Guidance Statements

Council of the Queensland Law Society has directed that a series of Guidance Statements be published. They are a continuation of the obligation of the Profession to set its own standards of conduct. 

Queensland Law Society's Guidance Statements set out the Society's position in respect to specific subjects. Each Statement outlines a solicitor's ethical obligations in that particular subject area.

The Society would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Ethics Committee and Guidance Statement Sub-Committee in the drafting of these Guidance Statements.

No 1. Undertakings
No 19. Government Lawyers: Independence and Privilege
No 2. Ongoing Costs Disclosure
No 20. Employing immediate family members of judicial officers
No 3. Paying Referral Fees and Rule 12.4.4 Australian Solicitor Conduct Rules 2012
No 21. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
No 4. Receiving Referral Fees and Rule 12.4.3 Australian Solicitor Conduct Rules 2012 
No 22. Dealing with inappropriate judicial conduct in the courtroom
No 5. Witnessing Enduring Powers of Attorney
No 23. Acting for Family and Friends
No 6. Form of Delivery for Client Documents
No 24. Ethical considerations on the use of social media and law practice websites
No 7. Limited scope representation in dispute resolution
No 25. Professional Standards when Appearing in Court Remotely
No 8. Termination of a retainer
No 26. Multi-disciplinary practices - CLCs
No 9. Dealing with Self-represented Litigants
No 27. Second opinions
No 10. Power of attorney (solicitor attorney remuneration)
No 28. Applying the 'no contact rules' when the other party is an individual
No 11. Financial reporting, proceeds of crime compliance and Anti-Money Laundering (Withdrawn)
No 29. Applying the 'no contact rules' when the other party is an organisation
No 12. Conflicts of Interest in Criminal and Crime & Corruption Commission Proceedings
No 30. Transfer of files
No 13. Proceeds of crime compliance and Anti-Money Laundering
No 31. Courtesy in communications
No 14. Financial reporting
No 32. Solicitors commenting to the media
No 15. In-house counsel - practising certificates
No 33. Acting for insured and insurers
No 16. Supervision
No 34. Communicating with the court - notifying opponents
No 17. Conflicts of Interest in Work Health Safety Investigations
No 35. Work experience and internships
No 18. Inadvertent disclosure
No 36. Pro Bono legal work

11-20 of 36 items

No.26 Multi-disciplinary practices - CLCs

13/10/2021

This Guidance Statement considers the ethical issues faced by solicitors working in multi-disciplinary practices and in particular, focusses on the Community Legal Centre ('CLC’) experience where practitioners interact with social workers.

No.21 Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

29/04/2021

The purpose of this Guidance Statement is to set out what sexual harassment is, the issue as it relates to the legal industry and what legal and ethical obligations employers and employees have. *Updated 20 December 2022

No.19 Government Lawyers: Independence and Privilege

19/08/2020

Lawyers employed by government and quasi-government organisations often find themselves in roles which mix legal and non-legal work (such as governance and risk management), or have them reporting to non-lawyers and being asked to do non-traditional legal roles. This guidance statement assists in ascertaining their ethical duties in these different roles. *Updated 27 February 2024

No.18 Inadvertent disclosure

20/04/2020

The purpose of this Guidance Statement is to outline what a practitioner should do if they inadvertently receive confidential information from another solicitor or a third party under the Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules 2012 (‘ASCR’) and the common law.

No.17 Conflicts of Interest in Work Health Safety Investigations

07/08/2019

This Guidance Statement considers conflicts of interest regarding the representation of multiple employees, at different positions within a company’s chain of responsibility, in Work Health and Safety investigations and the ethical obligations that arise when employees are compelled to participate in interviews under the Work Health Safety Act 2011 (Qld)

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