Form · Trust accounting & handling client money
Client authority to withdraw trust money for legal costs, with notice of withdrawal and pre-transfer checklist (Uniform Law)
A client authority under r 42(4) of the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules allowing a law practice to pay its legal costs from trust money, a notice of withdrawal to send before each transfer, and a principal's pre-transfer checklist.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
- AI use
- Red Keep AI out of the decisive steps. A lawyer does the work.
- Law stated as at
- 17 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked against the cited sources on 17 October 2026.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Written for this library
When to use it
Use in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia when a client agrees that the practice may pay its bills from money held in trust. Not for money held for a specific purpose (such as settlement funds) unless the authority expressly covers it. In other states, use the local equivalent rules.
How AI may be used
Lawyer-led. AI may prepare a draft notice of withdrawal from the bill and list mismatches between the bill, the authority and the ledger. A principal checks every item and authorises the transfer; AI never approves or releases trust money.
AI may
- Draft the notice of withdrawal in Part B from the bill and the matter details, for a person to check.
- Compare the bill, the authority and the trust ledger and list amounts or matters that do not match, or that would overdraw the ledger.
AI must not
- Must not approve, schedule or release any trust payment, or have access to banking functions.
- Must not decide that money held for a specific purpose may be used for costs.
- Must not change payee details or ledger entries.
The lawyer checks
- The authority covers this matter, this money and this amount, and is kept as a permanent record.
- A bill or request for payment was given and the notice of withdrawal sent before the transfer.
- The transfer is authorised by an authorised principal or permitted associate under r 43(2).
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Official form
Open the official form. Always use the current version from the issuer.
Read the full text
The full text is for signed-in accounts. It is free. When you sign in you can:
- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
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