You are acting for two sisters who, with a third sister, were appointed as executors of their late mother’s Will.  Another solicitor is acting for the third sister.  Like many family feuds this one has survived the mother’s death and has spilled over into the administration of her estate. It all started to go wrong when your clients attended their late mother’s home and removed chattels including items of jewellery.  There are other beneficiaries under the Will.  What might you advise your clients to do to break the deadlock?

You are acting for a vendor in a commercial property conveyancing transaction. When you receive the settlement adjustment statement from the purchaser’s solicitors you notice that an arithmetical error of $986 has been made in your client’s favour in one of the adjustments. Do you simply allow the matter to settle on that basis and reduce your fees by $986 thereby earning yourself goodwill with your client.

You are about to start your legal career having recently been admitted to practice by a formal order of the Supreme Court. You are now an officer of the court and are very excited and looking forward to helping your clients. However, you also remember that you are joining an honourable profession and that ethical behaviour is a must in all of the work that you will carry out as a lawyer.  As you prepare to go into the office on your first day you think to yourself – if only I had a primer on ethics!