When transferring or closing a law practice, the Law Society needs to be advised in writing. 

Regulation 61 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulation 2015 requires you to notify the Law Society of any change in your practising arrangements within seven days of the change occurring. If you are a principal of a law practice and you intend to cease practising, we recommend that you advise the Law Society of your intention prior to ceasing practice. You may make the notification by emailing the Law Society Registry at registry@lawsociety.com.au.

Please ensure that your notification includes the date you intend to cease practice.

For information on transferring or ceasing a law practice, please consult the Regulatory Compliance Department.

When you have ceased to practise, you may either:

• surrender your practising certificate; or
• let your certificate lapse on 30 June when it expires.

If you choose to surrender your certificate, please return your practising certificate by post or in person to the Law Society Registry. Please refer to the Schedule of Refunds. 

Transferring a law practice

If you are the sole principal of a law practice and you intend to close the law practice and transfer trust property including client files to another law practice, the Regulatory Compliance Support Unit have prepared a helpful checklist to assist you with complying with your obligations under the Legal Profession Uniform Legal Practice (Solicitors) Rules 2015.

Incorporated and Unincorporated Legal Practices

An incorporated or unincorporated legal practice must give the Law Society written notice in the approved form within 14 days after it ceases to engage in legal practice in NSW. See below the approved forms:

Form to cease incorporated practice

Form to cease unincorporated practice

Trust account notification

Rule 51(1) of the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 provides that a law practice must give written notice to the Law Society Council within 14 days of the law practice ceasing to hold trust money because it ceases to exist as a law practice, to engage in legal practice or to practise in such a way as to receive trust money. The written notice must provide such details of those facts as are applicable, the dates of their occurrence and particulars sufficient to identify the law practice’s general trust accounts. The relevant form is available here.