What is an authorised person?

Certain types of legal work can only be carried out by a person who has been given permission by a legal regulator to do that work. This person is known as an authorised person. This work is known as legal work reserved to be carried out by an authorised person.

If someone is not an authorised person, they can only do reserved legal work if they are supervised by an authorised person, for example a CILEx Practitioner or a solicitor.

Which areas of law are reserved legal work?

Reserved legal work includes:

  • Conveyancing – Legal work needed to buy or sell property and work such as remortgaging property, dealing with leases, or landlord and tenancy issues
  • Litigation – Legal work involved in preparing for and going to court to sort out disputes
  • Advocacy – Speaking on a person’s behalf in court
  • Probate – Legal work to prepare trusts, inheritance tax and administer a dead person’s estate
  • Oaths administration – For some official documents, it is a requirement that a person declares that the document is true and signs it before a lawyer

Other regulated areas of law

Whilst Immigration work is not considered reserved legal work, it is a regulated activity and can be provided only by an individual with the required level of qualification and delivered through a regulated firm.

If you have any queries regarding the subject of reserved legal work or regulated activities, please contact us: info@cilexregulation.org.uk