Licensing fast-track for conveyancing & probate professionals

In December, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) introduced the ‘Advanced Probate Exemption’, under which practitioners can skip parts of the CLC licence process if they already have certain Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) certificates. Practitioners with STEP certificates in will preparation and administration of estates or administration of trusts will only need to complete one further stage, the CLC’s professional obligations unit, to gain a CLC licence.

Claire Richardson, CLC director of authorisations, said the exemption ‘provides a clear route for experienced STEP professionals, giving them confidence in their professional and legal status.

‘By uniting the expertise of a leading probate body and specialist regulator, it delivers a single route to recognised practising rights. For employers, it offers a practical solution to the shortage of authorised practitioners, while for practitioners it supports straightforward career advancement in a critical area of demand’.

In November, the CLC launched the ‘professional experience’ route to allow fee earners with at least four years of experience in conveyancing or probate work to bypass the Level 4 Diploma and move straight to the Level 6 Diploma, which qualifies them as a licensed conveyancer or probate practitioner. To be eligible for this route, practitioners must be currently working in a law or accountancy firm in England or Wales, have four years’ continuous experience, be supervised by an authorised person, meet certain competency standards and provide a signed letter of support from their employer.

Richardson said: ‘Candidates will still undergo rigorous assessment, but more weight will be given to their practical experience. This will hopefully embolden more people, perhaps those who have taken time out and are daunted at the thought of returning to study, to realise their potential, underlining the CLC’s continued commitment to making qualifications as inclusive and accessible as possible while maintaining our usual high standards.’