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Practitioners going on leave

Practitioners going on leave

If you are taking an extended period of leave and are not returning during the current practising year, you may consider surrendering your practising certificate. Surrendering your practising certificate means that you do not have to comply with CPD requirements.

Examples of extended leave are parental leave or long service leave.

You should continue to hold your practising certificate if you are taking a normal period of leave or if you expect to return to practice before the expiration of your current practising certificate.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Surrendering your practising certificate means that CPD requirements will no longer apply to you.

If you decide to maintain your practising certificate through any period of leave, you must comply with CPD requirements.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply to the Law Institute of Victoria for an exemption from complying with your CPD obligations. For more information, visit the Law Institute of Victoria website.

Surrendering your PC

If you wish to surrender your practising certificate, you must notify our office of the date you will cease engaging in legal practice. You’ll need to do this through our lawyer enquiry form. Please note that you cannot back-date the date of surrender. You must provide the current date or a future date for when you wish to surrender your certificate.

If you expect to return to practise before your current certificate expires, you should not surrender your certificate or you will need to reapply for a new certificate (including paying all relevant fees).

Not renewing your PC

If you are going on leave or ceasing to practice during the annual renewal period (April – June), you can notify us by completing the ‘Not renewing practising certificate’ section in LSB Online. Please note that if you don't notify us and then apply for a new practising certificate in the first quarter of the new financial year (July - September), you will be charged a surcharge on top of your usual fees. You can apply for a refund under our Overpayments and Refunds policy.

LSB Online Not Renewing

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Publication

Experiencing Sexual Harassment

This resource provides information about what you might consider doing if you experience sexual harassment in legal workplaces

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Commissioner Update - October 2021

Commissioner update to the legal profession - October 2021. In this edition: Launch of our sexual harassment reporting tool | LIV sexual harassment policies | New guidance – lawyers offering non-legal services

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New tool for reporting lawyer sexual harassment

VLSB+C has today launched an online tool for lawyers in Victoria to anonymously report instances of sexual harassment

Lawyer wellbeing

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Information on workplace bullying and sexual harassment

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What you can do

Under workplace health and safety laws, your employer has significant obligations to provide a safe workplace, and that includes emotional and psychological safety, as well as physical safety.

A workplace that tolerates bullying, harassment, or serious overwork is not a safe workplace.

There is also a specific conduct rule that specifies that a lawyer must not engage in conduct that constitutes discrimination, sexual harassment or workplace bullying.

What you can do

Below is a list of actions you might wish to take if you feel you are experiencing bullying at work. The course of action you choose will depend on the nature of the bullying and your workplace.

  • If you can, tell the person the behaviour is unreasonable/inappropriate, that you are offended and want it to stop.
  • Get advice from your health and safety representative (HSR).
  • Keep a record of events that includes the names of people involved, for example, witnesses. Make sure the records focus on the facts of the situation, what happened, including dates and times and, if possible, copies of any documents.
  • Use the workplace or occupational health and safety (OHS) procedure to report the situation.
  • Seek professional counselling and/or advice.
  • Talk to people you trust at your workplace, for example, a supervisor, manager, HSR, union representative or someone from human resources.

WorkSafe has comprehensive information about workplace bullying and can provide information and support via their Advisory phone service.

There are also other agencies that can help:

  • Fair Work Commission
  • Fair Work Ombudsman
  • Victoria Legal Aid
  • Australian Human Rights Commission
  • Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
  • Victoria Police
  • Beyond Blue
  • Lifeline.
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Commissioner Update - August 2021

Commissioner update to the legal profession - August 2021. In this edition: Commissioner revokes delegation to Victorian Bar | Complaints about lawyers by lawyers – new guidance released | Innovation in pricing guidance

Agreed pricing

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Agreed Pricing 

Agreed Pricing 

Agreed Pricing, also known as Value Pricing, is an arrangement in which a lawyer and a client agree on a price up front for the lawyer’s services in a matter. It is based on an agreed scope of services and the price is a fair reflection of the client’s perception of value.  It is also seen in productised services where a lawyer offers a defined scope of service for a publicly stated price. 

In non-litigious matters, some agreed pricing arrangements can include contingency fees – that is, the ultimate price is contingent on certain agreed goals and outcomes being met, for example a package of work being finished by a particular date or contract negotiations meeting certain goals.  While s.183 of the Uniform Law strictly prohibits contingency pricing in litigious matters, the prohibition does not extend to non-litigious matters.   

Frequently asked questions about Agreed Pricing

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