.

@Everytimeiseeher I'm a paralegal! And earning over £20k (although currently on mat leave). I don't do any admin, I run a case load of commercial litigation files and have a lot of responsibility. I'm also studying CiLEX at the same time which my previous firm funded and my current firm continue to support. I think it's doable if you fancy a change and don't mind the not terribly great salary - if you get into a good firm you could be very happy.

Paralegals at my firm earn over £20k. And at the last two firms now I think about it.

I’d go for it. I got a job as a paralegal after staying at home for years and studying cilex. Many people who got paralegal roles at the firm were older and this benefitted the role in terms of life experience etc. However it was public law which was pretty niche and they were crap employers, so I suppose it’s swings and roundabouts. One had done the LPC and been given a training contract mid-50s. I suppose it depends where you live too. Don’t be put off doing something you really want to do by strangers on the internet.

I’ve checked out paralegal jobs and similar roles in my local area. There were quite a few and pay what I’m going to be happy with. It’s my age really I’m worried about, will employers take me on, will I be classed as ancient within my classmates when I start college on Monday. I’m so nervous/excited.

Go for it OP! 41 is not to old to retrain you have 25 years of working life left! Do the legal services course and then decide how best to proceed. There are a number of routes into law. I work in local government as a legal executive. I qualified about 5 years ago (CILEX) after moving from general admin to legal admin then legal assistant. I only recently got my current job, I am 46. If you have admin experience and an interest/qualification in law you can look to enrer the legal profession via an admin/para legal/legal assistant role. Good luck.

I don't think you are too old to retrain. We are going to be working until we are 67! and I agree that standing on your feet all day for another 26 years might be a bit much.

I do think you should spend some time looking at law firm websites / recruitment websites to see what they are asking for in skills/qualifications and what the salary is. Cilex isn't for English and welsh law

You seem enthusiastic about the course you got on to, so I say go for it! You never know where your career might take you.

Definitely not too old!