Resources and information - Legal Practitioners' Liability Committee

Resources and information to support firms and practitioners to manage their legal practice. Including LPLC's file note template, a risk management audit checklist and useful links to legal peak bodies in Victoria and The Uniform Law.

Resources
Articles
Checklists
Videos

Practitioner Resources

Guide to Property Taxes (Victoria)

Conveyancing, Tax, GST, Resources and information, GST 06 Feb 25

Practitioners are often engaged by a client to ‘do the conveyancing’ associated with the sale or purchase of real property. Typically, they are not specifically instructed to provide taxation or stamp duty advice, but there is usually no transaction relating to real property that doesn’t have taxation or duty implications

Client file audit tool

Engagement/retainer management, Supervision, Resources and information 14 Nov 24

Regular file audits are a crucial aspect of effective practice management, ensuring compliance with key procedures. By conducting audits, the firm can proactively identify and mitigate risks, improve processes, and maintain consistently high-quality work across all client matters. These audits not only highlight unmanaged risks but also reveal opportunities to enhance practices and procedures.

Practitioner Resources

How to register for your LPLC events portal account

Resources and information 08 Oct 24

Here's a step-by-step guide to registering your new events portal with LPLC.

Sale of land - questions for the vendor

Conveyancing, Resources and information 19 Sep 24

This checklist contains essential questions for the vendor during the sale of land.

Practitioner Resources

File note template - practitioner resource

Resources and information 25 Jun 21

LPLC has created a very basic generic File Note MS word (.dotx) template for practitioners and firms to download, adapt and use to create electronic file notes.

Policies for law firms

Resources and information 02 Dec 14

A list of risk management policies (and some procedures) firms have told LPLC they use. Not all firms have all of these policies. For some of the policies we have commented on the risk management issues that should be considered when drafting the policy.

Clarify details when sending client money overseas

Resources and information 03 Dec 24

Always first confirm the currency in which money is to be sent before transferring funds overseas

Have you completed your Practice Health Check?

Resources and information 10 Oct 24

Effective practice management doesn’t just take care of itself. It requires constant work. Practice leaders should regularly review the health of their firm, the quality of its work and look for ways to improve. To give practitioners a baseline, LPLC has developed a free online, self-assessment tool to help them take the pulse of their firm.

Nine tips to switch off for 2023

Resources and information 13 Dec 23

The lead up to the holiday season is always demanding for practitioners with meeting client and court deadlines and managing an increase in commitments outside of work and end-of-year fatigue. In the last-minute rush to the end of year closedown, important risk management measures can be overlooked. To help avoid unwelcome surprises when coming back to work, we’ve put together our top nine actions to take before you ‘switch off’ for 2023.

Meticulous file notes — a habit worth perfecting

Engagement/retainer management, Resources and information, Professional Responsibility 02 Jul 21

The preparation of thorough file notes is a core part of prudent legal practice and something practitioners should aim to fine-tune. The importance of a detailed file note cannot be overstated, both as evidence should a negligence claim ever arise, as much as for matter management, continuity and reference.

Automation software: Reduce risk, add value

Resources and information 12 May 21

This article gives an overview of what automation software is, and explains how it can be applied in the context of a law firm.

The Quality Legal Practice Framework: 5 Practice Essentials

Engagement/retainer management, Resources and information 07 May 21

An understanding of the key areas of legal practice management is essential to provide a quality legal service. LPLC has developed the Quality Legal Practice Framework tool to help busy practitioners identify these key areas and the important things to cover.The framework breaks down practice management into five key areas that work together to deliver quality. They are governance, engagement, work, people and risk management.

Digital systems the new normal

Resources and information 12 Feb 21

Enhance your key systems now to thrive in 2021 and beyond. The key tools for law firms today are cloud based practice management systems that allow staff to manage files documents and communication in one place. A good practice management system more than pays for itself in time saving, consistency, management oversight and ultimately risk management.

Risk management for COVID-weary lawyers

Resources and information 10 Dec 20

Taking steps to relieve fatigue and pressure as the year rushes to a close is good risk management.

Urgent steps for moving to remote working

Cyber security, Verification of Identity, Engagement/retainer management, Supervision, Resources and information 05 Aug 20

From midnight Wednesday 5 August 2020, most law firms in the Melbourne metropolitan area will be required to close their office and work remotely in accordance with Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions. This article outlines the key actions you should take now to ensure commitments are met and any employees effectively supervised during this period.

