Certificate of Good Standing

Solicitors who require a certificate of good standing should address their query to pc@lawsociety.ie and provide the following details:

  1. Subject line noted as a request for Certificate of Good Standing.
  2. The purpose of the certificate.
  3. To whom the certificate should be addressed.

There is a fee of €100 (based on SI 605 of 2010 in respect of Certificates of Good Standing for non-practising solicitors and for urgent certificates where required in less than 10 working days.

The statutory basis for a Certificate of Good Standing can be located within SI 604/2010 and is defined as follows:

“a certificate in writing issued by the Society which includes a confirmation that as at the date of the certificate a search of the Society’s records in relation to discipline discloses no orders of findings of misconduct or reprimands to the discredit of a named solicitor or solicitors”

Please note that certificates are provided in a standard format and cannot be amended to include alternate information.

Such letters issue on the basis that the solicitor’s record is absent from:

  • ‘live’ reprimands on the solicitor’s record;

  • contentious High Court orders;

  • contentious Disciplinary Tribunal orders;

  • Regulation of Practice Committee matters resulting in conditions on a Practising Certificate; and / or

  • suspensions or Strike-offs.

Should any of the above matters be relevant, the certificate which issues shall detail same and be called a Certificate of Standing, the definition of which is also located within SI 604/2010 as follows:

“means a certificate in writing issued by the Society which includes a confirmation that as at the date of the certificate a search of the Society’s records in relation to discipline discloses no orders of findings of misconduct or reprimands to the discredit of a named solicitor or solicitors except for one or more specified matters referred to in the certificate”

Once completed, the certificate will be emailed to the relevant party with an original to follow by post, if necessary in the current circumstances.

If you have any other queries, please contact pc@lawsociety.ie.