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The ILCA was founded as the Institute of Legal Cashiers in 1978 by a small group of cashiers working in solicitors' practices who believed there was a need to establish and maintain standards for legal bookkeeping - hence the motto: "Diligentia, Vigilantia" - "diligence and vigilance".
LATEST ISSUE
September-October 2008
The ILCA has a wide range of training options for those wanting to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in law office management and accountancy practice.
View a Policy Statement which was issued by the Executive Council of the Institute of Legal Cashiers and Administrators on 22 March 2004 RE; 'The role of the Money Laundering Report Officer.'
Book the ILCA Diploma and Associate courses Online Now! To register complete the applicaton form click on sumit then print the form off and send to the ILCA with your cheque.
Tuition for the ILCA's Diploma and Associate examinations is available through correspondence courses. Members are allocated a tutor - contacted by post or telephone - who guides them through a series of exercises, including offering advice and marking their course work papers.
The Diploma and Associate correspondence courses have been approved by The Law Society for 16 hours accreditation under the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme for each separate course.
The ILCA's correspondence course and examination system has recently been updated. During the revision and updating period, The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) decided to cease their legal accounts training and examinations and approached the ILCA regarding taking this role over from them. Lengthy negotiations followed and we are pleased to confirm that, based on the ILCA's new education syllabus (now operational), ILEX acknowledges that the ILCA will be the provider for their ceased courses. The cost of each correspondence course is £225.
Book the ILCA Diploma and Associate courses Online Now!
View the Correspondance Course Syllabuses
If you do not have Acrobat Reader, please click on the button below to download it:
Leading to sit-in examinations
DiplomaAssociate - AccountingAssociate - Financial ManagementAssociate - Legal Practice & Procedure
As the ILCA’s correspondence courses and examination system has been in place a number of years it was agreed by the ILCA’s Executive Council that the whole education structure be studied and updated. Therefore, the ILCA’s Training and Education Group together with representatives from the legal profession began the task of updating the present system. During this period The Institute of Legal Executives decided to cease their legal accounts training and examinations and approached the ILCA regarding taking this role over from them. Lengthy negotiations followed and we are pleased to confirm that, based on the ILCA’s new education syllabus, ILEX acknowledges that the ILCA will be the provider for their ceased courses. The cost of each correspondence course is £225.
Diploma - It is aimed at those who require a basic qualification to enable them to undertake their day to day duties as a Legal Cashier. To meet the wide variety of needs of Legal Cashiers & Administrators, there are no formal entry requirements to the course except that candidates are current ILCA members. Candidates who pass the Diploma examination must also have 2 years experience in the accounts department of a solicitor’s practice or such similar employment as the Executive Council as its sole discretion may deem appropriate before qualification as a Diploma member of the ILCA. Only upon qualification as a Diploma member may the designatory letters ILCA (Dip) be used.
Associateship - Candidates wishing to undertake the Associateship must have obtained the ILCA’s Diploma qualification prior to enrolling on this course. They will then sit three subjects: Accounting, Financial Management and Legal Practice and Procedures. Candidates passing all 3 examinations must also have 6 years experience in the accounts department of a solicitor’s practice or such similar employment as the Executive Council at its sole discretion may deem appropriate before qualification as an Associate member of the ILCA. Only upon qualification as an Associate member may the designatory letters AILCA be used.
Examinations are held twice a year, in May and November at present in London and Manchester. Members will have a maximum of 2 years from enrolment on a course to complete that course and register for the next available sitting of the relevant examination. The cost is £45 per examination paper.
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Tutor : Alison Gorringe and Christine Raywood
Book online now
Objective: To provide a sound comprehensive and practical knowledge of the maintenance of a solicitors internal financial records, to meet compliance requirements.
Candidates complete 15 tutorials and at the end of each tutorial complete exercises and forward these to their tutor for marking and comment. The tutor is available throughout the duration of the course for assistance as and when required.
This qualification is now mandatory for candidates embarking on the Associate course.
Candidates have a maximum of 2 years from enrolment on this course to complete and register for the next available examination sitting.
The fifteen tutorials are:
Tutorial 1 - Purpose and aims of the Solicitor’s Accounts Rules
Tutorial 2 - Protection of Client money. Cash book – Ledger – Journal.
Tutorial 3 - Firms’ own money – Office account – Private Ledger – Nominal Ledger Trial balance.
Tutorial 4 - V.A.T.
Tutorial 5 - Client cash identification etc.
Tutorial 6 - Client cash withheld from Client account.
Tutorial 7 - Bills Book.
Tutorial 8 - Disbursements.
Tutorial 9 - Withdrawal from Client account – Financial/completion statements.
