What Papers Are Needed to Open a Law Office? Registration Procedures

Short answer: To open a law office, the founding lawyer prepares an operation registration dossier including: an application for operation registration (per the uniform form), copies of the Lawyer Practicing Certificate and Lawyer Card, and documents proving the head office — under Clause 2, Article 35 of the Law on Lawyers 2006. The dossier is submitted to the Department of Justice of the locality where the Bar Association of which the Head of the Office is a member is located; the Department of Justice issues the Operation Registration Certificate within 10 working days from the date of receipt of a complete dossier.

Legal basis

• Law on Lawyers 2006 (as amended and supplemented in 2012) — Articles 33 and 35;
• Decree No. 123/2013/ND-CP (as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 112/2025/ND-CP, effective from 29 May 2025) — Article 6 on the application for operation registration.

Dossier for registering a law office

Under Clause 2, Article 35 of the Law on Lawyers 2006, the operation registration dossier of a law-practicing organization includes:

• An application for operation registration per the uniform form;
• Copies of the Lawyer Practicing Certificate and Lawyer Card of the lawyer establishing the law office;
• Documents proving the head office of the law-practicing organization.

The contents of the application for operation registration include the principal contents under Article 6 of Decree No. 123/2013/ND-CP (to be checked against the amendments of Decree No. 112/2025/ND-CP): the law office’s name; the head office address; the surname, name, and permanent residence address of the Head of the Law Office; the surname, name, number, and issuance date of the Lawyer Card of the legal representative; the practicing fields.

Procedures for registering a law office

Under Clauses 1, 3, and 4, Article 35 of the Law on Lawyers 2006:

• Step 1 — Dossier submission: submit the operation registration dossier to the Department of Justice of the locality where the Bar Association of which the Head of the Law Office is a member is located;
• Step 2 — Issuance of the Operation Registration Certificate: within 10 working days from the date of receipt of a complete dossier, the Department of Justice issues the Operation Registration Certificate; in case of refusal, it must notify in writing and state the reasons (the refused person has the right to complain);
• Step 3 — Notification to the Bar Association: within 07 working days from the date of issuance of the Operation Registration Certificate, the Head of the Office must notify in writing, together with a copy of the Operation Registration Certificate, the Bar Association of which they are a member;
• A law-practicing organization may operate from the date it is issued the Operation Registration Certificate and must publish the registered operation contents as prescribed.

Rules for naming a law office

Under Clause 2, Article 33 of the Law on Lawyers 2006, the law office’s name is chosen by the lawyer in accordance with the Law on Enterprises but must:

• Include the phrase “law office”;
• Not duplicate or cause confusion with the name of another law-practicing organization already registered for operation;
• Not use words or symbols violating the nation’s historical traditions, culture, ethics, and fine customs.

Frequently asked questions

May one lawyer establish multiple law offices?

No. Each lawyer may only establish or participate in establishing one law-practicing organization under the Law on Lawyers.

Does a law office have legal entity status?

A law office established by one lawyer is organized and operates as a private enterprise — it has no legal entity status, and the office owner is liable with all of their assets.

To open a law office in compliance from the outset, you should contact ANT Legal’s lawyers at 0966.475.966 for dossier review and advice before proceeding.