Tagged with 'Legal Ethics'

Courts have regulated AI, psychological safety is now enforceable, and the billable hour is losing ground. Here is what moved in Q2 2026 and what it means for your practice.

The amended Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules commenced on 1 July 2026 and apply to every solicitor, not only practices captured by the AML/CTF regime. There are three key areas practitioners need to review: client acceptance under Rule 8, ceasing to act under Rule 13, and engagement letters under the new Rule 12. If you have not yet reviewed your client intake procedures, retainer documentation and approach on ceasing to act, now is the time.

Two seismic forces are reshaping Australian legal practice simultaneously. Here's what it means to lead through both.

Social media is now being increasingly used by lawyers and firms for business development and networking purposes, but some ethical risks can undermine the benefits and opportunities these new communication channels offer.

From incorrect redactions to inadvertently disclosing confidential client information, there is plenty of evidence of lawyers using technology incompetently. But as technology becomes embedded in modern legal practice - lawyers must educate themselves about technology or face the risk of failing to uphold their ethical duties.