Tutorial 10 - Bank Reconciliation’s – client control.
Tutorial 11 - 'Controlled trusts'.
Tutorial 12 - Central register.
Tutorial 13 - Interest rules.
Tutorial 14 - Wages.
Tutorial 15 - Solicitors’ Accounts Rules not already covered.
The Legal Cashier cannot be substituted for the solicitor's sole responsibility for the maintenance of the proper books of account; no one can, but a qualified ‘right hand person’ can greatly assist the solicitor in getting the work done to a satisfactory standard and provide a second opinion as to the correctness and validity of the bookkeeping function. The Legal Cashiers should be aware that he/she may have restrictions imposed on their employment where non compliance results as a consequence of their actions.
Tutor: Linda Lambert
The aim of the correspondence course is to meet the training needs of those dealing with the preparation and/or use of the annual partnership or limited company accounts in the legal and other professions.
It is not intended that this course cover company accounts in more than general principles.
Contents of the Course:
1. From Ledger Accounts to Trial Balance
2. The preparation of the Profit and Loss Account and the Balance Sheet
3. Accounting Adjustments
4. Partnership Accounts
5. Partnership Accounts – Alterations arising on changes of Partners
6. The Framework of Accounting
7. Limited Companies – An outline of company accounts for smaller companies
Recommended Reading:
Business Accounting 1 – Vol 1-3 (where appropriate), Frank Wood and Alan Sangster – published by financial Times-Pitman Press.
Tutor: Andrew Otterburn B.A. A.C.A.
Objective: To assist the production of financial information which helps in the management and development of the practice and covers issues such as:
Management accounts, Budgets and Cash Flow.
Contents of the Course
Lesson 1 - Financial Management – what are we aiming for?
Lesson 2 - Annual Accounts
Lesson 3 - Budgets
Lesson 4 - Management accounts (1)
Lesson 5 - Cash Flow
Lesson 6 - Using benchmarks to assess performance against other firms
Lesson 7 - Management Accounts (2)
Lesson 8 - Working Capital
Lesson 9 - Management Accounts (3)
Lesson 10 - Fee earner reports
Tutor: Diane Goodier BA., MA
A Solicitor who practised in London for a number of years and is now a legal trainer, involved in course design and delivery for a number of institutions including the College of Law.
Subjects to be covered on Legal Practice & Procedures:
1. Conveyancing: The Basics including Terminology, the Stages of a Transaction for Buyer, Seller and Lender in the context of both Commercial and Residential deals.
2. Conduct: A range of areas where Principles of Conduct are relevant to Legal Cashiers, including Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, and Client Bills.
3. Other related areas: Including - Money Laundering; the Present Regulatory System and the way ahead; Mortgage Fraud.
4. Civil Litigation Process: Based on the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 including: How Proceedings are started; Steps in the process; The Trial; Enforcement of a Judgement; and Alternatives to Court Proceedings
Exam application form
To register complete the application form, click on submit then print the form off and send it to the ILCA with your cheque.
Exam date: (£45)
Next Examinations will be: 3rd November 2008
PLEASE NOTE: Application forms MUST be received at the ILCA Office Strictly no later than 29th September 2008
London: Birkbeck College.
Manchester: Mechanics Centre.
Local: Candidates must arrange local venues themselves and attach full details including name of college, address telephone number and contact name, bookings will not be accepted without this
Revision Course Dates: (£50.00 per course)
Diploma Manchester: 18th October 2008
Diploma London: 25th October 2008
Associate
Accounts Birmingham: 11th October 2008
Financial Management London: 11th October 2008
Legal Practice & Procedure London: 21st October 2008
For Revision Course application forms (when dates are confirmed) please contact the ILCA office on 020 8302 2867 or email info@ilca.org.uk.
Unlike many organisations, admission to the higher grades of membership is by ILCA Qualification only. To this end, the ILCA has its own structured examination scheme. Because of the varied ages and backgrounds of those joining the ILCA, there are no formal requirements for embarking on the following examination route:
The Diploma - This is a 3-hour examination and is intended to test the immediate working knowledge of the office environment.
The Associate, (Three Mandatory Parts) For Diploma Members only - This is designed to test career students on a deeper understanding of the many legal and accounting topics they will meet in working life.
The Fellowship, (By Thesis) - This is the ILCA's highest qualification and allows Associates to follow a specialised course of study on a subject approved by the ILCA's Training and Education Committee.
Examinations are held twice a year - in May and November - and the venues are usually London and Manchester. As this may not be convenient for everyone, it should be noted that it is also possible to arrange to sit the examination at a local college/school - contact the ILCA office for further details. To ensure standards are always the highest, the ILCA Examination Board includes an external examiner from the College of Law. The cost is £45 per examination paper. You can enrol on an exam online or contact the office direct.
