Western Australian Consolidated Regulations

LEGAL PROFESSION REGULATIONS 2009

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART 1 -- Preliminary  

   1.      Citation  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Terms used  
   4.      Default determination of associate’s home jurisdiction: section 7(4)  

   PART 2 -- Reservation of legal work and related matters  

   5.      Presumptions about taking or using name, title or description: section 14(2)  
   6.      Exempted lay associates: section 15(8)  

   PART 3 -- Legal practice by Australian legal practitioners  

   7.      Completion of periods of supervised legal practice: sections 50 and  
   8.      Register of local practising certificates: section 76(2)(b)  

   PART 4 -- Government lawyers  

           Division 1 -- General  

   9.      Eligibility to be principal for articled clerk  
   10.     Supervised legal practice: section 3  
   11.     Government agencies: section 36(1) WA government lawyer  

           Division 2 -- Continuing professional development of WA government lawyers  

   12.     Terms used  
   13.     Continuing professional development arrangements  
   14.     Review of arrangements  
   15.     Effect of participation in approved CPD arrangement  
   16.     Report to Board  
   17.     Directions to WA government lawyers  
   18.     Professional discipline  

   PART 5 -- Incorporated legal practices and multi-disciplinary partnerships  

   19.     Community legal centres are not incorporated legal practices: section 99  
   20.     Prohibition on conduct of managed investment scheme by incorporated legal practice: section 100(2)  
   21.     Information to be given to Board by corporation  
   22.     Notice of ceasing provision of legal services: section 104  
   23.     Disqualifications and prohibitions  
   24.     Conduct of multi-disciplinary partnership: section 132(3)  

   PART 6 -- Legal practice by foreign lawyers  

   25.     Scope of practice: section 154(1)  
   26.     Trust money and trust accounts: section 161  
   27.     Professional indemnity insurance: section 162  
   28.     Guarantee Fund contributions: section 344(2)  
   29.     Guarantee Fund levy: sections 339, 344  
   30.     Failure to pay Guarantee Fund levy: sections 340, 344  
   31.     Locally registered foreign lawyers not covered by Guarantee Fund  
   32.     Register of locally registered foreign lawyers: section 198(2)(b)  

   PART 7 -- Trust money and trust accounts  

           Division 1 -- Preliminary matters  

   33.     Operation of this Part  
   34.     Terms used  

           Division 2 -- Computerised accounting systems  

   35.     Application of Division  
   36.     Copies of trust records to be printed  
   37.     Chronological record of information to be made  
   38.     Requirements regarding computer accounting systems  
   39.     Back-ups  

           Division 3 -- General trust accounts  

   40.     Establishment of general trust account: section 214(2)  
   41.     Receipting of trust money  
   42.     Deposit records for trust money  
   43.     Direction for non-deposit of trust money in general trust account: section 215(4)  
   44.     Payment by cheque  
   45.     Payment by electronic funds transfer  
   46.     Recording transactions in trust account cash books  
   47.     Trust account receipts cash book  
   48.     Trust account payments cash book  
   49.     Recording transactions in trust ledger accounts  
   50.     Journal transfers  
   51.     Reconciliation of trust records  
   52.     Trust ledger account in name of law practice or legal practitioner associate  
   53.     Notification requirements regarding general trust accounts  

           Division 4 -- Controlled money  

   54.     Maintenance of controlled money accounts: section 218(4)  
   55.     Receipt of controlled money  
   56.     Deposit of controlled money: section 218(5)  
   57.     Withdrawal of controlled money must be authorised  
   58.     Register of controlled money  

           Division 5 -- Transit money  

   59.     Information to be recorded about transit money: section 220  

           Division 6 -- Trust money generally  

   60.     Trust account statements  
   61.     Trust account statements for sophisticated clients  
   62.     Register of investments  
   63.     Trust money subject to specific powers: section 221  
   64.     Register of powers and estates in relation to trust money  
   65.     Withdrawing trust money for legal costs: section 225(1)(b)  
   66.     Keeping of trust records: section 228  
   67.     Keeping other records and information  
   68.     Statements regarding receipt or holding of trust money  

