Legal Profession > Practising in Western Australia > Renewals Frequently Asked Questions

Application for Australian Practising Certificates

Frequently Asked Questions

The standard renewal period is 1 May to 31 May inclusive and any applications submitted after this period will incur a late fee. 
LPBWA Website support guides can be found at https://www.lpbwa.org.au/Information/LPBWA-Web-Portal.

General Renewal Questions

Practising Certificate

What is an Australian practising certificate?

Under the repealed Legal Profession Act 2008 we referred to a “local practising certificate”. You will see that the renewal application now refers to an “Australian practising certificate”. This is simply a change in terminology under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (WA).

When will I get my practising certificate?

It is envisaged that a renewed Australian practising certificate will be issued from the last week in June.

I am going overseas. What do I need to do with my practising certificate?

Please contact the jurisdiction you are moving to regarding your practising requirements. 

If you are not renewing your practising certificate in Western Australia, please advise the Board of your intention not to renew. Please include the date you ceased practising in Western Australia as well as your updated contact details. 

If you need an Australian practising certificate to engage in legal practice in Western Australia in the future, please email enquiries@lpbwa.com.

I am going on parental leave, do I have to renew my practising certificate?

If you are not engaging in legal practice, there is no requirement to hold an Australian practising certificate.  If you do not intend to renew your Australian practising certificate please advise the Board of this intention and any updated contact details.

It is important to note that an Australian practising certificate can only be renewed during the standard renewal period (1 May to 31 May) and late renewal periods (1 June through to 31 December) as specified by the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2022. 

Please note that an application for renewal submitted between 1 June and 31 December in any practising year will incur the late fee relevant to the period in which you are applying for renewal. 

If you apply for an Australian practising certificate on or after 1 January, please email enquiries@lpbwa.com stating your full name, including any middle name, to request log in details so that you can complete an online application.

You may also wish to look at the FAQs regarding CPD and parental leave.

Fees

Please refer to the fee schedule.

What is SGF?

This is the Solicitors’ Guarantee Fund contribution (SGF). Further information regarding the SGF can be found here.
Unless you are engaging in legal practice as:

• or in the manner of barrister only;

• a government legal practitioner; or 

• a corporate legal practitioner,

you are required to pay an annual contribution of $50 in addition to the prescribed fee required to accompany an application for an Australian practising certificate. 

What is the contribution to the Uniform Law Framework?

This fee goes towards the cost of funding the State’s contribution to the Legal Profession Uniform Law Framework. 

Unless you are engaging in legal practice as:

• a government legal practitioner; or 

• as a volunteer at a community legal service or otherwise on a pro bono basis only,

you are required to pay the annual contribution of $30 in addition to the prescribed fee required to accompany an application for an Australian practising certificate.

Online Portal Issues

I am unable to login to the Online Portal

If you are unable to login, it may be due to your existing password not meeting our minimum requirements.
 
Your password must be a minimum length of 10 characters and must include at least one upper case, one lower case and one numeric character.

Please try resetting your password. Instructions can be found at https://www.lpbwa.org.au/Information/LPBWA-Web-Portal

If you find you are still encountering access issues, please email enquiries@lpbwa.com  with the subject line Online Portal Access Issue. Please ensure to include your full name as it is on the Roll of Practitioners and your Practitioner ID.

I have logged into the Online Portal, however there is no Apply or Renew option

Please email enquiries@lpbwa.com with the subject line Online Portal Apply or Renew Option Missing.

Please ensure to include your full name as it is on the Roll of Practitioners, your Practitioner ID, and daytime contact number.

An error message has appeared

If at any stage of the practising certificate application processes, an error occurs then send an email to enquiries@lpbwa.com with the subject line Online Portal PC Application Error.

Please ensure to include a your full name as it is on the Roll Of Practitioners, your Practitioner ID,  the question number you were completing at the time the error message appeared, the time the problem occurred and, if possible, a screenshot of the message.

Application form questions are not loading or unable to progress

Please send an email to enquiries@lpbwa.com with the subject line Online Portal PC Application Question Error.

Please ensure to include a your full name as it is on the Roll Of Practitioners, your Practitioner ID, the number of the last question you completed, the time the problem occurred and, if possible, a screenshot of the message.
 

Will I receive confirmation of my submission

If you submitted your application online you should have received a confirmation email and a copy of the form as submitted.

If you did not receive either an email or a copy of the form as submitted, please email enquries@lpbwa.com with the subject line Online Portal PC Submission Query.

Please ensure to include your full name as it is on the Roll of Practitioners and your Practitioner ID.

Application Payment

​Can I submit my practising certificate application, but not pay?

Payment should be made within 14 days of submission of the practicing certificate application form.

Late fees will not apply if you submit a practising certificate application form between 1 May and 31 May inclusive.

However, the practising certificate application form is incomplete without payment, and will not be processed until full payment has been received.

How do I pay for my practising certificate application?

Online Payments

Payment can be made online as part of the online practising certificate application process using Visa or MasterCard. You will receive a payment confirmation at the time of payment.

EFT Payments

For your payment to be applied to your practising certificate application, please use your Practitioner ID and your surname as it is on the Roll of Practitioners in the payment reference.

Please do not use the reference ‘practising certificate’ or ‘PC’.

