Can I work in law with a debt issue?

[Hannah]

I've got debt. About £5k of it, might not sound like a lot but it's caused defaults on my credit reference and might yet cause a CCJ or two before I sort it. Most of it is not credit debt, it's utility debt and at least £1k isn't on my credit file at all. Also I've been thinking of a DRO, but I'm not yet committed.

A local college offers the "ILEX Paralegal Program Level 3 Diploma for Legal Secretaries" as a part time, half a day a week course, over 1 year. This would qualify me for a kind of entry level job taking notes, stuffing envelopes and getting sent to make the tea. I could do that, no problem.

I have a new baby, by next September when lessons start she'll be 11 months. The course runs on a day her Daddy will be able to mind her, so it's not like really leaving her and I don't need to think about childcare. When it ends she would be 21 months and I would be open to considering a small part time job or some more involved study. The fees are affordable and the campus isn't so far away that I'd have to worry about petrol costs (about a fivers worth of petrol would be needed each week).

All in all it seems to be a very good idea; except that I'm sure I've read debt can be a bar to working in law.

I know I've said before that I wasn't interested in a grown up job anymore and I was happy to muck about with motorbikes and get paid pocket money, but, well, I feel differently now. I really want something with the potential for career development, and this has.

Does anyone know if my debt is going to cause me a problem with this? Either by preventing me from studying, from qualifying, from registering or from getting a job? Alternatively, does anyone know how to find out without asking the college?

[Hannah]

Re: Can I work in law with a debt issue?

Found this...

http://www.ilex.org.uk/ips/ips_home/for ... nduct.aspx

Any person wishing to enrol as a member of ILEX and any existing member of ILEX must declare to IPS whether they have any prior conduct. Prior conduct is defined as:

* a caution or conviction;
* any declaration of bankruptcy and any arrangement made by a member with creditors;
* any County Court Judgments made against a member;
* any proceedings taken against a member under the Solicitors Act 1974; and
* any decision excluding or expelling a member from any professional body.

Fellows of ILEX are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. They must therefore declare all convictions, including those that are spent. Other grades of member do not need to declare spent convictions until they make an application to become a Fellow of ILEX.



ILEX members must declare prior conduct at the earliest opportunity. In any event the annual subscription return requires members to make a return in respect of prior conduct.



IPS will consider each declaration of prior conduct. In most cases further information will be required from members or applicants, including an explanation of the circumstances leading up to the prior conduct. In some instances references as to character and conduct will assist. IPS will consider the information and decide whether or not the person may enrol as a member of ILEX or continue as a member of ILEX. The decision may be made by the IPS officer or by a panel set up under the Investigation, Disciplinary and Appeal Rules.

Anyone know how that works in practice?

[jen_br]

Re: Can I work in law with a debt issue?

Hannah,

Hope the wee one is ok!!

Sometimes CCJs and Bankruptcy can go against you more so bankruptcy, my husband works in car sales and he isn't allowed to be employed with a car company if he has a bankruptcy or an IVA. He can do if he has a CCJ,

Mainly because he is regulated by the FSA and they dont allow you to work with other peoples money etc if you are bankrupt strange I know.

But you will have to just be honest a lot of people are in debt now maybe things have changed?

[Pixie]

Re: Can I work in law with a debt issue?

I'm not sure on this. As far as I can see the only problem would be the possibilty of future CCJs.

Perhaps you could get in touch with ILEX and explain that you are having some debt problems now but would like to take this course as a way of building a career and avoiding any such problems in the future.

Good Luck.

Hope the baby is coming along fine x