           Division 7 -- External examinations  

   69.     Requirement for external examinations: section 237  
   70.     Appointment of external examiners: sections 237 and  
   71.     Prescribed form for law practice ceasing to be authorised to receive trust money or engage in legal practice: section 239(3)  
   72.     Report on external examiner’s examination: section 240  

           Division 8 -- Miscellaneous  

   73.     Trust money protocols: section 209  
   74.     Law practice closing down, closing office or ceasing to receive or hold trust money  
   75.     Notification of money not received or held as trust money: section 248(4)  
   76.     Disclosure of accounts used to hold money entrusted to legal practitioners: section 249(1)  
   77.     Exemptions  

   PART 8 -- Costs disclosure and assessment  

   78.     When a matter has a substantial connection with this jurisdiction: section 258  
   79.     Interest on unpaid legal costs: section 273(4)  
   80.     Disclosure of costs to clients form: section 260(5) and (7)  
   81.     Exceptions to requirement for disclosure: section 263(2)(f)  
   82.     Notification of client’s rights form: section 291(3)  

   PART 9 -- Professional indemnity insurance  

           Division 1 -- Preliminary  

   83.     Terms used  

           Division 2 -- PII arrangement and Law Mutual Fund  

   84.     Law Society may make arrangements or approve scheme for professional indemnity insurance  
   85.     Maintenance of Law Mutual Fund  
   86.     Surplus funds  

           Division 3 -- Duties of law practices  

   87.     Requirements for professional indemnity insurance: law practices  
   88.     Application for professional indemnity insurance  
   89.     Late lodgment fee  
   90.     Restructured law practice  
   91.     Certificate of insurance  
   92.     Annual contribution  
   93.     Review and appeal  
   94.     Incorrect information  
   95.     Exempt law practices  

           Division 4 -- Duties of Australian legal practitioners  

   96.     Requirements for professional indemnity insurance: Australian legal practitioners  
   97.     Exempt Australian legal practitioners  
   98.     Notification of claim to exemption -- Australian legal practitioners  
   99.     Notification of claim to exemption -- new local legal practitioners  
   100.    Employee practitioners  
   101.    Evidence as to PII compliance: section 40(3)  

           Division 5 -- Miscellaneous  

   102.    Administration levy  
   103.    Undertakings may be required  
   104.    Giving information to the Law Society  
   105.    Interest payable on overdue amounts  
   106.    Recovery of moneys payable  
   107.    Compliance with regulations  

   PART 10 -- Fidelity cover  

   108.    Fidelity protocols: section 377  
   109.    Payment of interest on trust accounts: section 387  
   110.    Prescribed bodies  

   PART 11 -- Publicising disciplinary action  

   111.    Register of Disciplinary Action: section 452(2)(e)  

   PART 12 -- Miscellaneous  

   112.    Approved forms  

   PART 13 -- Repeal and transitional provisions  

           Division 1 -- General  

   113.    Terms used  

           Division 2 -- Repeals  

   114.    Repeals  

           Division 3 -- Professional indemnity insurance  

   115.    Insurance under previous arrangements  
   116.    Recovery of payments  

           Division 4 -- Admission of local lawyers  

   117.    Existing notices of intention to apply for admission  
   118.    Existing compliance certificates  
   119.    Public notice of application for admission  

           Division 5 -- Trust money and trust accounts  

   120.    Continued application of 2003 Act  

           Division 6 -- Costs disclosure and agreements  

   121.    Terms used  
   122.    Costs disclosure  
   123A.   Costs agreements  

           Division 7 -- Interstate legal practitioners  

   123.    Supervised legal practice  
           SCHEDULE 1 -- Forms  
           SCHEDULE 2 -- Prescribed bodies  
           Compilation table