Review of the Costs Disclosure Thresholds in the Uniform Law

30 September 2022

The Legal Services Council (Council) has established a Review of the Costs Disclosure Thresholds in the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Uniform Law). 

The Review will consider and report on the effectiveness and regulatory impact of the Costs Disclosure Thresholds referred to in section 174(4) and (5) of the Uniform Law, including whether they meet the objectives of the Uniform Law. The Terms of Reference for the Review outline matters that the Review will have particular regard to and are available here (PDF, 64.1 KB).  

The Review will take an evidenced-based approach and may make recommendations for amendments to the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015, the Short Form Costs Disclosure Forms, the Costs Disclosure Forms Information Sheets and the Guidelines and Directions on Costs Estimates, if considered necessary. The Review will not consider or make recommendations for amendments to the Uniform Law, as any such recommendations may be considered during the five year review of the Uniform Law.

The Review will consult widely with relevant bodies, including the Designated Local Regulatory Authorities, other legal regulatory authorities, Law Societies, Bar Associations and consumer and business groups. The Council will contact relevant bodies to arrange consultation meetings in due course. A public consultation paper, inviting submissions, will also be published once initial consultations have taken place.  

The Council has appointed Dr Matthew Butlin as the expert independent consultant and leader of the Review. Dr Butlin’s former roles have included Commissioner of the Australian Productivity Commission (2007-2008), Executive Chair of the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (2008-2015) and the South Australian Productivity Commission (2018-2021), and the Victorian Red Tape Commissioner (2015-2018). Dr Butlin is also an honorary Enterprise Professor at the Melbourne University’s Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. A copy of Dr Butlin’s CV is available here (PDF, 102.6 KB). 

Dr Butlin will report to the Council at the conclusion of the Review.