Civil Litigation Legal Practice Qualification
A clear, direct route to becoming a civil litigator with practice rights.
We are an approved CILEX Regulation training provider
Work towards becoming a Chartered Legal Executive Litigator in civil litigation, authorised by CILEX Regulation.
If you work in claims, disputes or debt recovery, you want a qualification that builds on the work you do and gives you a clear route towards civil litigation practice rights. Study contract, tort, civil litigation and evidence online, alongside a foundation in law and professional skills. Fit your studies around work, with tutor guidance, individual feedback, Lexis+ research access and support preparing your competency and litigation experience portfolios.
Key information
- Qualification: Civil Litigation Legal Practice Qualification
- Works towards: Authorisation by CILEX Regulation as a Chartered Legal Executive Litigator (Civil Litigation), subject to meeting the qualification, experience, competence and suitability requirements
- Regulator: CILEX Regulation
- Start dates: Enrolment is open all year round
- Course size: 14 units: 10 core and 4 specialist units, less approved exemptions
- Assessment: Online, remotely invigilated examinations, with three assessment windows each year
Completing the course is one part of the route. You must also meet CILEX Regulation’s experience, competence and suitability requirements and obtain authorisation before exercising the relevant practice rights.
4,000+ learners trained
800+ employer relationships
Specialists in legal training, with CILEX, SQE, CLC and more under one roof
Tutors with legal practice experience
1:1 feedback with replies within 48 hours
Professional resources
Lexis+ UK legal research access. Use professional legal sources to support your studies and develop the research skills you will use in practice.
Build on the work you want to do
You may be helping to manage a caseload and want a clearer route to qualification. Perhaps you have completed legal study and now want to specialise in resolving disputes. What you have already learned matters, as does the work you can build on.
- Paralegals in claims and disputes – develop the knowledge behind the claims, correspondence and procedural decisions you encounter at work. Suitable supervised work may contribute towards your experience requirements while you study, provided it meets CILEX Regulation’s criteria.
- Law graduates and people with previous legal qualifications – focus your further study on civil practice and find out whether your existing qualifications give you exemptions. Knowing which units you still need makes it easier to plan your time and assess the cost.
- Starting a career in civil litigation – talk to us about your education and experience before choosing your course. We can explain your starting point and how suitable legal work fits into the route to authorisation.
What you are working towards
Once authorised by CILEX Regulation, you can conduct civil litigation, excluding family proceedings, within the scope of your authorisation, with the appropriate practising certificate and subject to the relevant regulatory requirements. The work can include investigating a claim, analysing evidence, drafting statements of case, negotiating settlements and preparing matters for court or mediation.
The role calls for judgment as well as procedural knowledge. A client needs to understand the strength of their position, the risks and costs of taking action, and whether a negotiated outcome might serve them better. Specialist study helps you develop the legal understanding behind those conversations.
Once authorised as a Chartered Legal Executive Litigator (Civil Litigation), you also hold Commissioner for Oaths rights. Establishing your own law firm requires separate firm authorisation.
We also offer advocacy skills training
If your ambition includes representing clients in court, we also offer advocacy skills training. Speak to us about the training available and the requirements for civil practice. Gaining advocacy rights requires the relevant approved training, assessment and separate authorisation by CILEX Regulation.
Eligible civil advocates can later pursue Higher Rights of Audience after the first renewal of their advocacy certificate, subject to further training, assessment and authorisation requirements.
A foundation in law with a civil litigation specialism
Ten core units establish a foundation in law and professional practice. Four specialist units then develop your understanding of civil liability, litigation and evidence.
The core units (Level 3):
Contract: study the legal principles behind contractual obligations and disputes. This gives you a basis for analysing what the parties agreed, whether an obligation has been breached and what remedies may be available.
Tort: develop your understanding of civil wrongs, including negligence. Connect the facts of a dispute with the legal questions that determine liability.
Civil Litigation: understand how civil claims progress and the procedural decisions that shape them. A sound grasp of the process helps you see why a particular step or deadline matters.
Rules of Evidence in civil proceedings: examine how evidence is used in civil proceedings. This supports the careful analysis needed to identify what can be established and where a case needs further work.
Degree-standard describes the level of study, not the award of a law degree.
Assessment that you can plan around: study and prepare one unit at a time, with three assessment windows each year. This gives you defined points to work towards while organising your preparation around work and other commitments. Exams are taken online under remote invigilation. Results are issued within six weeks.
Real story
“For online study, you need to be dedicated and be willing to commit time to study. However, it does mean you can work and plan your time as you wish to complete the course at your own speed. Setting my own goals enabled me to self-motivate.”
Anthony Roy,
who completed earlier CILEX Level 3 and Level 6 qualifications with Law Training Centre
Check what your previous study can count towards
If you already hold legal qualifications, you may not need every unit. Tell us about your law degree, GDL, LPC, CILEX qualifications or SQE assessments, and we will review your entry route and potential exemptions.
An exemption is not automatic simply because you have studied law. It depends on what you have completed and how that learning meets the applicable requirements.
Support that makes study time count
When you are studying around a demanding job, time matters. You need to know what to work through, where to get help and what to improve before assessment.
- A clear structure for each topic – Topic overviews, recorded lectures and interactive learning give you a sequence to follow. Knowledge checks, including multiple-choice and short-answer questions, help you test your understanding as you progress.
- Tutor guidance when you need an explanation – You can ask for help when a rule is unclear or you are unsure how to approach a problem. Individual feedback helps you see where your understanding is sound and where further work is needed.
- Preparation before the final exam – Mock assessments give you a chance to put your learning into practice. The feedback helps you focus your next stage of preparation, whether that means revisiting the law or improving the way you explain its application.
- Guidance beyond the academic units – Support covers preparation of the competency and litigation experience portfolios. You still need suitable work, your own evidence and supervisor support, but you can seek guidance on the requirements as you prepare.
Fees and funding
Before you plan the cost, check what you need to study. Previous qualifications may give you exemptions. We can review your starting point and explain the fees that apply.
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What the course fee includes
- All course materials and structured learning within our online learning platform
- Mock assessments
- Unlimited tutor guidance
- Exam fees (excluding resits)
Other costs
CILEX Regulation charges separately: £92 for qualifying-experience assessment, £450 for the final application and an annual practising certificate fee, currently £387 for Chartered Legal Executives. These are the published 2026 rates and may change. See CILEX Regulation’s application and practising fees for current charges.
The October 10% offer and Price Match do not apply to CILEX Regulation qualifications.
Develop civil litigation expertise within your team
If you have a capable paralegal ready to progress, this route gives you a way to develop civil litigation expertise within your firm. They can remain in your team while studying law and procedure relevant to your disputes work. Suitable supervised casework can help them apply their learning and build the evidence needed for authorisation.
For the firm, it creates a clearer progression route for someone who already knows your clients and the way you work. We can discuss employer-funded study and help you plan the course alongside their role. Their responsibilities must remain appropriate to their competence, supervision and authorisation status.
Questions before you decide (FAQs)
Start with a clear route
Tell us what you have studied and the legal work you do. We will explain your entry route and any exemptions, so you can decide whether the course fits your plans before committing.
Ready to enrol? Complete the online enrolment form. We will review your background, confirm the course requirements and explain the next steps for enrolment.
