About Practice Advice

All communications between lawyers and the Practice Advice team are confidential, except in cases of trust fund shortages.

Law Society practice advisors are here to help lawyers and articled students with practice and ethics advice.

Practice advisors cannot provide advice to the public. For legal assistance, see our legal resources for the public.

Before contacting a practice advisor: Review the Practice Advisors FAQs, consult Advice Decision-Making Assistant (ADMA), and consider whether the information you seek might be in the Code of Professional Conduct, the Legal Profession Act, the Law Society Rules or in For Lawyers.

Trust accounting queries (for example, questions about the Law Society Rules about trust accounting, including deposits and withdrawals from trust, electronic funds transfers, and the Rules about cash): See Trust Assurance Program or email trustaccounting@lsbc.org.

Registration and licensee services queries (for example, changes to contact details or other information, questions about membership status (including non-practising, retired, returning to practice, reinstatement and termination), invoices and receipts, and law firm registration): See Registration and Licensee Services or email registration@lsbc.org.

Credentials and licensing queries (for example, questions about becoming a lawyer in BC, practising law in BC, and unclaimed trust money): See Licensing, Unclaimed Trust Money or email registration@lsbc.org.

Lawyer wellness and personal support resources: The Law Society supports programs to assist lawyers facing challenges within their work environment and in their personal lives. If you are seeking support related to addiction, mental or physical health, work-life balance, career, family or other personal issues, refer to Lawyer Well-Being Hub.

Practice advisors provide advice on:

• the Law Society Rules and the BC Code;
• ethics advice (e.g., confidentiality, conflicts, undertakings and withdrawing from a file);
• practice advice (e.g., billing, client files and law office management);
• managing client relationships and relationships with other lawyers;
• client identification and verification;
• fraud, scams and anti-money laundering;
• personal coping and stress management.

Practice advisors do not:

• provide formal oral or written opinions;
• give substantive legal advice;
• advise on entire transactions;
• review large volumes of documents;
• mediate matters between lawyers, their staff or firms;
• assist with complaints that have been made to the Law Society;
• provide advice about another lawyer’s conduct (though we may comment on whether, in our view, another lawyer’s conduct appears to be appropriate. In such circumstances, our comments are intended to assist the lawyer to decide on next steps, and provide guidance regarding communications and relationship management which can sometimes assist in resolving the issues.)
• advise on technology or tax issues.

Contacting Practice Advice on behalf of a lawyer? In some cases, practice advisors will answer queries from someone contacting us by email on a lawyer’s behalf (e.g. an assistant or paralegal) provided the representative has copied the lawyer.  Often practice advisors need to speak directly with the lawyer.

Query related to a complaint? Practice advisors cannot prevent a complaint from being filed against you or assist you with a complaint if one has already been filed against you. If you have an ethics question that relates to an ongoing complaint, contact the Law Society staff lawyer who is handling the matter to seek their consent for you to speak with a practice advisor. The Law Society has compiled a list of lawyers who have expressed interest in representing lawyers during the investigation and disciplinary processes.  The Law Society does not review, vet or endorse the listed lawyers and the Law Society is not involved in any retainer or fee arrangements. See Counsel in Complaint and Discipline Processes.

Disagree with the advice? Advice is freely given, and need not be followed. Further, lawyers who disagree with the advice may ask the Ethics and Lawyer Independence Advisory Committee to consider the matter. Tell a practice advisor if you want your question to be considered by the Committee.

See Contact a Practice Advisor for tips on what to consider when contacting Practice Advice and when speaking with a practice advisor.

Disclaimer

The Law Society reserves the right to decline to give advice on any matter. Advice from the practice advisors and the Ethics Committee is not a ruling or formal legal opinion, and it is not binding on the Law Society or the courts. If a lawyer acts on advice from a practice advisor or the Ethics Committee, and that matter later becomes the subject of a complaint to the Law Society, that lawyer may wish to raise the advice as a defence, but the defence may or may not be successful.