The Law Society seeks to align the commercial imperatives that drive the business of legal practice with the regulatory framework largely contained in the Legal Profession Uniform Law.
This approach encourages solicitors to view regulatory compliance, not as an authoritative burden, but as a means to generate client satisfaction and drive profitability.
Regulatory Compliance Support Unit (RCSU)
Professional Support Solicitors at the Law Society have detailed knowledge of the Uniform Law and an understanding of solicitors’ working lives and can provide information and guidance to assist legal practitioners with their regulatory compliance obligations under the Uniform Law. By contacting our Regulatory Compliance unit, legal practitioners can access confidential assistance to prevent compliance issues from escalating into complaints and disciplinary actions.
Below are some resources our Professional Support Solicitors have created to address popular areas of inquiry:
Sole principals: planning for the unexpected
As sole practitioners, sole principals of incorporated legal practices and sole principals of unincorporated legal practices, (‘sole principals’) you are particularly vulnerable to disruption if you are suddenly unable to manage your law practice.
For more information, please see our Contingency plan for sole principals: how to nominate your personal representative and an alternate.
Establishing a law practice
- Choosing a law practice structure – please contact the Regulatory Compliance Support Unit on 02 9926 0115 for any enquiries relating to practice structures or refer to the following Law Practice checklists.
- Practice Management – for tips on how to manage your practice read the Compliance review toolkit.
- Business Development – for a wealth of articles on developing your practice read the update on Advertising Legal Services
- Trust account issues – see our Trust account seminar notes
- Incorporated Legal Practice toolkit (updated October 2021)
Your practising entitlements
- How to apply for your practising certificate, conditions of practice and more
- Supervised legal practice - What is it? When and how can you apply to remove condition?
- Show cause/disclosure issues – find out if and when you need to disclose certain events to the Law Society
- Practising foreign law in NSW – how to register as an Australian-registered foreign lawyer
- Interstate practitioners – do you need to notify the Law Society of your practice in NSW
- Checklist for witnessing signatures and certifying documents in NSW
- What a lawyer can and cannot do at each stage of their career
Cyber security
The Law Society of NSW and its partner insurer Lawcover are alerting lawyers about the growing risk of cyber fraud as legal practitioners increasingly shifted their businesses online during 2020.
- Click here to download a free resource on Cyber Incident Procedure and Emergency Contacts
- Click here to download a free checklist on how to prevent cyber fraud.
- Click here to download a flyer which you can distribute to clients to help them reduce the risk of cyber fraud.
- Data and cyber security for law practices - this guide provides tips on how to safeguard data held by your practice, what to do if you fall victim to a cybercrime event, and the obligations law practices have in collecting and holding 'personal information'.
- For more information and to download resources go to Lawcover’s website.
Ceasing or transferring a practice
Need more information on practising under the Uniform Law?
View our range of fact sheets, including regulatory obligations for law practices and individuals.
Responding to the COVID-19 working conditions
Checklist to assist Principals of NSW law practices respond to COVID-19 working conditions