SPA Online Membership System - Important Update

Since April 2009 you have been assisting the SPA and the Law Society of Scotland with piloting a new online membership system. The final version of the system is due to be implemented for both Registered Paralegals, and SPA members, going forward.

SPA and the Society are incredibly grateful to all of you, for embracing new technology and inputting your personal details so that we could test the functionality of the system over the course of one full SPA membership year.

This full year has now concluded. Over the course of the membership year, with your assistance we have identified issues with the functionality itself (registration, CPD submission, RBS Worldpay, and the renewal cycle specifically),  and also guidance we must ensure we issue to future Registered Paralegals and SPA members, on how the portal works.

The version of the system which we have been piloting with your assistance can be regarded as being Version 1, but the version we have been working on and improving with your assistance for a year, is Version 2.

We will now close down the piloted version of the system (Version 1), and over the next few days will be closing all of your online accounts,  created since April 2009.  You should note:

• we have exported details of when you paid, and your method of payment (whether cheque, or card). This allows us to cancel your recurring subscription agreement through Worldpay (if you paid by card), and note when you are next due to pay.  We will be in contact with you to ensure you have paid your membership fee for this year and your membership does not lapse.

• we will ask you to re-input your details into the new system, at the appropriate renewal month for you,  in 2011.  Version 2 of the system will ONLY accept credit/debit card payments.

• we have also exported your CPD records so that both the Society, and you, have a record of what CPD you have completed to date (we will let you have this upon request). As within the next few days you will lose access to the online membership area, all we would ask is that you continue to keep a record of your CPD for yourself, so that the SPA can monitor compliance with the CPD requirements. We can issue a CPD record card for the rest of the year, upon request.

• The Registered Paralegal membership portal will go live from this month, using Version 2 of the system. We will invite those of you who qualify for the Registered Paralegal scheme, through Transition – Stage 1,  to use the new and full version of the system from 16 August and, if appropriate, a pro rata refund of your SPA membership for 2010/2011 (if you have already paid that) will be issued to you in due course. You should note that those of you who do qualify for the RP scheme will be contacted separately over the course of the next few weeks with clear instructions.

If you have any questions, please call the Society’s Collette Paterson on 0131 226 8891.

 We would once again like to take this opportunity to thank you for your involvement, and patience, over the last year.  We are very much looking forward to launching the fully functional version of the online membership system with new Registered Paralegals from August 2010, and  SPA members from April 2011. 

Regards

The Law Society of Scotland