Complaints > Information for Legal Practitioners

The Committee produces a range of publications to inform the profession.

1. Brochures

2. Guidelines

3. Articles

4. Publication Notices

Brochures

The Committee has produced the following brochure:

• Responding to complaints – best practice for legal practitioners

Guidelines

The Committee has produced the following guidelines:

• Disciplinary Applications

• Guidelines for use of terms Specialist and Expert in advertisements (applicable from 1 September 2014)

Articles

Download the following articles which have been published:

• 8 June 2015 - LPCC Current Issues: Professional Obligations when Practitioners Act for Themselves
• 25 March 2015 - Legal Practitioners’ Duties In Respect Of Client Testamentary Capacity
• November 2014 - LPCC Current Issues: Confidentiality of Settlement Conferences and Prison Visits – Know the Rules
• June 2014 - Current Issues at the LPCC: Use of the terms ‘specialist’ and ‘expert’ in advertisements and Cash withdrawals from trust
• May 2014 - Fixed Fee Agreements
• September 2013 - Current Issues: Incorporated Legal Practices and Contact details of the Committee
• June 2013 - Current Issues: Obligation to maintain confidentiality of Court documents and Undertakings
• April 2013 - Current Issues: Taking will instructions through intermediaries and Trust Records - Some practical tips from the LPCC's Senior Trust Account Inspector
• February 2013 - How the LPCC is progressing and Limited retainers and client communication
• March 2012 - Current Issues: Caveats in Family Law matters and Preparation of witness statements
• August 2011 - Threats to cause extraneous detriment; Abuse of process; and Discourteous behaviour
• June 2011 - You and the LPCC - How To Reduce Stress
• December 2010 - Handling Trust Money And Transit Money
• November 2010 - Rapid Resolution of Complaints
• June 2010 - Current Issues: Supervision of Junior Practitioners; Threats of Defamation; Terminating a Retainer; and Summary Conclusion
• April 2010 - Dealing with Complaints About Service Issues
• February 2010 - Current Issues: Making the Withdrawal of a Complaint a Term of Settlement; Professional Courtesy; Use of Letterhead; and Legal Aid
• December 2009 - Current Issues – Reporting Trust Account Irregularities and Mediation
• September 2009 – Summary Conclusion Powers
• June 2009 - Costs Complaints
• March 2009 – Recent matters: Taking care with correspondence to third parties about Family Court orders; Specifying GST in costs agreements; and Dealing with letters of complaint
• December 2008 - Dealing with the Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee
• November 2007 - Briefing Counsel – The First Step
• September 2007 - Sale of legal documents on websites
• February 2007 - Improper pressure by legal practitioners in correspondence
• September 2006 - Advertisements for free advice/consultations
• May 2006 - Using Professional ‘Letterhead’ in personal matters
• October 2005 - Articled Clerks: What is adequate supervision?
• July 2005 - Disclosure of Victim Impact Statements
• February 2005 - Responding to complaints and conduct enquiries
• March 2004 - Use of threats in correspondence
• November 2003 - Issuing of summonses by practitioners for recovery of costs
• June 2003 - Obtaining client agreement to deposit trust monies into a general account
• February 1998 - Advertising – ‘Free’ consultations
• November 1997 - No win no fee agreements – advising clients of their liability to pay disbursements
• October 1997 - Use of discovered documents
• February 1996 - Advertising (Professional Conduct Rule 4.2)
• September 1994 - Case Management Summonses
• June 1993 - Failure to formally discontinue action against client to recover costs

Publication Notices

• March 2009 - Reasons for Decision regarding Christopher Neil Raphael