Notice of change of solicitor or appointment of solicitor (Form 77)
UCPR Form 77 is the notice filed in the NSW Supreme, District or Local Court when a party changes solicitors or appoints one. The change takes effect once filed and served.
Word document from New South Wales Courts' website.
DraftOur fillable copy of this form has not been through editorial review yet. Check it against New South Wales Courts' current form before you rely on it.
- Format
- Word (DOCX)
- Category
- Court form
- Form number
- Form 77
- Version
- v433684fd
- Last updated
- 14 October 2026
Supreme Court of NSW · District Court of NSW · Local Court of NSW · Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005
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 77 is for
Part 7 Division 7 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) deals with solicitors on the record. A party who changes solicitors must file notice of the change and serve a copy on all other active parties and, if practicable, on the former solicitor (r 7.26). A party who has been acting for themselves and then appoints a solicitor must file and serve notice of the appointment (r 7.28). Form 77 covers both situations. The change takes effect for the court when the notice is filed, and for each other party when the filed copy is served on them (r 7.30).
When you need it
- Your client is moving their matter to your firm from another solicitor (change of solicitor, r 7.26).
- A party who has been self-represented has engaged you (appointment of solicitor, r 7.28).
- A solicitor on the record changes their agent (r 7.26(2) and (3)).
- Not for a solicitor who simply stops acting with no replacement; that is a withdrawal under r 7.29, which has its own notice periods.
How to fill it in
- 1
Court details and title
Copy the court, registry, case number and parties from the proceedings, and put the new solicitor in the filing details.
- 2
Choose change or appointment
Delete the heading and paragraph that do not apply. For a change, name the party, the new solicitor and firm, and the former solicitor and firm. For an appointment, name the party and the solicitor and firm appointed.
- 3
Fee advice statement
If you act for a plaintiff or cross-claimant, keep the statement that you have advised them court fees, which may include a hearing allocation fee, may be payable.
- 4
Sign
The solicitor on record or contact solicitor signs and dates the notice.
- 5
Further details
Complete the solicitor's practising certificate number, firm, address, DX, phone and email, and an electronic service address if you accept electronic service. The office of the solicitor on the record becomes the party's address for service (r 4.5(2)).
Filing, lodging and service
- File the notice in the court where the proceedings are. The NSW Online Registry lists Notice of Change of Solicitor and Notice of Appointment of Solicitor (UCPR 77) among the forms that can be filed online by lawyers.
- Serve a copy of the filed notice on all other active parties and, for a change, on the former solicitor if practicable (rr 7.26(4), 7.28(2)).
- Until the filed notice is served on a party, the change has no effect as regards that party (r 7.30(b)), so documents may still go to the former solicitor.
Common mistakes
- The new solicitor on the record must hold an unrestricted practising certificate (r 7.26(1A)).
- Serve promptly after filing so the other side stops sending documents to the old address for service.
- A party ending a solicitor's authority without appointing a new one files a notice of termination under r 7.27, not Form 77.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a notice of change of solicitor take effect?
For the court, when it is filed. For any other party, when a copy of the filed notice is served on them (UCPR r 7.30).
Does the old solicitor need to sign Form 77?
No. The form is signed by the new solicitor. The rules require a copy to be served on the former solicitor if practicable (r 7.26(4)).
How is this different from a solicitor ceasing to act?
A solicitor who stops acting without a replacement uses the withdrawal procedure in r 7.29, which requires notice of intention to the client at least 7 days before (or 28 days if a trial date is fixed), unless the court gives leave.
Checked against the official sources on 26 October 2026
- Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 4.5, 7.26 to 7.30
- UCPR Forms - Form 77 Notice of change or appointment of solicitor (v2)
- UCPR approved forms list
- NSW Online Registry - Available forms
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
24 boxes on the Notice of change of solicitor or appointment of solicitor (Form 77) fill from your matter. 8 are for you to complete: ticks, signatures and anything that needs judgement.
- Our Firm
- Firm Postcode, Firm State, Firm Suburb, Firm name, Firm phone
- Client
- Client full name(s), Client street address
- Matter
- Matter / file reference
- Operator
- User First Name, User Full Name (first + surname)
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