The next time you need some legal assistance and a friend, who has read all about the issue online, or even a non-legal professional who likes to dabble in the law offers to do some work, whether paid or unpaid, you should consider the following.
Under section 43 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) only a lawyer or law firm is entitled to engage in legal practice. The maximum penalty for contravening the section is $27,500.00 or imprisonment for 2 years.
Therefore, a non-lawyer cannot practise law or provide legal services defined to mean work done or business transacted in the ordinary course of legal practice.
It is no defence for the non-lawyer to claim that the person receiving the legal services was aware that the he or she was not a lawyer or that no fee was charged.
The purpose of the section is to protect consumers from individuals or entities who are unqualified, unlicensed and uninsured. Only a lawyer has the necessary training and expertise in the law.
April 2026