When you apply for, or apply to renew your practising certificate, you must pay the appropriate fee for the type of certificate you need. The fees for practising certificates change each year.
You may also need to pay a contribution to the Fidelity Fund, depending on your type of practising certificate.
If you are an Australian-qualified lawyer who wants to practise overseas, or an overseas-qualified lawyer who wants to practise in Australia, there are special rules that apply to you. These rules vary depending on which country you were qualified in and where you’re hoping to practise.
Some reasons you may want to surrender your practising certificate include:
There are many reasons why you may need to modify your practising certificate. These include:
‘Show cause events’ involve serious matters that may affect whether you are fit and proper to practise law. They can happen to you in Victoria or in any other Australian jurisdiction.
If you hold a current practising certificate, or a foreign lawyer registration certificate, you must tell us of any show cause events that have occurred to you.
If you are applying for a new practising certificate or registration certificate, you also must tell us of any show cause events that have happened to you at any time before you applied.
Over the course of your legal practice, your circumstances may change. Some changes affect how we can best contact you if we need to, while others can affect your ability to engage in legal practice. This page explains what those disclosures are and when you should make them.
Certain types of lawyers must make an annual contribution to the Fidelity Fund. This needs to be done when you apply for a new certificate, or when you apply to renew your existing certificate. Approved barristers’ clerks and some foreign lawyers are also required to make an annual contribution.
Contribution amounts are set based on a range of factors, including practising certificate type and trust money received in a 12-month period.
To practise law in Victoria, you must be admitted to the legal profession in Australia, or hold a registration certificate as an Australian-registered foreign lawyer.
Professional indemnity insurance (PII) provides law practices with coverage against legal liability that may arise from their professional services.
If you are a lawyer working in private practice or for a community legal service, you must be covered by an approved PII policy before you can practise law in Victoria.
