External General Counsel for Schools
Your school's legal counsel, without the cost of employing one.
Schools face legal and regulatory challenges every day. From employment and safeguarding to governance, compliance and operational decisions, school leaders need access to timely, practical legal advice.
Wilding & Co Lawyers provides NSW independent and Catholic schools with dedicated external general counsel for a fixed annual fee.
Our service gives schools ongoing access to experienced education lawyers without the cost of employing an in-house solicitor.
Schools often have access to guidance and resources through industry associations and membership organisations. While these services can be valuable, general guidance is not always a substitute for legal advice tailored to a school's particular circumstances.
When a legal issue arises, school leaders need more than general information. They need timely, practical advice from a qualified solicitor who understands their school and its legal obligations.
Our External General Counsel service provides direct access to experienced education lawyers who can advise on specific legal issues as they arise.
Rather than relying solely on general guidance or engaging a new solicitor for each matter, your school has an established legal advisory relationship with Wilding & Co Lawyers.
We focus on providing responsive, legally informed advice that enables principals and school leaders to make decisions with confidence.
A Fixed Annual Fee
$60,000 + GST per annum
$5,000 + GST per month
Our External General Counsel service includes:
Up to 240 hours of legal advisory support annually, allocated at 20 hours per month (about 1 hour per day).
Direct telephone access to experienced legal counsel
Advice on day-to-day legal, governance and compliance matters
Ongoing support from lawyers familiar with your school's operations
Predictable legal expenditure
The annual retainer covers ongoing access to legal counsel and advice within the agreed scope.
Comprehensive Legal Support for Schools
Our External General Counsel service provides ongoing legal advice across the full range of issues affecting NSW schools, including:
Governance, risk and regulatory compliance
Employment law and workforce management
Work health and safety
Child safeguarding and protection
Student, family and children's law
Privacy and information management
Commercial, property and operational matters
Construction, planning and sports law
Whether managing an employment issue, responding to a parental complaint or considering a regulatory obligation, your school has direct access to experienced legal counsel.
Explore our full range of Education Law Services.
How Does the Service Work?
Our External General Counsel service operates as an extension of your school's leadership team.
Authorised school representatives can contact Wilding & Co Lawyers directly through our telephone advisory service whenever legal issues arise.
We provide practical guidance to help schools make informed decisions, manage legal risks and address issues before they escalate.
The annual retainer includes up to 240 hours of advisory support, allocated at 20 hours per month. Unused monthly hours do not automatically carry forward.
There is no requirement to use every available hour. The retainer provides ongoing access to legal counsel as and when required.
What Is Not Included?
The annual retainer covers day-to-day legal advice and guidance.
Substantive legal work, including investigations, litigation, drafting agreements or policies, major commercial transactions and attendance at meetings, is separately scoped and charged.
Additional services are quoted before work commences.
Why Wilding & Co Lawyers?
Legal expertise. Education experience. Practical advice.
Our Principal, Ben Wilding, spent more than a decade as a secondary school teacher before entering legal practice.
He has subsequently held senior legal, governance, risk and compliance roles within Catholic education, including Catholic Schools NSW, Catholic Schools Broken Bay and Santa Sabina College.
Wilding & Co Lawyers advises Catholic and independent schools across NSW.
We understand the operational realities of schools and the challenges facing principals, school executives and governing bodies.
Our advice is practical, responsive and grounded in an understanding of both education and the law.
Speak With Us
Experienced legal counsel. Predictable annual cost.
Give your school access to ongoing legal advice without employing an in-house solicitor.
Contact Wilding & Co Lawyers to discuss our External General Counsel service.
Telephone: (02) 9958 6603
Website: www.wildinglegal.com.au