Crown Solicitor's Office

Instructing the Crown Solicitor

If you represent a body for whom the Crown Solicitor can act, and would like to instruct us in a legal matter, email your instructions directly to crownsol@cso.nsw.gov.au.

Your matter will then be assigned to the most appropriate legal practitioner, who will make contact with you within 24 hours.

If the matter is urgent, or you would like to speak with someone who specialises in a particular area of law, you can contact one of our Assistant Crown Solicitors or practice group Directors directly. Refer to the contact us page for details, or call 02 9474 9000.

The Crown Solicitor does not provide legal services to the general public.

Download the CSO's Standard Terms of Engagement (PDF, 151.2 KB) (PDF, 151.2 KB).

Who we act for

The Crown Solicitor may act as solicitor for:

  • the State of NSW
  • persons suing or being sued on behalf of the State
  • Ministers of the Crown
  • a body established by a law of the State
  • an officer or an employee of the Public Service or any other service of the State or of a body established by a law of the State
  • a person holding office under a law of the State or because of appointment to that office by the Governor or any Minister of the Crown
  • any other person or body approved by the Attorney General.

Service standards

The Crown Solicitor has established Service Standards [PDF, 44kb] (PDF, 146.4 KB) for service in the conduct of legal matters.

Treasury Managed Fund (TMF) matters

Instruction of CSO solicitors in Treasury Managed Fund matters is centrally managed by icare through the icare legal services panel arrangements that commenced 1 July 2021.

Client feedback

Continuous improvement in client service levels is of the utmost importance to the CSO. You can direct service issues or queries to the relevant practice group Director or Assistant Crown Solicitor. Visit our contact us page for details.

General feedback can be sent to csomarketing@cso.nsw.gov.au.

As part of the continuing process to improve client service, the CSO surveys a cross-section of clients every 12 months.

Briefing counsel

The Crown Solicitor briefs in accordance with the NSW Government Equitable Briefing Policy, and caps brief fees in accordance with the Attorney General’s rates for Legal Representation.

Briefs to Senior Counsel are governed by Premier’s Memorandum C2018-06.

Crown Solicitor’s Counsel Database

To be added to the Crown Solicitor’s Counsel Database, please download and complete the Counsel Database Addition form (DOCX, 195.6 KB) and email it, along with a one-page CV, to crownsol@cso.nsw.gov.au.

Last updated:

28 Nov 2023

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We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Nations Peoples of NSW and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future. 

Informed by lessons of the past, Department of Communities and Justice is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.

You can access our apology to the Stolen Generations.

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