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SHORT COURSE

Affidavits and Statements

Maximise the evidentiary value of witness statements and affidavits. Develop a systematic approach to assembly of the affidavit material addressing the relevant facts in issue in the Statement of Claim and the evidential material needed to establish issues in dispute, enabling them to be coordinated into comprehensive affidavit documents.

About this course

This program provides participants with knowledge, insights and a framework for preparing affidavits, including interviewing clients and recording statements. Preparation and drafting of affidavits is an essential and important skill for any lawyer. Our expert will take you through the steps in taking a witness statement or affidavit, from preparation and interview, through evidentiary and procedural issues, to using the affidavit to draft pleadings.

Key benefits of this course

This course has been refined with many years of participant feedback and is an example of the best of collaborative learning in the legal profession. It will enable you to examine and build on the foundations of the procedures, forms and rules of the Australian courts, as well as:

  • Develop the skills to maximise the evidentiary value of affidavits and witness statements
  • Share in a range of insights used in developing a drafting style and approach to recording conversation
  • Hear the techniques that have been developed to gain the most complete and valuable evidence
  • Equip you with knowledge to manage the more complex fact situations, execution forms and service requirements
  • This course is devised to be suitable for compliance with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) rules – for NSW lawyers, the Law Society of New South Wales advises: “If this particular educational activity extends your knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to your practice needs or professional development, then you should claim one (1) “unit” for each hour of attendance, refreshment breaks not included.”

Price

Full price: $495 (GST-free)*

*Price subject to change. Please check price at time of purchase. 

Discounts are available for this course. For further details and to verify if you qualify, please check the Discounts section under Additional course information.

Enrolment conditions

COVID-19 response 

Additional course information

Course outline

This course consists of two x 2-hour webinars led by expert Paul Venus of Holding Redlich, together with exercises and reference resources including a written paper.  Topics covered during the course include:

  • Introduction
  • When is an affidavit or statement required?
  • Preparation for taking a witness statement or affidavit
  • Interviewing the witness
  • Substance of the affidavit
  • Evidentiary Issues
  • Privilege and affidavits and statements
  • Expert Reports
  • Drafting
  • Form and presentation
  • Taking an affidavit
  • Procedural issues
  • Use of an affidavit.

Course learning objectives

This course should equip participants to:

  • Plan and prepare to take a statement
  • Recognise and select appropriate forms and structure for affidavits
  • Understand the evidentiary issues involved in the preparation of affidavits
  • Identify appropriate uses of affidavits.

Requirements

Mandatory

This course will be facilitated online using Zoom video conferencing with course materials provided via the UTS Canvas Learning Management System. You will need:

  • Access to a computer or device with a reliable internet connection
  • Operating system with a web browser compatible with the Canvas LMS
  • Speakers or headphones for audio 
  • Microphone and video camera functionality (optional but recommended).

Please be on time. Your Zoom sessions will commence at 9:30am.

Discounts

Discounts are available for this course as follows:  

  • UTS alumni and current students: 10% discount

  • UTS staff: 10% discount (see below)

  • Group enrolment of 5 or more from the same organisation: 15% discount (see below)

Discounts cannot be combined and only one discount can be applied per person per course session. Discounts can only be applied to the full price. Discounts cannot be applied to any offered special price. 

UTS staff, alumni and students: How to enrol and obtain your UTS discount

Please contact the team at support@open.uts.edu.au  to clarify payment options and the 10% discount code.

Multiple enrolments from the same organisation

To take up this offer, email law.shortcourses@uts.edu.au with:

  • Your organisation’s name
  • The course name and date 
  • The number of people you’ll be enrolling (minimum of 5 participants).

Contact us

Who is this course for?

This short course is suitable for (but not limited to):

  • General legal practitioners
  • Senior managers and leadership teams
  • In-house legal teams
  • Corporate counsel
  • Lawyers in government agencies.

The facilitator was excellent at bringing the content to life through lived examples; I learnt a lot in what was a short space of time, practical knowledge I can apply to my work immediately

Belinda L

Good content, well presented, easy to watch and listen to, short amount of time each day so as not to totally disrupt my work

Melissa D

Paul is an excellent facilitator he kept the group engaged and made the content interesting with his smattering of real life examples which enabled the group to understand how the theory looks in real life situations

Anne M
$495.00

START DATE

25 July

MODE

Online

DURATION

4 hrs

COMMITMENT

2 days 2 hrs/day

Make an enquiry

Have a question?

















Meet the Expert

Paul Venus

Paul Venus
Partner – Holding Redlich Brisbane

Paul has been practising commercial law for over 27 years and has been teaching this course for 20 years.  After a period with a major national firm, he joined Holding Redlich in 2007 and headed the Queensland office for 13 years in a period of exceptional growth for the firm in that state. With a background in commercial litigation, Paul has vast experience and exceptional knowledge in the field, upon which this course has been based.

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Book a session

Tue 25 Jul 2023 -
Wed 26 Jul 2023
Expert: Paul Venus
  • Zoom session
  • Online
  • 2 sessions, 4 hours total

Self-managed enrolments close at 11.59pm AEDT on 24 July 2023.
If you anticipate a late enrolment, please email Law Short Courses

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Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

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