Value of SOLAS qualification

Description of course and qualification offered by the Society of Law Accountants in Scotland

The Journal, July 2003, page 59

The Society of Law Accountants in Scotland exists to promote the education and advancement of individuals with a view to assisting them in becoming proficient in all aspects of law accounting.

Their two-year evening course is aimed at unqualified support staff working on the accountancy side of firms.

The course has the full backing of The Law Society and the qualification obtained at the end of the course is now recognised as the official Law Accounting Qualification for staff working in solicitors’ offices in Scotland. Course venues are in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness

The course is in seven parts, three being taken in the first year and four in the second. The subjects are:-

Cash room administration
Investment and Executry administration
Accounting with Trust administration
Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax
Inheritance Tax
Feeing
Conduct of Investment Business (Financial Services)

There is an examination after each section and a Certificate is given for each pass. Workbooks are provided for each subject which the candidate can keep and each course normally lasts 10 weeks, (one evening per week). The examination papers are checked by an external examiner appointed by The Law Society/SOLAS Joint Examination Board.

There are facilities for resitting examinations as necessary.

Full Membership of the Society is open to those who obtain the necessary Diploma from the Joint SOLAS/Law Society Examination Board and have been employed in legal accounting work for a solicitor or firm of solicitors carrying on private practice in Scotland for a continuous period of three years prior to application for admission to the Society. Persons accepted for full membership are accordingly entitled to use the initials SLA.

Associate Membership of the Society is open to those who obtain the necessary Diploma from the Joint SOLAS/Law Society Examination Board and have been employed in legal accounting work in a court, local authority, government department or agency or in the legal department of a bank or in such other offices and in such circumstances as Council may consider appropriate for a continuous period of three years prior to application for admission to the Society.

SOLAS is now enrolling candidates for the next series of classes.

For further detail of the course please contact Catherine Y Purves, SOLAS administrator, 17 West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3BG, tel 0131 667 3178, e-mail admin@solas.co.uk