For members wanting to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in law office management and accountancy practice, the ILCA also runs a series of one and two day workshops.
As well as general aspects of a legal cashiers' work, there are workshops on more specialist subjects, including: Solicitors' Account Rules (SARs); VAT for Solicitors; Credit Control for Legal Accounting; PAYE - An intro for Legal Personnel; PAYE - The Areas that frighten you; Step One - Elementary Legal Accounting; Step Two - Intermediate Legal Accounting; Step Three - Introduction to Management Accounting; Excel Spreadsheets - Beginners & Customised.
Most ILCA courses carry 6 CPD hours per day or 3 CPD hours for half day.
‘VAT For Legal Accounting -
The topics covered include:
· Definitions
· Types of Supply
· Tax Points
· Tax Invoice
· Methods of accounting for VAT
· The VAT Return
· Optional Flat Rate Scheme
· Disbursements
· Bad Debt Relief
· Partial Exemption Regulations
· Correcting errors
· Place of Supply
· Payment of Costs by a third party
· Fixed Costs
· Legal Aid
‘The Solicitors’ Account Rules – 1998’
These are one-day Workshops designed to provide practical advice for legal
accounting personnel.
· Client Money – Client Account
· Controlled Trusts
· Central Register
· Client Reconciliation
· Interest Rules
During the day
Delegates will participate in workshop sessions assisting them to implement the Rules
correctly. Delegates will each receive a copy of the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules Manual.
‘STEP ONE
Elementary Legal Accounting 2006’
This is a two-day Workshop designed to provide practical advice and guidance for all those
responsible for maintaining and managing the accounts of a solicitors’ practice.
· VAT – An introduction to the ‘basics’ including definitions, types of supply,
· tax points, the required information for a tax invoice, methods of accounting for VAT,
· the VAT Return, the Optional Flat Rate Scheme and Disbursements.
· Double Entry Bookkeeping – Solicitors’ Accounts to Trial Balance
· Billing – An overview of the content required to comply with the VAT regulations,
· the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules and the Solicitors’ Act 1974.
· Bank Reconciliation – A step-by-step guide to carrying out a bank reconciliation
· that complies with the requirements of the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules.
‘STEP TWO – Intermediate Legal Accounting 2006’
Following on from ‘STEP ONE' Elementary Legal Accounting’, this is a two-day Workshop
designed to provide practical advice and guidance for all those responsible for maintaining
and managing the accounts of a solicitors’ practice.
Topics covered include:
· The Solicitors’ Accounts Rules – Review of SAR’s
· VAT – An introduction to some of the trickier aspects of
· VAT including Disbursements, Bad Debt Relief, Partial Exemption Regulations,
· correcting past errors, place of supply, payment of costs by a third party,
· Fixed Costs and Legal Aid.
· Double Entry Bookkeeping – Solicitors’ Accounts from Trial Balance to Final Accounts.
· Management Information – A discussion session on why solicitors need financial management information, what information they need and the role of the accounts department in its production.
Practice Management Masterclass
This course aims to show you how to make your practice more profitable:
increasing fees, efficient use of capital, proven methods to reduce bad debtors, how motivation and good management can also provide a sought after working environment for everyone, better client service and increased profits.
» Budgets & Leverage » Motivation, Leadership & Management
» Setting Hourly Rates, Pricing & Charging » Cash Flow & Investments
» Handling Debtors » The Firm's Culture & Client Care
Credit Control Course
A one day workshop on how to set up a Credit Control Policy within a firm of Solicitors dealing with all aspect from initial organisation to suing and insolvency.
Topics Covered:-
Legal Aid - The Beginners Guide
A Half Day Workshop Presented by the ILCA
This course aims to provide a beginners guide to the accounting procedures relating to Public Funded work:
An overview of the different types of public funding, how the Solicitors Accounts Rules deal with Legal Services payments, how to deal with Tailored Fixed Fees, Standard Monthly Payments (SMP), claiming for disbursements on account, reconciling contract payments, the recording of civil matters starts finishing with a question and answer session.
Topic Covered:
Course Title
Ref:
Course Fee
Date
Location/Venue
The Solicitors'
SAR
Members £160
7th October 2008
Bristol
Accounts Rules -
Non-Members
16th October 2008
Newcastle upon Tyne
1998
£250
21st October 2008
Exeter
4th November 2008
Leeds
25th November 2008
Brighton
11th December 2008
London
VAT for Legal
VAT
29th September 2008
Manchester
Accounting
6th October 2008
15th October 2008
20th October 2008
3rd November 2008
24th November 2008
Step One -
S1
Members £300