Tiếng Việt
中文Update note: The current legal framework on law-practicing organizations includes the Law on Lawyers 2006 (amended 2012) and Decree 123/2013/ND-CP as amended and supplemented by Decree 137/2018/ND-CP, Decree 112/2025/ND-CP (effective from 29/5/2025), and Decree 18/2026/ND-CP (effective from 15/01/2026) on cutting and simplifying administrative procedures under the Ministry of Justice’s management.
Legal basis
- Law on Lawyers 2006 (amended 2012) — Articles 32, 35;
- Decree 123/2013/ND-CP (as amended by Decrees 137/2018, 112/2025, 18/2026).
Conditions for establishing a law-practicing organization
Law-practicing organizations include law offices and law firms (single-member LLC, multi-member LLC, partnership). Establishment conditions:
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- The founding lawyer(s) must have at least 02 years of continuous practice under a labor contract for a law-practicing organization, or practice as an individual under a labor contract for an agency or organization;
- The law-practicing organization must have a working office (with supporting documents such as a lease/purchase contract).
Operation registration (Article 35 of the Law on Lawyers)
- Register at the Department of Justice where the Bar Association of which the law office’s head/law firm’s director is a member is located;
- The dossier includes: the operation registration application (in the prescribed form); draft Charter (for law firms); copies of the Lawyer Practicing Certificate and Lawyer Card; documents evidencing the office;
- Within 10 working days, the Department of Justice issues the Operation Registration Certificate; the law-practicing organization may operate from the date of issuance;
- Within 07 working days from the date of issuance, it must notify the Bar Association in writing, enclosed with a copy of the Operation Registration Certificate.
- Under Decrees 112/2025 and 18/2026: dossiers may be submitted online via the National Public Service Portal, and electronically issued results have the same legal validity as paper ones; some dossier components have been cut and simplified.
When is the Operation Registration Certificate revoked?
- Termination of operation;
- Deprivation of the right to use the Operation Registration Certificate under an administrative penalty decision;
- Failure to register a tax code within 01 year from the date of issuance;
- Failure to operate continuously at the registered office for 06 months (except lawful suspension);
- Failure to resume operation or report continued suspension beyond 06 months from the end of the suspension period.
To establish and register a law-practicing organization in compliance with the latest regulations, please contact ANT Legal’s lawyers for review and advice before proceeding.
