Legal executives will soon be allowed to practise independently in litigation and immigration following the Legal Service Board's approval of applications for extended practice rights, CILEx announced today.

Legal executives will soon be allowed to practise independently in litigation and immigration following the Legal Service Board's approval of applications for extended practice rights, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) announced today. 

Last week the Legal Services Board gave the go-ahead to allow members of CILEx to practise independently in probate and conveyancing. 

CILEx chief executive Diane Burleigh (pictured) said: ‘[This] is a major step for consumer choice, for parity between the professions, and for increasing career opportunities in law.’

The legal executives' regulator ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) also intends to apply to the LSB for the right to license alternative business structures managed by non-lawyers, it revealed today.

IPS expects to begin accepting applications from CILEx members to practise in the new fields from summer next year and applications from entities in early 2015, following parliamentary approval.

Currently CILEx members can conduct many reserved legal activities only under the supervision of an authorised person, most commonly a solicitor.

The applications for extension of practice rights were submitted by the IPS on behalf of CILEx in March this year.