Changing you employer
If you hold an ACT practising certificate, you must advise the Law Society if you change employers.
A Practising Certificate is only valid when a current employer is recorded against it. Without the correct employer information, you may not be adequately covered under your current employer’s insurance.
You are not permitted to practise under a Practising Certificate type that does not align with your current employment.
Changing your employer during the renewal period
During the renewal period (1 April to 31 May), members should renew based on their employer as at 1 July. If your workplace does not appear in the renewal, it may indicate that you are selecting the incorrect practising certificate category. If you know you are changing employers before this date or require further guidance, please contact our Member Engagement Officer on 6274 033 or at memberconnect@actlawsociety.asn.au to ensure there are no impacts to your practise certificate.
Workplace types and associated practice certificate
Change of employment may affect the type of practising certificate you are required to hold, this will impact the forms that you should submit.
| Workplace type | Practise certificate name |
| Private firm |
Restricted private Unrestricted private |
| Government organisation |
Restricted government Unrestricted government |
| Inhouse organisation |
Restricted inhouse Unrestricted inhouse |
| Volunteer at a community legal centre or entity |
Restricted volunteer Unrestricted volunteer |
| Non-ACT Employer |
Restricted non-ACT Unrestricted non-ACT |
Changing your employer steps and forms required
You are required to submit a Change of Employer form once you have confirmed your commencement date with your new employer. When changing your workplace type there may a requirement to change your practise certificate type (as outlined in the above table). This will dictate the steps you will need to take, see further instructions below.
Current employer type is the same as the new employer type
Step 1: Submit a Changing Employer (keeping current PC type) form
The form may be submitted prior to commencing your new role and includes a field for you to specify your intended start date. It also provides space to record refund details for your former employer and invoicing details for your new employer.
Current employer type is different to the new employer type
Step 1: Submit a Surrender an ACT Practising Certificate form
When completing the form, please indicate the reason you are changing Practising Certificate types (change of certificate type) and leave the start date field blank. This ensures your current certificate will be surrendered only once your new Practising Certificate has been approved.
Step 2: Submit a Apply for a new practice certificate form
Please note that you will not be able to apply for the new practising certificate until your surrender has been processed. Once the surrender is complete, you will receive notification advising that you may proceed with your new application via your Member Dashboard.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
If the information on this page doesn’t answer your question, our Member Engagement Officer is here to help.
Email: memberconnect@actlawsociety.asn.au
Phone: (02) 6274 0333
