{"id":"sr:legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025","name":"Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025","slug":"legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":183876,"registerId":"vic-sr:legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025","content":"Version No. 001\n\n**Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 33/2025**\n\nVersion as at  \n9 June 2025\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\n1 Objective 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Commencement 1\n\n4 Revocation 1\n\n5 Definition 1\n\n6 Maximum fidelity fund contributions and levies 1\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 3\n\n1 General information 3\n\n2 Table of Amendments 5\n\n3 Explanatory details 6\n\n**Version No.** **001**\n\n**Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 33/2025**\n\nVersion as at  \n9 June 2025\n\n\t1 Objective\n\nThe objective of these Regulations is to prescribe matters required or permitted to be prescribed or necessary to be prescribed to give effect to the **Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014**.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 156 of the **Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014**.\n\n\t3 Commencement\n\nThese Regulations come into operation on 9 June 2025.\n\n\t4 Revocation\n\nThe Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2015[[1]](#endnote-1) are **revoked**.\n\n\t5 Definition\n\nIn these Regulations—\n\n***the Act***  means the **Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014**.\n\n\t6 Maximum fidelity fund contributions and levies\n\n(1) For the purposes of section 131(2) of the Act, the following amounts of the contribution to the fidelity fund are prescribed—\n\n(a) in the case of an annual contribution by a person under section 225 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria)—\n\n(i) in the case of a person employed by a community legal service, $100.00; or\n\n(ii) in the case of any other person, $1500.00;\n\n(b) in the case of an annual contribution under section 128 of the Act by a community legal service or an approved clerk, $1500.00.\n\n(2) For the purposes of section 131(2) of the Act, the following amounts of the levy are prescribed—\n\n(a) in the case of a levy imposed on a lawyer under section 226 or 231(1)(b) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria)—\n\n(i) in the case of a lawyer employed by a community legal service, $110.00; or\n\n(ii) in the case of any other lawyer, $1650.00;\n\n(b) in the case of a levy imposed under section 129 of the Act on a community legal service or approved clerk, $1650.00.\n\n(3) A lawyer, approved clerk or community legal service must not be required to pay levies imposed under section 226 or 231(1)(b) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria), or section 129 of the Act, which in aggregate exceed—\n\n(a) $1650.00 in any 12 month period; and\n\n(b) $8250.00 in total.\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 33/2025 were made on 27 May 2025 by the Lieutenant-Governor as the Governor's deputy, with the advice of the Executive Council, under section 156 of the **Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014**, No. 17/2014 and came into operation on 9 June 2025: regulation 3.\n\nThe Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025 will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 27 May 2035 (see section 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994**).\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThere are no amendments made to the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulations 2025 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n1. Reg. 4: S.R. No. 52/2015. [↑](#endnote-ref-1)","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available document content, there is insufficient information to determine whether the scope changed from the original intent. The document appears to be a supporting regulatory instrument consistent with the existing Legal Profession Uniform Law framework, suggesting no significant scope expansion or contraction, but this cannot be confirmed from the metadata alone."},"complexity_factors":["Insufficient substantive content in the source document to assess full regulatory complexity","Regulations of this type typically involve cross-referencing with the parent Uniform Law Act, adding interpretive layers","Uniform Law frameworks span multiple jurisdictions (Victoria and NSW), which can create complexity for practitioners","Version consolidation history suggests amendments over time, which may create compliance tracking difficulties","As presented, the document is largely procedural/administrative metadata rather than substantive regulatory content"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set out the practical rules that enable the Legal Profession Uniform Law to operate in Victoria, governing licensing, complaints processes, fees, forms and administrative procedures. They affect Victorian lawyers and law firms, their clients, and legal regulators by translating high‑level obligations into day‑to‑day requirements.\n\nNote: the provided source contains minimal substantive content (mostly formatting/version metadata), so detailed changes or obligations cannot be confirmed from it."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain tightly focused on their original purpose: prescribing maximum fidelity fund contribution amounts as delegated legislation under the parent Act. The 2025 version maintains the same narrow scope as the 2015 regulations it replaces, with no expansion into new policy areas."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 regulations total, with 1 definition","Single substantive provision (regulation 6) containing fee schedules","Minimal cross-referencing — only references to specific sections of the parent Act and the Uniform Law","Simple conditional structure: two categories (community legal service vs. others) with flat dollar amounts","No nested exceptions or complex temporal provisions beyond standard commencement and sunset dates"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation sets the dollar amounts that lawyers and legal services must pay into a **fidelity fund** — a type of insurance pool that compensates clients if their lawyer steals or misuses their money.\n\n**Who pays what:**\n- **Community legal services** (free legal help for disadvantaged people) and their staff pay lower rates: **$100** annual contribution for staff, **$1,500** for the service itself, and **$110** for any special levies on staff.\n- **All other lawyers and services** pay standard rates: **$1,500** annual contribution and **$1,650** for levies.\n\n**Caps on payments:**\n- No lawyer or service can be charged more than **$1,650 total in any 12-month period**.\n- There's also a **lifetime cap of $8,250** in total levies.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThese fees fund the safety net that protects clients when lawyers commit fraud or theft. The lower rates for community legal services recognise they operate on tight budgets and serve vulnerable clients who can't afford private lawyers. This 2025 version replaces the 2015 regulations and updates the fee structure."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Regulation 4 expressly revokes the 2015 Regulations and regulation 6 prescribes new fixed contribution and levy amounts and aggregate caps (regulation 6(1)‑(3)). Mechanically, the instrument replaces the prior regulatory settings with updated monetary parameters while retaining the objective of giving effect to the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (regulation 1)."},"complexity_factors":["Cross‑references to multiple external provisions: regulation 6 implements amounts for purposes of s.131(2) of the Act and refers to sections 128, 129, 225, 226 and 231(1)(b) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria) (regulation 6(1)‑(2)).","Numerical differentiation by payor category: separate fixed amounts for persons employed by a community legal service, other persons, approved clerks and community legal services (regulation 6(1)(a)(i)‑(ii), 6(1)(b)).","Aggregate caps and temporal limit: caps on levies not to exceed $1,650 in any 12‑month period and $8,250 in total (regulation 6(3)), adding a cumulative compliance calculation.","Revocation and temporal operation: revokes the 2015 Regulations (regulation 4) and specifies commencement (regulation 3); instrument also carries a 10‑year sunset in endnotes.","Dependence on external instruments for application and interpretation: operation requires reading the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria) and the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act together, increasing interpretive steps.","Overall brevity: short, numerically specific instrument reduces procedural complexity but concentrates legal effect in cross‑references and precise figures."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:** Prescribes fixed maximum fidelity‑fund contributions and levies, distinguishes community legal services from other practitioners, and revokes the 2015 Regulations. **Who it affects and why it matters:** Lawyers, approved clerks and community legal services are required to pay specified annual amounts and are subject to aggregate caps; the regulations convert the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014's requirements into concrete payment obligations and a defined compliance burden tied to related Victorian provisions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025","history":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/legal-profession-uniform-law-application-regulations-2025/documents"}}