File notes, compliance and call recording.
Plain-English guides for Australian brokers, advisers and anyone who writes up calls. What a defensible file note needs, the recording rules in your state, and how to keep client calls private.
The appropriate advice duty (s961G), and how it connects to best interests
What the appropriate advice duty in s961G of the Corporations Act requires, how it depends on s961B best interests, why the two fail together, and what the file note must capture.
ReadThe conflicts priority rule (s961J): disclosure is not enough
Section 961J of the Corporations Act requires advisers to prioritise the client when a conflict exists - not just disclose it. What that means in practice, and what your file note must record.
ReadStatement of Advice vs Record of Advice: which do you need?
Clear guide to when Australian financial advisers need an SOA versus an ROA, what each must contain, and why neither replaces the file note of the conversation.
ReadOngoing fee arrangements and Fee Disclosure Statements, explained
Plain-English guide to ongoing fee arrangements (OFAs), the annual FDS, and the consent requirement for Australian financial advisers. What changed in 2021 and under the DBFO reforms.
ReadThe financial advisers Code of Ethics, explained (the 5 values and 12 standards)
Plain-English guide to the Financial Planners and Advisers Code of Ethics 2019 - the five values, the 12 standards, how it sits on top of the best interests duty, and what records help you evidence.
ReadWhat to record in a financial advice file note (a practical guide)
A practical guide to what belongs in an advice file note - mapped to the s961B safe harbour, with a worked example and common mistakes. AU guidance for financial advisers.
ReadBest interests duty examples: where advisers fall short (and how to fix it)
Six illustrative scenarios showing where Australian financial advisers fall short of the best interests duty under s961B, what good looks like, and exactly what the file note should capture.
ReadAre attendance notes privileged?
When legal professional privilege protects a solicitor's attendance note, when it does not, and how the way you write notes can waive privilege without you realising.
ReadFile notes for family law matters
Family law generates more complaints and more disputed recollections than almost any other practice area. What Australian family lawyers should record in attendance notes, and when.
ReadThe conduct rules and file notes: what solicitors must record
The Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules never use the words "file note", yet several rules are effectively unprovable without one. Here is where the obligations actually bite.
ReadCapturing billable time from client calls
Most Australian firms lose billable time on short client calls that never make it into the system. Where the leakage happens, what it costs, and how to close it.
ReadConveyancing file notes: what to record on a property matter
High volume, tight deadlines, and advice given in short calls. What Australian conveyancers and property lawyers should record, and the four moments that generate claims.
ReadWhat is an attendance note? A guide for Australian law firms
The definitive explanation of an attendance note for Australian solicitors - what it is, what it must contain, its dual role as evidence and billing record, and when to write one.
ReadHow to write a client attendance note after a phone call (with a template)
Practical guide to writing a legal attendance note after a client call. What to capture, a worked example, common mistakes, and a free attendance note generator.
ReadLegal file note requirements in Australia: what the rules actually say
There is no single "file note law" in Australia. Instead, a web of obligations under the LPUL, ASCR, costs-disclosure rules and PI insurance requirements makes good attendance notes essential. Here is what those rules actually say.
ReadCosts disclosure and file notes: what to record after a client call
Under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, costs disclosure often happens verbally on a call. Your attendance note is how you prove what was said. Here is exactly what to record.
ReadFile notes as evidence: why a lawyer's contemporaneous notes win disputes
A contemporaneous attendance note is often the whole of a law firm's defence. What makes a file note evidentially strong, where thin notes collapse, and how tamper-evident locking strengthens your position.
ReadThe best attendance note software for law firms (2026)
An honest 2026 guide to attendance note software for Australian law firms. Practice management systems, AI meeting bots, and purpose-built transcript-to-note tools compared fairly.
ReadAutomating attendance notes vs a paralegal typing them up
Should your law firm automate attendance notes or keep using a paralegal? An honest comparison of cost, speed, accuracy, and control - with a calculator to run your own numbers.
ReadFile note vs attendance note vs case note: what's the difference?
A clear breakdown of file note, attendance note, case note, progress note, and contact note - who uses each term, what it records, and what the terms have in common across professions.
ReadHow to connect Dialpad to CallNote
Connect Dialpad to CallNote so every call transcript becomes a finished file note automatically. No API keys to wire up. Step-by-step setup, free 14-day trial.
ReadRG273 and the Best Interests Duty, explained for brokers
What RG273 and the mortgage broker best interests duty require, why your file note is the evidence, and what a BID-ready note captures. AU guidance.
ReadHow long do you have to keep client file notes in Australia?
Mortgage brokers (NCCP) and financial advisers (Corporations Act) keep client file notes 7 years. When the clock starts and what "keep" means. AU guidance.
ReadBest interests duty for financial advisers (s961B), explained
What the best interests duty is under s961B, the safe harbour steps, and why a contemporaneous file note is the evidence that you met it.
ReadWhat happens if you do not keep file notes?
No file note at AFCA means it comes down to your word against the client's. What poor record keeping actually costs brokers and advisers, with real cases.
ReadThe best file note software for mortgage brokers in Australia (2026)
An honest 2026 comparison of file note tools for Australian mortgage brokers. NCCP-ready notes, consent, audit trails and AU data residency compared fairly.
ReadAI note takers that don't record: an honest guide
"Doesn't record" means different things. We explain no stored audio vs never captures audio vs receives a transcript, and list the honest no-record options for Australians.
ReadIs it legal to record a phone call in Australia? A state-by-state guide
A clear state-by-state guide to call recording laws in Australia - all-party vs one-party consent, privacy obligations, and how to capture consent properly.
ReadHow to write a compliant NCCP file note (with checklist)
What a defensible NCCP file note needs: requirements and objectives, the s130 not unsuitable test, fees, and a practical broker checklist. AU guidance.
ReadDo AI note takers record your calls? An honest answer for Australian professionals
Most AI note takers record and store your call audio, but not all. A clear, honest guide to what each type does with your data and why it matters in Australia.
ReadMeeting bots vs transcript-only note tools: which one fits your calls
A plain-English guide to meeting bots vs transcript-only AI note takers. Honest pros and cons of each, when to use them, and which fits regulated calls.
ReadFile Notes for Financial Advisers in Australia
What a good adviser file note captures, how it sits with your record of advice, and how a transcript-only tool cuts the audio you have to store and govern.
ReadHow to connect Aircall to CallNote
Connect Aircall to CallNote in about two minutes - no API keys. Every call transcript becomes a finished file note automatically. Step-by-step setup guide.
ReadHow CallNote works
How CallNote turns a call transcript into a finished, structured file note in about two minutes: Generate, Review, Lodge & Lock. Templates, CRM push and AU data.
ReadStop writing file notes by hand.
CallNote turns a transcript, a 30-second voice memo or pasted text into a clean, compliant file note in under two minutes. Built in Australia, data stored in Sydney.