Meeting the CPD requirements of different professional regulatory bodies

Bar Standards Board (BSB)

Prior to 1 January 2017 the Bar Standards Board accredited certain training providers to provide CPD to members of their profession. Actuaries for Lawyers has been an accredited provider of pensions on divorce training for 12 years up to this date.  From 1 January 2017 onwards the BSB no longer accredits individual training providers. The CPD requirements for Barristers are set out under The New Practitioners Programme (NPP) (barristers within their first three years of practice) and The Established Practitioners Programme (EPP)(barristers who have been practising for over 3 years).

Attendance at one of Actuaries for Lawyers’ pensions on divorce seminars can form a useful part of the annual 45 hours CPD requirement under the NPP.

Under the EPP, barristers must plan their CPD under the Review, Record, Reflect, Report rules. The Review stage requires learning objectives to be set for the year of which Legal Knowledge and Skills forms an important part. Having regard to this, the Bar Standards Board Handbook states

In general, the more areas of law in which you hold yourself out as practising, the greater the need for CPD. It is good practice to assess:

  • If you are competent to offer services in any particular field of law;
  • The specific areas of development which are required;
  • The type and breadth of CPD that you require in order to maintain a sufficient level of legal knowledge and skills in these areas

By including some Pensions on Divorce update training as part of annual learning objective, you can improve your competence and knowledge in this important area