Keep your files moving

Engagement/retainer management, Resources and information 18 Feb 20

Lapsed limitation periods, 'too hard basket' files, no tracking mechanisms for inactive files, unexpected long abscences. These are just some of the circumstances that can lead to stagnating matters and the risk of a claim.

Success often comes at a price

Supervision, Resources and information 04 Dec 19

A successful firm will grow over time, but claims may arise when systems and processes fail to grow and change with it. Does your firm have a strategy for growth?

Dealing with loss of capacity of a sole practitioner

Resources and information, Professional Responsibility 05 Jun 15

When a person loses capacity it is usually a lot simpler to deal with any financial and legal decisions where that person has appointed an attorney via an enduring power of attorney (financial). This is part of the advice often given by practitioners to clients. It is not clear how many practitioners have taken their own advice.

It ain’t over till it’s over…

Engagement/retainer management, Resources and information 18 Jul 14

This blog from 2014 covers things to consider while closing a file.

Client file audit tool

Engagement/retainer management, Supervision, Resources and information 14 Nov 24

Regular file audits are a crucial aspect of effective practice management, ensuring compliance with key procedures. By conducting audits, the firm can proactively identify and mitigate risks, improve processes, and maintain consistently high-quality work across all client matters. These audits not only highlight unmanaged risks but also reveal opportunities to enhance practices and procedures.

Sale of land - questions for the vendor

Conveyancing, Resources and information 19 Sep 24

This checklist contains essential questions for the vendor during the sale of land.

Policies for law firms

Resources and information 02 Dec 14

A list of risk management policies (and some procedures) firms have told LPLC they use. Not all firms have all of these policies. For some of the policies we have commented on the risk management issues that should be considered when drafting the policy.

Tech Solutions for Risk Reduction in Property Law

Conveyancing, Resources and information 29 Aug 24

In this webinar Laura Vickers, Accredited Specialist in Property Law and Principal Lawyer, Nest Legal, shares her experiences with technology solutions that can assist practitioners doing property and conveyancing work.

Making the most of your technology for good legal practice

Resources and information 28 Jul 23

Being a good lawyer is more than knowing the law. Successful law firms understand the importance of utilising up-to-date technology to operate more efficiently and consistently produce accurate, high-quality work. In this webinar, guest speaker Fiona McLay, legal technology consultant and author of the book, 'The Tech Enabled Lawyer', will discuss how to make more use of your existing technology to build quality into everyday work and some low-cost ideas that you can implement right away, to improve the way you and your team work.

The Work habit

Resources and information 19 Nov 20

Doing legal work is not just about knowing the law. Producing quality legal work in a timely and efficient manner requires a consistent application of practice management basics.

Financial crimes: Are you a target?

Resources and information 13 Nov 20

In the current environment all law firms have a heightened risk profile, even more so for recently established firms. This webinar is presented by Paddy Oliver, Managing Director and Principal at AML Experts.

Maximising Microsoft365 to manage your practice

Resources and information 16 Sep 20

Many Victorian practitioners have been forced to quickly adapt to remote working. This webinar is a timely opportunity to refresh your technology skills or learn new ones and make sure you are efficiently using the inexpensive tech products available to lawyers.

Presented by David Curtain and Ellen Connor from Lawyers On Demand.

Emotional Intelligence

Professional Responsibility, Resources and information 06 Aug 20

This webinar focuses on the key areas of perceiving emotions in self and others and emotional management strategies for individuals and relationships. Presented by Jacqui Martin, Langley Group.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place

Resources and information, Professional Responsibility 02 Jul 19

Seminar from 2019's Risk Management Intensive. Presented by Donna Cooper, Ethics Consultant, Ethics4Lawyers.

AML—What will you need to do?

Verification of Identity, Resources and information 01 Jun 18

Seminar about anti-money laundering (AML) from 2018's Risk Management Intensive. Presented by Naomi Fink, Lawyer, Holley Nethercote, Patrick Oliver, Managing Director, Lexcel Consulting & AML Experts

Useful links

Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner

The Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner is the regulatory body for lawyers in Victoria. Its website contains important information about legal conduct and regulatory compliance.

LIV ethics and practice support

The Law Institute of Victoria provides a range of support for legal practices including ethical and practice support services, ethical guidelines and rulings.

The Uniform Law

The Uniform Law and the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 are the governing legislation for lawyers in Victoria. The Uniform Law is found in schedule 1 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014.

The legal profession rules

Links to the rules governing legal practice in Victoria for both barristers and solicitors can be found on the VLSB+C website.

Get risk advice about Practice Management issues

+61 3 9672 3800 lplc@lplc.com.au