The Professional Development Specialists Legal CPD for Lawyers, CPD for Accountants & Business Executives

The March 31st deadline for legal CPD is fast approaching, and for many lawyers, meeting their annual CPD requirements can feel like a last-minute scramble. While completing CPD is a professional obligation, it’s also an opportunity to enhance your expertise and grow your legal practice. However, many lawyers make mistakes that can lead to wasted time, missed learning opportunities, and even compliance risks.

At TEN The Education Network (www.tved.net.au), we want to help you get the most out of your CPD. Here are some common CPD pitfalls and how to avoid them.

1. Leaving CPD to the Last Minute

One of the biggest mistakes lawyers make is procrastinating until the final weeks before the deadline. This often leads to:
❌ Rushed course selection
❌ Limited availability of quality CPD programs
❌ Stress and compliance risks if requirements aren’t met

🔹 Solution: Plan ahead! Spread your CPD activities throughout the year to maximise learning and avoid the end-of-March rush. Consider using recorded webinars or a CPD subscription to fit CPD into your schedule with ease.

2. Choosing CPD That Doesn’t Add Value

Many lawyers treat CPD as a checkbox exercise, selecting courses that don’t enhance their skills or career development. This results in wasted time and missed opportunities for professional growth.

🔹 Solution: Select CPD programs that align with your practice area, career goals, and emerging legal trends. We offer tailored CPD programs for different legal specialties to help you make meaningful progress in your career.  

3. Ignoring Mandatory CPD Areas

Each jurisdiction requires lawyers to complete CPD across four key competency areas:
✅ Ethics and Professional Responsibility
✅ Practice Management and Business Skills
✅ Professional Skills
✅ Substantive Law

Failing to meet these requirements could lead to non-compliance and potential issues with your legal practicing certificate.

🔹 Solution: When planning CPD, ensure your selections cover all required categories. Consider a CPD Power Pack, which includes a mix of compulsory topics in one convenient bundle.

4. Not Keeping Proper CPD Records

Many lawyers assume their CPD providers will track their progress, only to realize at the last minute that they don’t have the necessary records to verify their CPD compliance.

🔹 Solution: Always keep your own CPD records, including certificates and attendance confirmations. 

5. Sticking to Just One Learning Format

Some lawyers rely solely on online webinars, limiting their exposure to different learning methods. A diverse approach can make CPD more engaging and effective.

🔹 Solution: Mix up your CPD activities! Explore live webinars, recorded webinars, e-books, podcast subscriptions and conferences to gain the most from your learning experience.

6. Not Keeping Up with Emerging Legal Trends

Legal practice is constantly evolving, and CPD is a great way to stay ahead. However, some lawyers focus only on fulfilling their CPD hours without considering how new laws and regulations affect their practice.

🔹 Solution: Choose CPD topics that address emerging trends like AI in law, cybersecurity, ESG regulations, and family law reforms to ensure your practice remains competitive.

Get the Most Out of Your CPD with TEN

TEN provides high-quality legal CPD programs that help you stay compliant while enhancing your career. Whether you need on-demand webinars, live online seminars, or CPD Power Packs, we’ve got you covered.

⏳ Don’t wait until the last minute! Browse our CPD offerings now at www.tved.net.au and complete your CPD with confidence.

#LegalCPD #CPDforLawyers #ProfessionalDevelopment #CPDRequirements

In the ever-changing landscape of professional education, staying ahead of the curve is key. What began as a simple idea—to inform professionals about proposed national companies regulation—has since evolved into a thriving business, reshaping how continuing professional development (CPD) is delivered in Australia and beyond. This is the story of TEN The Education Network.

The Early Years: Conferences and Video Services

The journey began in the mid-1970s, when the idea of running professional conferences took shape. By 1984, this initiative had expanded with the establishment of BLEC Video—Australia’s first subscription video service for accountants and lawyers. This innovation allowed professionals to access key updates without needing to attend conferences in person.

A CPD Revolution: Audio and Video Content

The mid-1980s saw another breakthrough: the launch of Australia’s first audio CPD update service. This revolutionised the CPD market by making ongoing professional education more accessible than ever. It provided practitioners with an alternative to traditional conferences, allowing them to stay informed on their own time.

In 1987, the business expanded internationally with the launch of Television Education Network (TEN) in New York. This move introduced "The CPA Report," a series of video programs designed for the American accounting market, which were distributed throughout the USA.

Growth and Expansion: A New Name and Digital Innovation

By 1991, the business rebranded as Television Education Network (TEN) in Australia, a name it proudly carried until 2024. As technology advanced, so did TEN’s offerings. In 1997, it became one of the first Australian providers to offer CPD services online.

Throughout the 2000s, TEN continued to lead the way, streaming video and audio content and launching its first webinars in 2012. These innovations cemented its reputation as a pioneer in online CPD services.

A Fresh Identity, Same Commitment to Excellence

Now in 2024, under the refreshed name TEN The Education Network, the company continues to offer a full range of CPD products, both online and face-to-face. With a focus on accessibility, innovation, and quality, TEN remains dedicated to delivering exceptional CPD services to legal, accounting, and business professionals.

From its humble beginnings to its position as a leader in professional education, TEN’s journey is a testament to adaptability and innovation. Explore our comprehensive CPD offerings at www.tved.net.au.

Subject: Succession Law CPD, Estate Planning CPD
Author: Justine Taylor & Daniel Bennett, Uther Webster & Evans

Every family and every relationship has its own nuances and subtleties that need to be individually catered for. This is particularly so when dealing with later in life relationships and blended families when viewed through, not only the estate planning lens, but also when appropriately advising on family law rights.

As Dixon J (of the Supreme Court of Victoria) observed in the context of legislation providing that marriage will revoke a prior will unless made in contemplation of marriage1 in Steel v Ifrah [2013] 199; 38 VR 19:2

   “Marriage is an event that it is commonly understood to naturally affect a testator’s intentions about the distribution of his or her estate after death. Undoubtedly, the changing mores of Australian society concerning marriage, divorce, children, blended families and the holding and distribution of wealth and assets motivated the reform, in 1997, of the marriage revocation rule. Where once it might have been expected that a marriage would result in an intention not to distribute to the beneficiaries that had been selected prior to a marriage in order to favour the new husband or wife and the children of the union, the legislature considers it unsafe for the law to now make that assumption. An expectation of a second marriage, or a marriage following a union that resulted in children, may result in an intention to protect the entitlement of the children of that former union, rather than an intention to recognise the claims of or through a new marriage partner. What is important is that there be contemplation of a marriage when determining how, and to whom, one’s estate is to be distributed, because it is the making of a will without contemplation of the relevant circumstances that may apply when it comes into effect that is the mischief”.

This paper will be taking a cross jurisdictional and collaborative approach to specifically look at later in life relationships in drafting binding financial agreements, Wills and the estate plan, to specifically cater for blended families, subsequent marriages and/or later in life relationships.