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Practice structures

Solicitors in New South Wales work in a variety of settings, from government departments and community legal centres to large corporations and organisations, but over 70 per cent still work in private law practices. Just over 85 per cent of private law practices are sole practitioners. Other practice structures are Partnerships, Incorporated Legal Practices and Multi-disciplinary Partnerships.

Incorporated Legal Practices

An Incorporated Legal Practice (ILP) is a corporation, as defined by the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), which engages in legal practice in NSW, whether or not it also provides services that are not legal services.

Under the Legal Profession Act 2004, there are notification obligations to the Law Society of New South Wales in respect of ILPS. Notification to the Law Society must be made in writing when an ILP:

• intends to provide legal services
• begins to engage in legal practice
• ceases to engage in legal practice as an ILP.

To notify the Law Society:

1. Download and complete the Notification of Incorporated Legal Practice form.
2. Return the completed form to the Law Society Registry (details at right).

For more information on ILPs download the Incorporated Legal Practices Information Kit.

Multi-Disciplinary Partnerships

A Multi-disciplinary Partnership (MDP) is a partnership between one or more Australian legal practitioners and one or more other persons who are not Australian legal practitioners, where the business of the partnership includes the provision of legal services in this jurisdiction as well as other services.

Under the Legal Profession Act 2004, there are notification obligations to the Law Society of NSW.

If you are a legal practitioner partner in a MDP and want to provide legal services in NSW as a member of the MDP, you are required to notify the Law Society of New South Wales of your intentions as follows:

1. Download and complete the Notice of intention to start practice in a Multi-disciplinary Partnership form.
2. Return the completed form to the Law Society Registry (details at right).

Chambers Practices

A Chambers Practice is a group of professionals, usually legal practitioners, in sole or small firm practice, who operate from a named Chambers Practice. A Chambers Practice is not a law practice under the Legal Profession Act. For the payment of a licence fee each professional has exclusive use of a room in the Chambers Practice and shares certain facilities with others in the group.

For more information about the working in a Chambers Practice download the Chambers Practice Guide.

Assistance

The Law Society of New South Wales’ Regulatory Compliance Support Unit can provide free assistance about practice structures.