Trust Account Supervisor Training Programme 2025

Under the Financial Assurance Scheme all practices operating a trust account must appoint a qualified Trust Account Supervisor. The Trust Account Supervisor must be a lawyer and may be a partner or director in a law firm, or a sole practitioner. To become a Trust Account Supervisor, a lawyer must pass the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa Trust Account Supervisor assessments (Regulation 19, Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Trust Account) Regulations 2008).

Preparing for the assessment

The training programme consists of self-study learning materials that are designed to help you prepare for assessment.
It is recommended that you spend at least 40 to 50 hours completing the self-study learning material and preparing for the assessment day. The learning materials include background information, examples and practice exercises with answers. About a month before the assessment day you will be sent mock examinations and model answers.

You will also need to examine a trust account in operation and write a report outlining your observations, to be submitted by email before the assessment day.

The modules

• Trust accounting requirements
• Recording trust account transactions
• Processing trust account transactions
• Trust account reconciliation
• Key internal controls of the trust account
• Month end review of reports to the Law Society
• Risk management
• Professional obligations when irregularities are suspected.

Refresher assessment - for people who have previously completed the TAS programme

If you have previously completed the TAS course, you may wish to refer to Regulation 19(3) Lawyers and Conveyancers (Trust Account) Regulations 2008 to assess whether you may be eligible to complete only a ‘refresher’ course. For further information about refresher requirements, to confirm eligibility, and to register, please email [email protected] – online registration for refresher assessment is not available.

Learning objectives

Candidates will be able to:

• Differentiate between the obligations of any partner/director and the additional obligations of the Trust Account Supervisor.
• Review the firm’s trust account procedures to ensure that they comply with the LCA and Trust Account Regulations.
• Use the Trust Account Guidelines to ensure that best practice is followed in their firm.
• Identify the internal controls which their firm has in place, whether they might be more robust, and how to make them so.
• If required, set up a trust account from scratch and implement procedures to ensure compliance with administrative and legal requirements.
• Respond appropriately to situations where there are ethical issues in the handling of clients’ money.
• Be alert to practices which might allow the mishandling of clients’ money, and how to respond if mishandling is suspected.

Materials

Course materials for paid registrations for 2025 will start being dispatched in early February. After February, materials will be dispatched as soon as a registration is paid for. Early registration is recommended to allow enough time to prepare for the assessment.

The course materials comprise a manual and a workbook folder of practical exercises to help you prepare for the assessment day.

Course resources

• Observation Report Template
• Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006
• Law Society Lawyers Trust Accounting Guidelines 2024
• Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Trust Account) Regulations 2008
• Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008
• Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Fidelity Fund) Regulations 2008

Presenters/Examiners

	Philip Strang Law Society Inspectorate, Christchurch Philip worked in the private sector as a chartered accountant prior to joining the Inspectorate. He has extensive experience in all facets of lawyers’ trust accounting and the various pitfalls and hazards that confront lawyers in dealing with client monies and interests in a constantly changing environment.
	Kane Smith Law Society Inspectorate, Christchurch Kane has a Bachelor of Management Studies majoring in Finance and Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting. He spent several years as a young entrepreneur and worked at Inland Revenue in the fraud and evasion team. Kane started as an Inspector for the Law Society in 2016 and looks after the South Island regions.

Lawyer presenters

• Niamh McMahon, Auckland
• Andrew Fletcher, Hamilton
• Sally Carter, Wellington
• Kathryn Dalziel, Christchurch

Assessment day - 8.30am - 4.45pm

The assessment comprises four elements:

• A written observation report to be submitted by email before the assessment day. (Note: if not submitted on time, a candidate will fail the course entirely.)
• A written trust accounting administration examination.
• A written supervision examination.
• Participation in discussion-based assessments on risk management and professional obligations.

2025 dates

Download PDF registration form

Resit of assessments

In the event that you fail two or more questions in either or both of the examinations, you will be required to resit the exam/s. Resits will take place on the days and at the venues below, invigilated by a Law Society Inspector. Should you be unavailable on the resit day, your resit may be taken at a later assessment day or resit day in another city.

Note: resits must take place within two years from the date of your original assessment day.

Fees & Cancellation/Refund policy

CPD Hours

Registrants can claim 7 CPD hours on receipt of their returned observation report and participation on the assessment day.