Session 1: Professional Skills

Client Communications: Taking Instructions in a Digital World

The importance of getting clear and concise instructions from a client cannot be underestimated, and doing so remotely is an added complexity that comes with some risk. This session will explore what measures need to be put in place and how to spot any warning flags, to ensure both client and practitioner are protected from interference or abuse, including:

• What are the options for remotely taking instructions?
• Have the conduct rules and legislation kept up with changing times?
• Identifying your client – what information do you need? How can it be verified?
• Using teleconferencing – an adequate substitute for face to face interactions?
• Who else is in the room? Can you ensure confidentiality and non-interference?
• Where is the correspondence originating? Spotting fraud and undue influence
• Tips for minimising risk

Session 2: Practice Management & Business Skills

Estimating Fees and Getting Costing Right

This session looks at what we normally get wrong in fee estimates and costing. Understanding the no-go zones on costing provides a path forward in efficient practice management. It includes:

• Understanding legal obligation in costing - yours and theirs
• What is required in cost disclosure? – be-spoked estimates and explaining major variables where applicable
• The engagement letter - who is the client? how are costs calculated?
• Descriptive scope of work and estimates for each step
• Interim billing and how it conforms to overall estimate
• Navigating the fixed fee and billable hour conundrum
• Time costing - what is claimable and what is not claimable

Session 3:  Legal Ethics

Ethical Challenges, Duty of Care and Professional Misconduct

Professional misconduct claims continue to occur, with practitioners falling foul of their ethical obligations. In this practical session, hear directly from LawCover on the lessons we can learn from recent professional misconduct cases and how practitioners can ensure they properly discharge their ethical obligations. It covers:

• Identifying key ethical challenges that arise in practice
• Understanding appropriate standards of ethical behaviour 
• The interplay with professional misconduct - The causal symptoms and contributory factors of claims
• Claims prevention and risk management – best practice guidelines and emerging practice risks, traps and tips
• Lessons from recent reported and unreported decisions

Noric Dilanchian, Principal Lawyer, Autonomy First Lawyers, Sydney 

Noric’s approach to practice is multidisciplinary, integrating legal, business and innovation strategy to brand, protect, document, manage, market and commercialise intellectual property, digital media, technology and knowledge assets.

Since 1983 he has continuously worked as a business lawyer with an emphasis on technology and intellectual property law. In previous positions Noric led Dilanchian Lawyers from 2000 to 2018 and before that he worked as a lawyer in national and medium-sized law firms. His first position was in-house counsel with Angus & Robertson Publishers. He graduated from the University of New South Wales with degrees in Arts and Law.

Cate Dealehr, Accredited Cost Law Specialist, The Australian Legal Costing Group, Melbourne

Cate founded ALCG in 1990 and is a recognised leader in her field. She is the chair of the Costs Section executive committee of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) and long-standing trainer for law graduates at Leo Cussen Institute. She is a regular presenter at the annual National Costs Conferences.

Cate is a recipient of the annual LIV Pro Bono awards and received a LIV Certificate of Service for her outstanding service to the Victorian legal profession. She served for 4 years as an elected representative for Victoria’s solicitors on the Legal Services Board and drafted the precedent costs disclosure and agreements for distribution for the profession.

Cate has acted as an independent costs expert in over 20 class actions through-out Australia including acting as a Court appointed referee in the Federal and Victorian Supreme Courts.

Jen McMillan, Manager Practice Support Services, Lawcover, Sydney

Jen McMillan was admitted to practice in New South Wales in 1989 and in Western Australia in 1992.  She is a Law Society of NSW accredited specialist in wills and estates and has extensive experience in this area in private practice and with a trustee company and as the Practice Leader – Wills and Estates in the College of Law’s LLM (Applied Law) program and as a former part-time Senior Member (Legal) in the Guardianship Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Jen is a member of the NSW Law Society Elder Law and Succession Committee and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.  Jen is Manager, Practice Support Services at Lawcover.

This webinar is suitable for lawyers - Australia wide and it has been designed to deliver the 3 compulsory subject CPD units for the CPD year ending 31st March 2021.

Registered live webinar delegates will receive a CPD certificate for attendance at this webinar.  Lawyers can claim 3 CPD units – compulsory subjects.  1 unit each for Ethics, Practice Management and Professional Skills.