Qualification

Learners receive an SQA PDA Group Award recognised under the proposed Law Society of Scotland Registered Paralegal scheme. The qualification provides the necessary legal underpinning to allow you to work as a Debt Recovery Paralegal. Successful candidates attend the College’s graduation ceremony.

Entry

You should have employment experience of having worked in an office environment.

Fees and Funding

£840. The course fee is payable on enrolment or by instalments. ILA funding can be accessed to considerably reduce the cost, click here to find out more.

Commencement

The course entails a recommended period of six hours home study per week over a period of around seven/eight months. A brand new course will commence in August 2010.

The Debt recovery PDA at the City of Glasgow College is an opportunity to learn about Civil Court Procedure in the Sheriff Court including payment claims; damages; methods of diligence used to enforce debts; and bankruptcy. In addition, you learn generic skills covering research methods, legal IT, professional matters and the court system.

Our distance learning provision uses “sector leading” online technology which is supplemented by expert tuition. Students can access the following information online: notes, styles, forms, case studies and questions with an interactive message board assigned for student responses.

Work must be completed in the time allocated. Students attend an introductory session for each unit held on Saturdays at the College. An attendance schedule for these classes and assessment will be provided prior to enrolment.

Students will have access, during working hours(*), to our friendly and professional tutors who will guide them through the course by answering any enquiry by telephone or e-mail.

Assessments involve form completion, drafting documents, multiple-choice questions, explanatory and practical exercises. These assessments are completed in the College. The course will be completed when the student successfully passes each of the assessments.

The College is a leading provider of paralegal education in Scotland and our “Centre for Scottish Paralegal Education” services a wide range of careers in the sector.

Course Content

The course consists of 5 Higher National units:

• SHERIFF COURT CIVIL PROCEDURE (2 CREDIT): This unit covers small claims, summary cause and ordinary cause procedure, including drafting exercises.
• LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES (1 CREDIT): This unit covers the courts, sources of law, codes of conduct, account rules and money laundering.
• BANKRUPTCY & DILIGENCE (1 CREDIT): This unit covers the practical steps taken in debt recovery and bankruptcy.
• LEGAL RESEARCH TECHNIQUES (1 CREDIT): This provides the specialist research skills required to locate and retrieve legal information from the main sources of law.
• LEGAL IT PRACTICE (1 CREDIT): This unit provides an understanding of the role and function of a legal secretary and paralegal in Scotland.

* (9am-5pm)