Legal Profession Uniform Law

The Legislation

The Legal Profession Uniform Law legislation (Uniform Law) harmonises regulation of the legal profession between the participating jurisdictions. It creates a single system to govern legal practice. It was adopted by NSW and Victoria on 1st July 2015 and WA from 1st July 2022.

The Legal Profession Uniform Law itself (Legal Profession Uniform Law) is Schedule 1 of the Victorian Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014. It applies by virtue of the application acts in each participating jurisdiction. Those acts also outline each jurisdiction’s differences or variations  from the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

In WA the relevant act is the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2022 (WA) (Application Act).

The following local Rules and Regulations have been made under it:

 

The Legal Profession Uniform Law establishes the Legal Services Council which makes rules necessary to to give effect to the Legal Profession Uniform Law. They are as follows:

Fact Sheets

The Legal Practice Board of Western Australia has a range of fact sheets covering topics related to the Uniform Law.

Client Engagement and Costs Disclosure

The Uniform Law has specific requirements in relation to client engagement and costs disclosure. For detailed information and useful templates view the Legal Services Council website here.

Billing

The Uniform Law provides that all bills must include or be accompanied by a written statement setting out:

  1. The options open to the client in the event of a dispute about the legal costs; and
  2. Any time limits which may apply to those options.

 

The Legal Services Council has developed an Information Sheet for legal practitioners on billing provisions

Loan and Security Forms

Rule 11 (Loan and Security Documents) of the Legal Profession Uniform Legal Practice (Solicitors) Rules 2015 sets out the requirements for the forms of evidence of advice provided by solicitors to certain borrowers and guarantors (as those terms are defined in the Rule).

The forms that can be used for that purpose by WA solicitors can be found below:

Legal Practice Board

For further information on the Uniform Law, solicitors may wish to review the Legal Practice Board’s Uniform Law webpage which can be found here.

Legal Services Council and Commissioner for Uniform Legal Services Regulation

The Legal Services Council and the Commissioner for Uniform Legal Services Regulation oversee the Legal Profession Uniform Law scheme.  Useful information is available on their website here.

Supreme Court Updates and Amendments

The following updates and amendments may be relevant to solicitors:

Consolidated Practice Directions updates

Rules of the Supreme Court 1971 amendments

Interested in becoming a member?