Australian Law is extensive and complex which is why Lawyers choose to focus on specialty areas. When you have an important legal matter it is vital to know that you have an expert in that area of law, on your side. To help clients to easily identify if a Lawyer is a specialist in a particular area of Law the Law Society introduced the Specialist Accreditation Scheme in 1992.
When a client is working with an Accredited Specialist they can rest assured they are working with an expert. A Lawyer that has demonstrated a commitment to their professional development in their chosen area of law.
The goal of the Specialist Accreditation Program is to:
- Provide the profession and the public with a reliable means of identifying practitioners with proven expertise in their chosen area of practice;
- Contribute to and encourage the continued development and improvement of the standards, quality and delivery of legal services;
- Promote the advancement of legal education, knowledge and skills; and
- Provide practitioners with the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in their chosen area of practice and to have this recognised.
How does a Lawyer obtain Specialist Accreditation?
Each year the Law Society runs the accreditation program for a select number of areas of law. It is a rigorous process that consists of meticulous assessments in both legal knowledge and application in practice.
In order to retain their accreditation, specialists must undertake significant additional professional development in their area of expertise each year. When a Lawyer is able to retain their specialisation every year, their clients know that the advice they receive is both up-to-date and superior quality.
Surprising less than 6% of Lawyers in NSW hold Specialist Accreditation. WMD Law now boast four accredited Specialists. We are proud to say that Greg Dickson was one of the first lawyers in NSW to become an Accredited Family Law Specialist and has held his accreditation for almost 25 years.
The Accredited Specialists at WMD Law are:
Gregory Dickson – first achieved Specialist in Family Law Accreditation on 1/9/1993
Dean Groundwater first achieved Specialist in Commercial Litigation Accreditation on 1 November 2011
Amanda Doring first achieved Specialist in Family Law Accreditation on 1 November 2007
Lisa O’Leary first achieved Specialist in Family Law Accreditation on 1 November 2013
If you would like to know more about the Specialist Accreditation Program or if you would like to speak to one of our team please click here to contact us or call 9525 8688.
