Audit & Governance

How Independence Is Proven

Published: 25 September 2025 | Last review: 28 November 2025

Two lawyers often cost less than one — because you fund one path, not both.
Our independence is not promised — it is governed, audited, and structural.
Annual Law Society trust-account audits + ACNC reporting keep every safeguard visible.

Cost safety first. Control follows.

Why Independence Must Be Proven — Not Asserted

Most Australians are told to “trust their lawyer.”
Clean Law was built so you never need to rely on trust alone.

The traditional one-lawyer model blends settlement work with trial preparation.
That structure makes timing, scope, and early trial preparation difficult to see.

Clean Law separates the lanes — and then goes further:

we place ourselves under annual external audit and federal governance reporting so that our independence is visible, structural, and non-negotiable.

This is not marketing.
This is a governed system designed to protect clients.

The Three Structural Proofs of Independence

1. Annual Law Society Trust-Account Audit

A standard trust account protects funds.
Our combination of trust account + escrow protects funds and client authority.

Every year, an external auditor appointed under the Legal Profession Uniform Law reviews:

• how funds were held

• how releases were authorised

• whether all movements complied with trust rules

• whether Clean Law’s internal safeguards operated correctly

This audit is independent from Clean Law.
It reports under legal requirements, not our preferences.

Outcome: Independence is checked annually — not claimed.

2. ACNC Governance & Federal Reporting (Public-Interest Structure)

Clean Law is governed as a public-interest law firm.
This structure comes with federal reporting obligations to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), including:

• annual financial reporting

• annual governance reporting

• constitutional compliance checks

• conflict-of-interest safeguards

• mandatory transparency of board processes

These obligations cannot be switched off.
They are built into the firm’s structure and cannot be altered without federal oversight.

Outcome: Independence is structurally locked in — not a voluntary promise.

3. Constitutional Independence Rules (No Fees, No Partnerships, No Influence)

Clean Law’s constitution prohibits:

• referral fees

• commissions

• profit sharing with courtroom firms

• partnerships or alliances

• hidden financial relationships of any kind

These prohibitions operate as binding rules, not marketing claims.

The constitution also prevents Clean Law from acting as a courtroom advocate in contested hearings — a structural safeguard preventing blended incentives.

Outcome: We cannot benefit from delay, escalation, or hidden alignments.

Why These Safeguards Exist: To Stop Cost Spiral Before It Starts

In the traditional model, one lawyer performs both settlement work and trial preparation inside a single blended role.
There is no duplication — but two lanes sit inside one billing structure.

That blending makes it difficult to see:

• when trial prep starts early

• when scope expands

• when cost spiral begins

• when incentives shift

Clean Law removes the risk by separating the lanes:

1. Clean Law — Settlement, Timing, Escrow, Cost Safety

Fixed fees.
We earn a result bonus only when early settlement avoids trial costs.
If your case DRAGS, we lose.

2. Courtroom Lawyer — Trial Path Only

Independent.
Separate practice.
No shared fees.
No partnership.

And we prove our independence through audit and governance — not words.

How Governance Protects You in Practice

1. Escrow: Every Dollar Visible and Client-Controlled

Unlike a normal trust account, escrow requires your explicit approval before funds move.
This eliminates:

• timing creep

• invisible early trial preparation

• scope drift

• blended incentive pressure

Unspent funds remain yours until released by you.

2. Mobility Without Penalty

Because each stage is separately approved in escrow:

• your courtroom lawyer sees what has been completed

• payment for completed work is certain

• unearned funds remain untouched

This removes the leverage that normally keeps clients “locked in.”

3. Structural Alignment of Incentives

Clean Law’s model means:

• early settlement helps you

• early settlement helps us

• delay harms you

• delay harms us

If YOU save, WE win; if your case DRAGS, we lose.

The audit + governance structure ensures we cannot design fees or incentives that contradict this rule.

What Competitors Cannot Copy

Any firm can say they are “independent.”
Very few will:

• submit to federal governance reporting

• restrict their own commercial conduct by constitution

• give clients escrow authority over all funds

• refuse referral fees entirely

• operate without panels, partnerships, or shared profits

• adopt a model where delay harms them

These safeguards are hard to accept unless your mission is public-interest, not profit.

Competitors can echo language.
They cannot replicate Clean Law’s governance without rebuilding their entire structure.

Bottom Line — Independence You Don’t Have to Guess About

Clean Law’s independence is not a promise.
It is a governed, audited, legally enforced system designed to protect clients from the very moment a dispute begins.

Two lawyers often cost less than one — because you fund one path, not both.
Governance keeps that promise accountable.
Audit keeps it visible.
Escrow keeps it in your hands.

Download: Two-Lawyer Collaboration & Escrow Oversight Statement
A clear explanation of how Clean Law and your courtroom lawyer work together, safely and independently.

Request a confidential call
Ask how these safeguards apply to your matter. No pressure. No obligation.

By Nicky Wang
Principal Solicitor
Legal Liaison Ltd (trading as Clean Law)
Prepared in accordance with public-interest governance, annual Law Society trust-account audits, and ACNC-reported standards.

Disclaimer: This page is intended to provide general information only and is not legal advice. The contents may not reflect the most current legal developments and do not take into account your individual circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information without obtaining legal advice tailored to your situation.