Obtaining proper instructions

Presenters: Margaret Castles and Anne Hewitt

A 2007 study of Queensland disciplinary cases showed that an increasing number of matters concerning ‘quality of service’, including communication with clients, proceeded to disciplinary hearings.  While there are no similar studies of disciplinary action in South Australia, an increasing number of complaints are being made in this jurisdiction about failures of communication between lawyer and client.  This suggests that as a profession we are not doing as well as we might hope in communicating with clients and in obtaining lawful, proper and competent instructions.

This seminar will consider six potential obstacles to obtaining proper instructions, and suggest some practical strategies which can be used to overcome them. The six issues which will be considered are: clients who lack capacity to give instructions, vexatious litigants, emotional clients and clients who lack (or are hiding) necessary information, language barriers and cross cultural obstacles to effective communication.

Date: 31 May 2012

Time: 7:30am-8:40am

Breakfast: A buffet continental breakfast will be served

Venue: National Wine Centre

Cost: $130 (alumni $110)

 The event will attract 1 CPD point in a required unit (professional skills).

Further information and RSVP is available here