From 20 September 2025, significant amendments to the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 will come into effect. Under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024, lawyers and legal professionals providing services to children will be required to obtain a blue card. The previous exemption for lawyers has been removed.
This represents a major change for the legal profession, bringing blue card requirements for lawyers into effect for the first time.
Key Requirements and Changes
The Blue Card Legal Practitioners 2025 update introduces several important requirements:
- Legal services provided to children in court or other legal proceedings will now be classified as ‘regulated employment’
- Law firm executives and business owners must also hold a blue card if their firm provides legal services to children, especially where services are delivered online, by phone, or where staff may be alone with a child
- Firms must maintain a register of employees engaged in regulated employment
- A 12-month grace period applies for lawyers already providing these services (until 20 September 2026). New providers must hold a blue card before commencing work from 20 September 2025
- The Department of Justice has committed to the timely processing of blue card applications, with an average turnaround of 2-3 business days for applicants with no criminal history
Professional Support Available
At Gnech and Associates Lawyers, Senior Associate Ms Anna Waite has particular expertise in blue card proceedings and is available to assist clients and colleagues navigating these changes. Legal Practice Director Mr Calvin Gnech, a Senior Ethics Counsellor with the Queensland Law Society, can also provide guidance on ethical and compliance matters relating to these new requirements.
For further details, please refer to the Queensland Law Society’s update: read more here.
