FAQs

Membership

How do I apply for new membership?

Visit our Registration page and follow the prompts.

I cannot remember my password.  How do I login?

Login to My Account and click on “forgot my password”.  Follow the prompts to reset your password.  If you have changed email addresses and cannot login to change over to your new email, please email admin@wlaq.com.au with your new email address and we will manually change this for you.

I have changed email addresses.  Can I still login?

Yes you can even if your username is set to your previous email address.  As long as you have updated your email address to your current one, you can use that to recover your password and login.

How do I change my email address?

You can change your email address provided you know your password.  If you do not know your password see above for an email reset.  To change your email address, login to My Account, and once logged in navigate to the edit your details option on the left side.

I have changed my email address for my membership but I am not receiving any emails.  How can this be fixed?

Visit our website, navigate to the “Membership” option on the header (third from the left) and click on ‘subscribe’.  A pop-up will appear which will allow you to enter your new contact details, but you need to also follow the step above.  We do not always send emails on a regular basis so it may just be that you have not received one because there is one yet to be sent.  If you are concerned and have followed the steps above, please email us.

I am already a member.  How do I check my membership status?

You can check your membership status by logging in to My Account and navigate to “My Membership” then “Manage”.  Here you will see what membership type you are on and the date it expires.

I am a current member.  How do I renew my membership?

You can only renew once your membership has expired.  To renew, log into My Account and a pop-up should appear.  If not, navigate to “My Membership” on the left and click on your membership type to see your status.  To renew, simply remain logged in and click on the main menu and click on “Register” and chose your membership subscription.  It may feel as though you are registering as a new member, but because you are logged in it is a renewal.

Can you just renew for me?

No we cannot.  As you can appreciate this would be a time consuming process, but that aside, a membership renewal on the website requires an order, to which a subscription then attaches and once approved forms your membership, which allows you to become a user on the website.  That is it – four different processes.  We will be on hand to help you if you are having difficulties and in some cases may require us ‘logging-in’ as you to help you through it.

I received an email saying that my student membership is about to expire, but I am not a student member.  What does this mean?

When we had our website rebuilt in late 2018 all members were entered as ‘student members’ on our database and we had to manually update each member.  However, there is a chance that we may have missed one – but that is ok!  Simply follow the process to renew your membership (see above) and select the membership plan relevant to you.

My membership type has changed (I have gone from student to Junior, Junior to General or General to Barrister etc).  How do I change this?

You can change this when you next renew your membership.  Simply follow the process to renew your membership (see above) and select the membership plan relevant to you.

I was a member previously.  How do I renew my membership?

If your membership has been expired for more than 3 months, WLAQ has the ability under our Constitution to require you to apply again as a new member.  This option is generally only pursued when the membership expired some time ago and we have no record of you on our membership database (generally pre 2015).  To check to see if you have a current but expired membership account, login to My Account and follow the process above.  If you are not able to login because there is no valid email address, you will need to apply as a new member.

I have renewed my membership but it is still showing up as pending.  Why is that?

Renewals are processed by WLAQ once a month (generally after our Committee meeting which is held on the first Tuesday of each month).  When we process your renewal, your membership is renewed from that date (not the date you made payment).  Please wait until after the first Tuesday of each month before emailing us about your ‘pending’ status.

I have applied for membership but have not heard anything from you.  Why is that?

Memberships are considered at our monthly Committee meeting (held on the first Tuesday of each month).  Shortly after the meeting, all accepted memberships are processed and you will receive an automated email.  Your membership is valid from the date we process your application, not the date you applied.

I have just graduated from university but I am not yet admitted.  What type of membership do I apply for?

Student membership is valid up until graduation.  Once graduated (even if you are not admitted) you are required to apply for Junior membership.  If you are on a student membership and graduate during that year of your membership, that is fine, you can simply upgrade your membership when you next renew.

How long is my membership valid for?

Your membership is valid for one year from the date we process your application or renewal.

How do I get a tax invoice for my membership I have already paid?

WLAQ does not issue tax invoices for registration and we are not registered for GST.  When you renew or register you will receive an email saying your WLAQ order is on hold pending payment.  This can be used for proof of payment to your firm.  If you no longer have this, and need proof of payment for reimbursement please login to My Account and navigate to “My Subscription” or “My Membership” and then “Manage” on the left hand side.  This shows the payment date details which can be used for reimbursement from your firm.

