MEMBER BENEFITS

The ABA has collaborated with Jade, an online legal research service, to create a bespoke ‘court ready’ service for all ABA members.

The service offers curated sections for the High Court, Federal Court, Federal Circuit and Family Court, and State Supreme Courts. Each section contains the full text of all establishing or principal legislation, court rules and other useful resources, and access to case citations that consider sections and rules. Further resources will be added in future.

The service is provided free to all ABA members as a member benefit. It will be useful to everyone, but particularly those members who have or aspire to build national practices. The service will provide you with quick access to the critical resources you need when appearing in a new or unfamiliar jurisdiction. It works on all computers, including tablets and phones.

To register for the new service, simply go to https://aba.openlaw.org.au/, where you will be prompted to log in using your ABA login details (the details you used to create a profile on the ABA’s national find-a-barrister database).

If you have not yet created a profile on the national database, you can do so at https://idp.austbar.asn.au/.

Creating a profile is simple and should take no more than about 10 minutes, and it ensures that you are included on the only national service for finding Australian barristers.

Legal Home Loans

Legal Home Loans is the only mortgage and finance broker firm in Australia that specialises in finance for lawyers and barristers, using specialist knowledge to achieve the best possible result for clients.

As an elite barrister, your financing needs are bespoke, complex in nature, and differ to that of the average lawyer. Legal Home Loans are your experts to coordinate residential or investment home loans, implement working capital facilities for your practice, and organise loans for chambers.

With access to over thirty lenders, we’ll help you select a loan that best suits your unique situation, coordinating your application from start to finish with a dedicated specialist with you every step of the way.

Exclusive to ACT Bar Association members, Legal Home Loans is pleased to offer the following advantages:

Specialist broker support for home loans, investment loans, commercial loans, refinancing and asset finance
$500 cash rebate upon loan settlement*
$0 Legal Home Loans service fees
Access to over thirty lenders, including all key major and private banks
Preferential credit policy and terms
Waived Lenders Mortgage Insurance when borrowing up to 90% of property value for eligible barristers (practising certificate required)
Exclusive private banking and commercial banking relationships
Personal meetings including outside of business hours at your convenience
Preferential service and ongoing 12 month check-ups for the life of the loan

If you’re looking for a complete debt advisor for both personal and business, contact the ACT Bar Association’s dedicated contact Cullen Haynes for a confidential discussion today.

E-mail: c.haynes@legalhomeloans.com.au

Phone: 0499 913 930

To find out more please visit https://www.legalhomeloans.com.au/

Watch Cullen’s presentation at the 2025 CPD Conference

*Rebate applies to the member’s first loan settled with Legal Home Loans. Limit of one rebate per loan in the case of multiple qualifying applicants. Loan value must exceed $250,000 to be eligible.

eBrief Ready

eBrief Ready is a secure, central, and intuitive platform to share, review and reference briefs with all parties involved in a matter. It is the next generation of electronic briefing. By improving productivity, promoting workflow efficiency, and making communications easier, eBrief Ready has saved thousands of Australian barristers’ serious time and effort. It has also saved many thousands of trees, by eliminating the need to print out documents to work on them.

With eBrief Ready, you can:

• Set up matters, so they are organised just as you like them;
• Receive and share documents with law firms, expert witnesses, and the court;
• Annotate documents and collaborate in real-time with automatic version control;
• Quickly search through thousands of pages;
• Automatically compile, index and number court books and present them in a professional and court-friendly manner;
• Have everything you need on hand and ready to reference and share in Court.

As a Member Benefits partner for the ACT Bar, eBrief Ready is committed to helping you make the transition to becoming eBrief Ready. This includes a free trial of the software for yourself or your chamber, and unlimited support to get you going.  We are also offering new Readers complimentary use of the platform for their first 12 months. Contact us to get started now!

Bar Cover

Bar Cover is an Australian insurer, set up in 1962 to provide insurance protection against loss of income due to sickness or accident exclusively to Australian practising barristers.  Their directors are all practising barristers who provide their services to Bar Cover on a voluntary basis. They authorised by APRA and licenced by ASIC.

