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Fake lawyer prosecuted for giving unqualified legal services
Another unlicensed operator has been prosecuted for using Airtasker to provide “legal advice and other legal services” to victims of crime for which they were not qualified or licensed.
Grace Robbie
The Queensland Legal Services Commission has prosecuted a second individual within the last two years for using Airtasker to “lure unwitting victims of crime[s]” and provide legal services despite not being a “qualified nor licensed legal practitioner”.
Jessica Louise Wager, also referred to as Jessica Lindman, established a profile on the online platform under the name “Jessica Louise”, where she “unlawfully provided legal advice and other legal services” to users seeking legal advice.
On 17 January, Wager was sentenced in the Mackay Magistrates Court on eight counts of engaging in legal practice when not an Australian legal practitioner” and 12 counts of representing an entitlement to engage in legal practice when not entitled to do so.
In her Airtasker profile, Wager presented herself as an “experienced ‘all-rounder’” solicitor, even going as far as claiming to be a “senior solicitor of a large and reputable law firm”, with which she had no affiliation.
The Legal Services Commission also revealed that Wager “used the letterhead and email signature” of this law firm when communicating with “clients and other parties”.
While she used the alias “Jessica Louise”, she unlawfully provided legal services that included “legal advice regarding insurance and family court matters; drafting contracts, waivers, letters and cease and desist documents; reviewing parenting agreements and consent orders; and assisting with visa documents”.
Wager’s actions led her to present herself as being “entitled to engage in legal practice” despite lacking the necessary qualifications, which is seen as an offence under the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).
The magistrate has mandated that Wager pay a $7,000 fine, along with an additional $1,000 in costs to the commissioner. Additionally, a conviction was recorded against her, which the Legal Services Commission indicates highlights the “seriousness of the offending”.
Commissioner Megan Mahon acknowledged the growing issue of unlawful operators utilising online platforms and social media to “advertise their unqualified services”, stating that the commission would persist in its efforts to monitor and address these activities.
“The commission will continue to respond to information about unlawful operators using online platforms and social media to advertise their unqualified services,” Mahon said.
“Fundamental to the protection of anyone seeking legal services is ensuring that those services are lawfully provided by qualified, licensed and insured practitioners.”
“I encourage everyone seeking assistance or advice in any legal matter to make sure that the provider of that advice is a qualified legal practitioner. Only then are they protected by the significant regulation and safeguards put in place by the operation of the Legal Profession Act in Queensland.”
