Many barristers have further qualifications in a variety of ADR processes, where they act as an independent third person to help people resolve their disputes. ADR processes do not include judicial determinations such as decisions made by a court or tribunal, rather dispute management identifies where disputes are and aims to manage them early and effectively.

•  Arbitrators
•  Expert Determiners
•  Mediators
•  Referees
•  Neutral Evaluators

Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a higher court to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts. Most appellate jurisdiction is legislatively created, and may consist of appeals by leave of the appellate court or by right.

• Civil Appeals
• Criminal Appeals

Commercial practice covers disputes and advice work arising out of all industry sectors and professions.  While there are many specific practice areas, many of which are listed above, the reality is that those who practise in the Commercial law field cover all areas of commercial, business and professional endeavours from advice on issues to all stages of disputes.

• Appellate
• Banking
• Bankruptcy
• Building and Construction
• Competition
• Consumer Protection Law
• Contractual Disputes
• Corporate Insolvency
• Corporations Law
• Insurance
• Intellectual Property
• International Commercial Arbitration
• Partnership Disputes
• Professional Liability
• Real Property
• Restraint of Trade
• Securities and Investments
• Superannuation
• Telecommunications and Broadcasting
• Transport Law - Admiralty/Aviation/Maritime

Covering actions in negligence such as public liability and professional negligence claims, as well as compensation claims made under a variety of statutory schemes such as the Accident Compensation Act, Comcare, TAC and all related judicial review proceedings.

• Appellate
• Dust Diseases
• Insurance - disability claims
• Intentional Torts
• Judicial Review - motor accident
• Judicial Review - workers compensation
• Motor Vehicles
• Negligence
• Professional Negligence
• Work Injury Damages
• Workers Compensation

Barristers appear in a wide range of matters from summary to indictable offences, at both state and federal level, as well as related actions including specialist youth court work, white collar crime, OH&S and mental illness issues.

• Appellate
•  Crimes against the person
•  Drugs
•  Environmental and Planning Offences
•  Extradition
•  Fraud
•  Juvenile Justice
•  Mental Illness
•  Proceeds of Crime/Money Laundering
•  Property Offences
•  Sexual Assault
•  Traffic
•  White Collar and Corporate Crime
•  Work Health and Safety

The law of defamation covers actions seeking redress for causing harm to a person’s reputation by publishing material about them that changes the way people feel about them. Publishing includes speaking, writing, drawing, photographing or blogging.

This area of practice covers local, state and federal law relating to the environment and natural resources with a focus on state and local authority regulation and enforcement in relation to planning.

• Appellate
•  Civil enforcement
•  Compulsory acquisition of land compensation
•  Environmental and Planning Offences
•  Local Government
•  Merit Appeals
•  Mining
•  Valuation of land - rating and tax appeals

The law of equity ensures that all claims are considered in relation to principles of fairness and conscience.  This is mostly of issue in relation to property, trusts and wills and estate matters.

• Appellate
• Family Provision
• Real Property
• Trusts
• Wills and Probate

Barristers practise in relation to laws (both federal and state) which relate to or concern family relationships, including issues of taxation, property, parenting and family violence.  Practitioners also specialise in guardianship/capacity matters and powers of attorney.

• Appellate
• Care and Protection
• Parenting Orders
• Property

Barristers appear across a range of employment and industrial matters involving both transactional and litigious work arising from employment relationships, advice on the relevant law and procedures, and resolving disputes about employment and industrial relations matters through the court system or by using alternative dispute resolution processes.

• Appellate
• Discrimination
• Employment Contracts and Restraint of Trade
• Industrial Disputes and statutory employment rights
• Public Sector Appeals
• Work Health and Safety

An inquest and inquiries are unlike other court cases. They are an inquisitorial process rather than adversarial, not a trial, but an inquiry that seeks to find out why something occurred.  Barristers appear on behalf of various parties who are directly involved in or affected by the nature of the inquiry or inquest.

• Commissions and other inquiries
•  Coronial Inquests

Intellectual property refers to the intangible rights you may have in relation to new ideas or creative applications. It covers patents, trade marks, design, branding and copyright.

International law is a collection of rules and principles and practices with respect to international actors—primarily sovereign states but also increasingly international organizations and some individuals. The range of subjects and actors directly concerned with international law has widened considerably, moving beyond the traditional questions of war, peace, and diplomacy to include human rights, economic and trade issues, space law, and international organizations.

• Choice of Law
•  International Commercial Arbitration
•  International Tax
•  Public International Law

Barristers appear in the Magistrates Court for both applicants and respondents in personal safety and family violence intervention orders, which are orders made by a magistrate to protect a person from physical or mental harm, including assault, harassment, property damage, serious threats or stalking done by a third party, sometimes a family member. The order has rules or conditions about how the respondent can behave towards the affected person. 

Barristers act for people who make a claim for compensation if they have suffered physical, psychological or financial harm as a result of negligent medical treatment. Greens List barristers also work on behalf of insurers and directly with doctors and other health professionals defending them in medical negligence and professional negligence cases and regulatory and disciplinary proceedings.

The major focus of Australian property law is real property, or land.  Barristers are well placed to advise on all aspects of property law matters, including those instruments relating to property such as transfers and sales, mortgages, covenants, caveats, leases and easements.

Barristers practise in areas relating to actions taken by administrative agencies of government. They deal with claims or issues arising from actions such as government agency/department rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law and covers the actions of local, State and Commonwealth government.

• Appellate
• Civil and Human Rights
• Constitutional Law
• Customs
• Disciplinary Proceedings
• Discrimination
• Extradition
• Immigration Law
• Judicial Review and administrative law
• Liquor Licensing
• Merits Review
• Native Title
• Social security and veterans' entitlements
• Privacy/Freedom of Information
• Proceeds of Crime

Barristers provide advice and appear in claims governed by the Workplace Injury, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (2013). The Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) acts as the governing body, it does not process workcover claims. The VWA allocates work to its authorised insurers.

Covering state and federal taxation issues, providing advice as well as litigation strategy and proceedings.

• Capital Gains Tax
•  Goods and services tax
•  Income Tax
•  International Tax
•  Land Tax
•  Payroll Tax
•  Stamp Duty and other state taxes

Barristers provide advice on all aspects of wills and estates work, such as:

• ensuring compliance with legal requirements so the will is properly drawn up, correctly signed and witnessed
• ensuring beneficiaries are provided for, for example, through the creation of a trust
• advise on testamentary trusts
• advise whether your will could be contested and how you can prevent or reduce the chances of this occurring
• advise on whether you can make a claim from an estate and the likelihood of success;
• advise on the role of an administrator
• represent your interests in relation to any court matter
• advise executors on their obligations under a will and pursuant to the law;
• advise on what happens where there is no executor
• provide advice where there appears to be an ambiguity in a will
• provide ancillary services relating to advice on and preparation of powers of attorney.