Notice of ceasing to act (Form 8)
Form 8 is the Federal Court of Australia notice a lawyer files to record that they no longer act for a party, giving the party's last known address.
Word document from Federal Court of Australia's website.
DraftOur fillable copy of this form has not been through editorial review yet. Check it against Federal Court of Australia's current form before you rely on it.
- Format
- Word (DOCX)
- Category
- Court form
- Form number
- Form 8
- Version
- v6b9a7baa
- Last updated
- 14 October 2026
Federal Court of Australia · Federal Court Rules 2011
For law practices: this form maps to the published matter-field vocabulary, so your practice management system fills it from your matter data - on your own machine. Practice management systems can fetch and assemble it through the document assembly API.
What Form 8 is for
Division 4.1 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 deals with lawyers coming on and off the record. Form 8 is used in two situations. If a lawyer ends the retainer, the lawyer must first serve the client with a notice of intention to cease acting in Form 7, and at least 7 days later file a notice of ceasing to act in Form 8 (r 4.05(1)). If the client ended the retainer and has not filed a notice of termination (Form 6) and a notice of address for service, the former lawyer may file Form 8 (r 4.04(3)). After a lawyer files Form 8 under rule 4.05, the party must file a notice of address for service within 5 days (r 4.05(2)).
When you need it
- You are the lawyer, you have terminated the retainer, and at least 7 days have passed since you served the client with Form 7.
- Your client terminated your retainer but has not filed Form 6 and a new address for service, and you want to come off the record (r 4.04(3)).
- Not where a new lawyer is taking over: the new lawyer files a notice of acting in Form 5 (r 4.04(1)).
How to fill it in
- 1
Heading
Copy the file number, District Registry, Division and party names from the proceeding.
- 2
Lawyer and party
Insert the lawyer's name and firm, the party's name and the party's role.
- 3
Last known address
Give the party's last known residential or business address, so documents can still reach the party.
- 4
Date and sign
The lawyer signs.
Filing, lodging and service
- File the notice in the Registry, for example through eLodgment. Under the Rules' Dictionary, file means file and serve, so serve it on the other parties as well.
- Where the lawyer terminated the retainer, file only after at least 7 days have passed since serving Form 7 on the client (r 4.05(1)(b)).
- The party must then file a notice of address for service within 5 days after Form 8 is filed (r 4.05(2)).
Common mistakes
- Do not skip Form 7. Filing Form 8 under rule 4.05 depends on the client having been served with notice of intention first.
- Use the most current address you have for the client, because the other side will rely on it.
- A corporation cannot act without a lawyer (r 4.01(2)), so warn a corporate client that it will need a new lawyer quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a lawyer stop acting in a Federal Court case?
Serve the client with a notice of intention to cease acting (Form 7), then at least 7 days later file a notice of ceasing to act (Form 8) (r 4.05(1)).
What must the client do after a notice of ceasing to act?
File a notice of address for service within 5 days after the notice is filed (r 4.05(2)).
Checked against the official sources on 26 October 2026
- Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 4.01-4.05
- Federal Court of Australia - eLodgment
- Federal Court of Australia - Form 8 Notice of ceasing to act
- Federal Court of Australia - Forms under the Federal Court Rules 2011
General information about the form, not legal advice about your matter. Rules and forms change: if anything here differs from the court or agency's current instructions, theirs apply.
Field map
8 boxes on the Notice of ceasing to act (Form 8) fill from your matter. 3 are for you to complete: ticks, signatures and anything that needs judgement.
- Our Firm
- Firm name
- Client
- Client full name(s), Client postal address (full), Client state
- Key Dates
- Current date
- Operator
- User Full Name (first + surname)
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