Career change? How much will it cost?

[bumbleandbumble]

Can anyone tell me how much it will cost to get some form of diploma towards being a paralegal?

I already have a graduate degree (although not in law)...

Any idea of how much starting paralegals in London make?

Look at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives - they do a Graduate Diploma as a fast track to becoming a Legal Exec, much better than paralegals who have no special rights.

No idea to be a paralegal but in 2004, i converted to law by doing GDL at the College of law for the modules I was missing which cost me £4000, then I did the LPC when fees were £7500 for one year. I would contact the law society and Legal Exec governing body.

Whoops, sorry, CILEX graduate entry route is for graduates in law, misread OP, sorry.

To be honest, I think the vast majority of paralegals these days are law graduates who can't get a training contract. They use the paralegal route as a way of getting into a firm, making an impression and then applying for a training contract. I think a diploma might not be enough (depending on what your current career is and whether you have any other experience to offer) to get you a paralegal position.

I don't know what paralegals earn in the City, I would guess maybe £30-40k depending on experience?

I'm planning to start CILEx soon and have an interview for a legal admin post, with a view to getting experience as I train. The firm happen to be particularly interested in trainee legal execs as opposed to graduates wanting a foot in the door for a training contract.

CILEx level 3 diploma costs about £4k with exam fees I think: [[http://www.cilex.org.uk/study/lawyer_qualifications/typical_costs.aspx]]

My intention is to qualify to level 6, so more like £9k, ie the cost of one year's tuition fees for a traditional degree.

I'm already a graduate but in an unrelated discipline, so would have to start from scratch. What I have to be careful about though, is how long - if ever - it would take me to earn the equivalent of what I do now at the top of the teachers' pay scale (£37k).

Oops. [[http://www.cilex.org.uk/study/lawyer_qualifications/typical_costs.aspx]]

Pah! Give up.