• MEMBERSHIP of Bar Cover is available exclusively to practising barristers. Class A (ACT) or Class B (Interstate) members of the NSWBA.
• PREMIUMS are highly competitive, enabling you to insure 100% of your gross income, from $100 per week up to $10,000 per week.
• CLAIMS are paid from day one – no waiting period.  You can claim up to 52 weeks off work due to sickness or accident.  Claims are paid promptly.
• Your Bar Cover can be linked to other financial products such as life insurance and your mortgage.
• READERS privileges apply. Speak to Bar Cover for more information.

Bar Cover is issued by Barristers Sickness and Accident Fund Pty Ltd ACN 000 381 617 AFSL 263 713, as Trustee for the Barristers’ Sickness and Accident Fund 1961 ABN 78 600 371 397.  To decide if their product is appropriate for you, please read the PDS available at www.barcover.com.au

For more details please contact Natasha Hall on 0435 610 293, or the BarCover office at office@bsaf.com.au or (02) 9413 8481.

Qantas Club

As a member of the Law Council of Australia, ACT Bar members can access a 30% reduced rate for new or renewing Qantas Club membership.  Details can be read here.

To access the scheme please contact the Bar Association for the scheme’s corporate number.

Four Winds Vineyard

As a member of the ACT Bar Association, members can access a 15% discount on both online and cellar door wine purchases at Four Winds Vineyard,

15% discount is only for online and cellar door purchases for ACT Bar members. Does not include any food or restaurant purchases.

To access the discount code, please contact the Bar Association.

BareCare

There is a higher than average level of stress within the legal profession. This may take the form of anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug misuse, family issues, work pressures, practice pressures and related problems.

The ACT Bar Association has recognised the seriousness of these issues and has established BarCare to assist members in dealing with such pressures. BarCare is a confidential service to assist barristers that acts independently from the ACT Bar Association.

THE PANEL

Panel members hold the following attributes:

• Formal qualifications in counselling or clinical psychology, or organisational psychology;
• Seniority and experience in their professional field;
• Experience in working with lawyers;
• Completely independent practitioners in private practice settings.

Read more here.

ACT Courts and Tribunal Court ID Cards

Developed in conjunction with the ACT Courts and Tribunal, the Court ID Card gives you fast-track access to the ACT Courts without the hassle of being screened by security. Court ID Cards are available for Private Bar (Class A), Members (Class B).  The Association offers this benefit complimentary.

Unpaid Fees Recovery Service

The Bar Association can assist members with recovery of unpaid fees, which have been outstanding for more than three months, but less than one year from completion of the matter. In providing this assistance, the ACT Bar Association is not undertaking to act for the member in any legal capacity.

Assistance will generally be offered by contacting the invoice recipient via email, phone call, or arranging a meeting.

Requests for invoice recovery assistance from the Bar Association should include the following:
• A letter/email containing a brief chronology of events;
• A copy of the costs disclosure and any costs agreement;
• A copy of all invoices rendered; and
• Any relevant correspondence.

The ACT Bar Association can also assistant with general enquiries concerning invoice recovery.

For all requests or enquiries, please email ceo@actbar.com.au

CPD

Group Life Policy – Total and Permanent Disability Insurance

Read more https://www.actbar.com.au/barristers/total-and-permanent-disability-insurance/

Ludlows

Ludlows is the largest and leading provider of legal attire in Australia & New Zealand.  Ludlows provide the finest quality wigs and regalia. Their stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane showcase their full range and have friendly staff available to provide professional advice.

Contact Ludlows for the below services and more:

• Jackets, Gowns, Wigs, Jabots, Tabs, Shirts, Trousers & More
• Women Legal Attire & Maternity Hire
• Wig Cleaning & Repairs Service
• Gifts & Accessories

ACT Bar Association Member Benefits – 10% off one full price purchase every 12 months. Joining the ACT Bar Association as a Reader? Call or email Ludlows to obtain exclusive Reader prices.

To peruse all products; please visit their website: www.ludlows.com.au

ACT Bar Association Members are entitled to 10% discount on all legal wear products. Excluding services. To take up the offer; simply contact Ludlows directly on info@ludlows.com.au.