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Recorded Webinars

Recorded Interactive Webinar: When the Client Becomes the Risk: Managing Difficult Instructions, Ignored Advice, and Ending the Relationship (ethics)

Clients don’t always make it easy to do the right thing — but lawyers must meet their ethical duties regardless. Whether a client is cutting corners, concealing facts, ignoring advice, or making the professional relationship untenable, your obligation to act with integrity remains

About the Webinar

Clients don’t always make it easy to do the right thing — but lawyers must meet their ethical duties regardless. Whether a client is cutting corners, concealing facts, ignoring advice, or making the professional relationship untenable, your obligation to act with integrity remains constant. This session explores how to handle ethically fraught situations where the greatest risk isn’t the legal issue — it’s the client. It covers:

  • Responding to misleading, unreasonable, or dishonest instructions
  • Managing instructions that contradict your legal advice
  • How to document your position to protect yourself from complaints or claims
  • Knowing when and how to say no: declining or terminating a retainer ethically
  • Dealing with client autonomy and poor decisions — without breaching duties
  • Disengagement strategies that protect your interests and reputation
  • Best-practice file notes, disclaimers and exit communications that withstand scrutiny

Presented By

Caroline Hutchinson
AccS(ComLit), Hon Fell (WSU), Principal/Director, Coleman Greig Lawyers Sydney, NSW

Caroline Hutchinson is a Principal at Coleman Greig Lawyers and an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation, who leads the firm’s Commercial Disputes & Employment practice.

Caroline has extensive experience in litigation, and she and her team deal with a wide variety of dispute-related issues for their clients. Utilising her over 30 years of experience, Caroline is well-placed to assist in mitigating the risks involving the effects of litigation on a company’s corporate profile with her keen grasp of commercial realities and comprehensive understanding of the differing legislative requirements across the various Australian states.

She has also built a vast knowledge in managing investigations and disputes for clientele with regulators, including SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Qld and the ACCC on matters of a WHS and consumer law basis.

Caroline is invested in contributing to the legal profession and the local community and regularly presents on dispute-related and professional ethics topics. She is a serving member of 2 committees of the Law Society of NSW - Litigation Law and Practice (since 2016) and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2025). She was conferred an Honorary Fellowship by Western Sydney University (2023) for her commitment to the western Sydney community and in 2025 was a Finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Dispute Resolution Partner of the Year Award. She is the Chair of Coleman Greig’s Board.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is suitable for lawyers - Australia wide.

CPD Information

Lawyers can claim 1 CPD unit – Ethics.

OPTIONAL ONLINE QUIZ

This Recorded Interactive Webinar will include an optional online quiz for completion after viewing the recording.  Upon completion of the quiz with a 100% pass rate the successful registered user will receive a CPD certificate confirming completion and the CPD units/points/hours earned.

TEN will aim to have the quiz available for completion within 1 week of the live webinar being held.

WA lawyers – Please note that TEN is unable to verify your completion of recorded webinars to the Legal Practice Board of WA. TEN is an accredited provider.

While TEN takes all reasonable care to include accurate and up-to-date information regarding CPD category classifications and compliance obligations, information regarding CPD point allocation are provided as a guide only. Allocation of CPD points is subject to the CPD requirements of your jurisdiction, personal circumstances and professional requirements. You are solely responsible for determining whether a particular product is appropriate for your CPD requirements.

Enquiries/Assistance

If you need assistance or have an enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact our Webinar Coordinator, Lisa Tran on (03) 8601 7709 or email: [email protected]

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