I want my firm to pay, could you issue me with a tax invoice?

When you renew or register you will receive an email saying your WLAQ order is on hold pending payment.  This can be used so that your firm can pay.  You can also login to My Account to renew your membership, or register as a new member and use the PayPal facility to use your firm’s credit card to make payment.  You do not need a PayPal account to use a credit card.  We do not issue invoices for bulk payments given each membership is for an individual.  If you clicked on direct deposit, but now want to pay by credit card you will need to contact our Membership Coordinator at secretary@wlaq.com.au to organise this.

I do not have a PayPal account, can I still make payment using a credit card?

Yes.  The PayPal facility works to allow any type of credit card to be used for payment without a PayPal account being linked to that credit card.

I am paying by direct deposit but closed the screen?

You will receive an email saying your WLAQ order is on hold pending payment.  The bank details are on there.  If you do not have this email, please contact our Treasurer at accounts@wlaq.com.au.

What do the membership categories mean?

Please visit our Registration page for information on all of the categories.

I am part of a Government Department.  What category of membership am I?

If your Department is in regional Queensland, then please choose Regional membership.  If you are less than 3 years PAE, please choose Junior membership.  If the legal team, including admin or support staff, for your specific Department is less than 15 people, then you will be Government <15.  If there are more than 15 people, it would be Government >15.  For Government employees, WLAQ does not assess it by the State Government (as your employer), rather the Department or team you are in, for example, the Department of Health legal team, Department of Housing legal team, etc.  In most cases, if you do not fall within the Regional or Junior category, you will be Government <15.

Can we purchase corporate membership?

Yes.  If you are an organisation you are able to purchase corporate membership.  Please note that there are two types of Corporate Membership – one for firms with fewer than 15 FTE (including support staff) and one for firms with more than 15 FTE (including support staff).  Visit our Registration page for more information.

My employer is a Corporate Member, do I need my own WLAQ account?

No.  If your employer is a corporate member, you do not need a WLAQ account. You will just need to ensure that you use your work email to purchase member tickets so that your corporate membership can be verified.  You are welcome to create a WLAQ account if you would like to have one. Simply choose the Corporate Employee option on our Registration page and complete the checkout and account creation process using your work email. We will link your account to your employer’s corporate membership.

I don’t want to become a member, but I want to subscribe to your newsletter.  How do I do that?

Visit our website, navigate to the “Membership” option on the header (third from the left) and click on ‘subscribe’.  A pop-up will appear which will allow you to enter your contact details.

Mentoring Programs

How do I sign up to be part of the mentoring program?

Our Ladder Program runs from April of each year.  We open registrations in late February/early March and will send an email notifying our members of the date that registration will open.  Please visit our Mentoring Page for further information.

Who can be a mentee?

You must be a member and under 5 PAE in order to be a mentee.  There is no age restriction, just a PAE requirement.

Who can be a mentor?

Any female lawyer who is more than 6 PAE is able to register as a mentor.  You do not need to be a WLAQ member in order to be a mentor, however it is preferred.

Can I apply at any time throughout the year?

No.  The Ladder Program registration is only open once a year.

Do you host any mentoring events?

The Ladder Program is launched each year at the Una Prentice Awards night.  It will be advertised on our Events Calendar.

I have not heard from my mentee.  What do I do?

The Ladder Program is structured so that it is Mentee led.  If you have made initial contact with your mentee and have not heard anything from her, there is no requirement for you to continually follow this up.  If you have any concerns, please email our Student Representative at events@wlaq.com.au.

I have not heard from my mentor.  What do I do?

Our mentors are generally senior women in the profession and may take a day or two to respond.  If you have not heard back from your mentor within two weeks, please send them a follow up email.  If you receive no response within one week, please email our Student Representative at events@wlaq.com.au who will assist with the issue.

I am a senior practitioner and want to connect with a senior lawyer to chat things through.  How can I do that?

We have our Friends of WLAQ program for this purpose.  This initiative is aimed at providing support to women more than 7 years PAE by having access to a verified list of people (female and male) from the legal profession who they can call on to discuss any issues . This could include simply having a friend to call on to seek input how to approach partnership negotiations, or workshop any problems they may be facing.