CILEX (the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) has gained Privy Council approval to amend its Royal Charter, formally introducing the new title of CILEX Chartered Paralegal. This marks the first official recognition of paralegals as a professional group with their own defined and progressive career pathway.

As part of this development, CILEX has launched a public register of both CILEX Paralegals and CILEX Chartered Paralegals. The register enables employers and the public to verify professional status and qualifications. Listing is mandatory for individuals holding these regulated paralegal titles.

CILEX Chartered Paralegal is available to professionals who have been working in a legal role for over five years and can demonstrate extensive legal knowledge and competence across key duties and behaviours. It provides career paralegals with a formal status recognising their achievements.

Designed with input from employers, CILEX Chartered Paralegal status comes with clear standards and independent regulation, supported by a public-facing register. This will promote public confidence in the delivery of legal services and justify commensurate charging rates.

‘Chartered’ is a title that has credibility with the public, indicating that a person is a professional being held to a set of standards. It will provide reassurance and help distinguish between regulated and unregulated persons.

Applicants must complete a detailed application outlining how they have met the requirements of the qualification, with a referee to validate the information, and then undergo an interview with a CILEX assessor to confirm that they have the required competence level.

CILEX Chartered Paralegal is set at Level 5 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework – equivalent to a foundation degree.

For those with between two and five years of experience, the CILEX Paralegal status remains available. This is at Level 3 (equivalent to A-Levels). CILEX Lawyers are at Level 7 (postgraduate).

CILEX President Yanthé Richardson says: “This is a significant step to support people who have built careers in the legal profession in non-traditional ways. Paralegals are critical to the operation of many firms and recognition of their abilities and experience is long overdue.

“CILEX Chartered Paralegal status benefits them, employers, consumers and also the wider public interest. This new cadre of experienced and accountable professionals will do much for the provision of legal services, by raising standards and also injecting greater diversity, given the unique make-up of CILEX’s members.”