Financial Planning Lawyers Sydney

Running a financial planning business means operating inside a fast-moving highly regulated framework — where licensing, adviser registration, disclosure documents and complaint handling are real business risks.

Financial services lawyers provide clarity to financial planners and dealer groups, helping to defend their businesses with commercially practical legal advice — from AFSL strategy through to ASIC responses and AFCA complaints.

At PCL Lawyers our team can assist with licensing, compliance, and dispute or enforcement issues affecting your advice business.

Financial advisers generally need to hold their own Australian financial services licence (AFSL) or be appointed as an authorised representative of an AFSL holder.

Advisers providing personal advice to retail clients must also meet the professional standards regime (education/training, exam and CPD requirements), and relevant information must be maintained on the Financial Advisers Register maintained by ASIC.

We help you design a licensing and authorisation pathway that supports your commercial model — without creating avoidable risk.

• Australian financial services licensing and compliance;
• authorised representative agreements;
• distribution agreements;
• training of responsible managers;
• training of representatives;
• Financial Services Guides;
• Statements of Advice;
• best interests obligations;
• conflicted remuneration;
• internal dispute resolution (IDR); and
• AFCA complaints.

We advise professionals and businesses who must be licensed (or appropriately authorised) to provide financial product advice and deal in financial products, including:

• AFSL holders (including start-ups and established licensees)
• Authorised Representatives (ARs) and Corporate Authorised Representatives (CARs)

Our lawyers translate obligations into implementable practical steps and is fit for how you operate.

We have extensive expertise in dealing with both minor and complex regulatory advice and disputes. We support clients across the lifecycle — from licensing and documentation to complaints, investigations and enforcement.

We support advice businesses operating across Australia (including multi-office and multi-authorised representative networks).

If you’re licensing, restructuring an advice business, tightening compliance, responding to a complaint, or dealing with ASIC — our financial planning lawyers can help.

Call PCL Lawyers on 1300 795 893 or submit an enquiry to our Financial Services team.