Please send an email to accounts@lpbwa.com  with the subject line, ID [your Practitioner ID] PC Renewal Payment Transaction Details confirming the payment transaction details to assist the Board in allocating payments. Please also include your full name as it is on the Roll of Practitioners in this email.

International EFT Payments

Please ensure your payment is in Australian Dollars.

Please send an email to accounts@lpbwa.com with the subject line, ID [your Practitioner ID] PC Renewal Payment Transaction Details confirming the payment transaction details to assist the Board in allocating payments, and include your full name as it is on the Roll of Practitioners.

Other Payment Queries

The Board does not take credit card payments over the phone.

Cheques can be made payable to the Legal Practice Board.

Completing My Practising Certificate Application

Practice Details

What is the date of commencement of employment?

The date of commencement of employment is the date you started at the law practice in your current position.
For example, if you started as an employed solicitor and you are still in that role, it is the date you started at the law practice. If you are now practising as a principal at that same law practice it is the date you commenced as a principal.
If you have any further questions, please email enquiries@lpbwa.com setting out your question. Please include your full name, including any middle names.

Why do I have to re-enter my details if they are correct?

Due to changes in the regulatory framework arising under the Uniform Law, all legal practitioners must confirm their practice details to ensure the correct statutory conditions are imposed on their Australian practising certificate as part of the renewal process.

My practice details are incorrect.

Practice details can now be updated as part of the application for a practising certificate. Please follow the prompts to update your details within the application.
If you have already submitted your practising certificate application, please send an email to enquiries@lpbwa.com providing the correct information.
If you are experience difficulties completing the form, please send an email to enquiries@lpbwa.com outlining the issues.
Please include your full name, including any middle names, in any correspondence.

I can’t edit the fields in the application.

If you have already submitted your practising certificate application, please email to enquiries@lpbwa.com detailing the amendments you wish to make to your application.
If you have not submitted your practising certificate application, please send an email to enquries@lpbwa.com stating the problem, the time the problem occurred, and the details of the last question you completed.

My second place of practice isn’t showing up correctly.

Please send an email to enquiries@lpbwa.com setting out the contact details of the law practice, your position within the law practice, and the date you commenced in that position.
Please include your full name, including any middle names, and your Practitioner ID.

I have more than 2 places of practice.

Please send an email to enquries@lpbwa.com setting out the contact details of the law practice, your position within the law practice, and the date you commenced in that position.
Please include your full name, including any middle names, and your Practitioner ID.

Professional Indemnity Insurance (“PII”)

Do I have PII?

The Board is unable to provide individual confirmation regarding PII exemptions until an application has been processed. The Board will contact you if further information or a PII exemption cannot be granted.

If you are required to hold PII in Western Australia please contact Law Mutual (WA) on (08) 9481 3111 or info@lawmutualwa.com.au if you require any further information in relation to their processes.

Law Mutual will advise the Board directly once you have compliedwith your PII obligations.

What do I do if I need an exemption from holding PII?

If you are required to apply for an exemption from the requirement to hold PII, this process is now part of the practising certificate application. Eligible categories of exemption, based on your employment status, will be set out in the application and payment of the relevant fee will be included in the total invoice. You are not required to complete an additional form.

Practice Management Condition

Refer to the Legal Practice Board’s website under Legal Profession>Practice Management

Principal of a law practice

Refer to the Legal Practice Board’s website under Legal Profession>Practice Management

Disclosure of ‘show cause’ events and Fitness to Practice (suitability)
What is a ‘show cause’ event? (Q 33 of LPB Form 1)?

See the Disclosure Guidelines on the Board’s website.
Please note, ‘show cause’ events that have previously been disclosed in writing to the Board do not need to be disclosed again.

What is a suitability matter?

See the Disclosure Guidelines on the Board’s website.
Please note, suitability matters, with the exception of pending (or unresolved) complaints, that have previously been disclosed in writing to the Board do not need to be disclosed again.

Do I have to disclose a spent conviction?

Section 12 of Schedule 3 of the Spent Convictions Act 1988 confirms that applicants for the grant or renewal of a practising certificate are required to disclose a spent conviction to the Board.

Please note, spent convictions that have previously been disclosed in writing to the Board do not need to be disclosed again.

Do I have to disclose a previously disclosed complaint?

If you are subject to an unresolved complaint, investigation, charge or order, or equivalent interstate or overseas body, you must always disclose this even if it has previously been disclosed to the Board.

Trust Accounts

Why does my Australian practising certificate say I am not authorised to receive trust money?

Under the Uniform Law each Australian practising certificate is subject to a condition that the holder ‘is authorised to receive trust money’ or ‘is not authorised to receive trust money’.
Please see the Board’s statement for more information.

A trust account is maintained, however no External Examiner has been appointed by the law practice, what do I do?

Please place a tick in the box provided and contact the Review and Audit team at enquiries@lpbwa.com, and include ‘Trust Account’ in the title.

My External examiner has retired, what do I do?

Please place a tick in the box provided and contact the Review and Audit team at enquires@lpbwa.com, and include ‘Trust Account’ in the title.

The Trust Account Details are incorrect, what do I do?

Contact the Review and Audit team at enquires@lpbwa.com, and include ‘Trust Account’ in the title.

A trust account is maintained interstate and I cannot locate the external examiner on the drop down list?

Where your external examiner is based interstate, please select ‘Interstate External Examiner (Auditor)’.