With Datalaw, the Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship UK takes 13 months of training, followed by up to 4 months to complete your end-point assessment. That is significantly faster than the 24-month standard offered by most other training providers, so apprentices qualify and start fee-earning sooner, without compromising the depth of the qualification.

The apprenticeship is government funded through the Department for Education, with up to £11,000 of funding available per learner. Levy-paying employers can use their apprenticeship levy funds to cover the cost. Co-funded (non-levy) employers pay no more than £550, the government covers the remaining 95%. There is no cost to the apprentice; the qualification is paid for by the employer through these government schemes.

To start the Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship with Datalaw, you should ideally hold GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or above (or an accepted equivalent). If you don’t yet have these, you may still be eligible – apprentices without GCSEs can complete Functional Skills Maths and English alongside the apprenticeship. You must also be employed in an appropriate role within a legal team in the UK and have the right to live and work in the UK permanently. You cannot hold a law degree or already be enrolled on another government-funded apprenticeship.

Yes. The Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship is a work-based qualification, so you must be employed by a UK company in an appropriate legal role before you can enrol, for example, as a paralegal, legal assistant, legal secretary or legal administrator. Apprentices are employees first and learners second, with 80% of your time spent on the job and 20% on off-the-job training.

Yes. Datalaw delivers the Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship 100% online. You’ll join a mix of group workshops (covering core areas like contract and tort, legal ethics, project management and optional modules in civil litigation, conveyancing, criminal, employment, family and wills & probate) and 1-to-1 sessions with a dedicated progress tutor (covering legislation and case law, regulatory requirements, drafting, client care, legal research and your mock interview and gateway prep). All sessions are delivered via Zoom, so you can train from anywhere in the UK.

On successful completion, you’ll be awarded a Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship certificate, a nationally recognised qualification equivalent to two A-levels. You’ll be a qualified, practising paralegal, registered to charge fee-earning work at Grade D of the Civil Procedure Rules’ Guideline Hourly Rates. The qualification is awarded after you submit a full portfolio of evidence and pass an end-point assessment with an external assessor.

Yes. The Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship sits at the start of a clear progression pathway into qualified legal practice. After completing it, you can progress with Datalaw to the Level 5 Advanced Paralegal Apprenticeship (which embeds SQE1 preparation), the Level 6 Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship (delivered as an approved provider with CILEx Regulation), or onwards to a Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship to qualify as a solicitor — all using continued apprenticeship funding rather than self-funded study.

To apply, complete the Register Interest Form on this page and a member of our apprenticeships team will be in touch within one working day. We’ll confirm your eligibility, talk through the apprenticeship with you and your employer, and guide you through the enrolment process. If you’d prefer to speak to someone directly, call 0151 236 2024 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.