‘Fake’ lawyer stopped after raid uncovers dozens of case files

A Central Queensland man who was giving legal advice despite not being a lawyer has been stopped after a raid on his home allegedly uncovered two dozen case files.

Dozens of case files were allegedly recovered from a Central Queensland home.

THE Legal Services Commissioner has won an injunction to stop a Central Queensland man from giving legal advice after a raid on his home allegedly uncovered two dozen case files.

Surendra Raghoobar argued during a hearing in the Brisbane Supreme Court that he was merely providing help and assistance to friends and acquaintances and had expressly told them he was not a lawyer.

However Justice Glenn Martin found in favour of the LSC, finding the man had “on any view of the matter, engaged in legal practice”.

“Mr Raghoobar’s argument was that he had not provided legal advice, but the material is replete with examples of that being done,” Justice Martin said.

“His own material obtained pursuant to the search warrant shows that he was “assisting his clients to understand the court processes and what was needed to be done or appropriate to be done”.

“Mr Raghoobar has, on any view of the matter, engaged in legal practice.”

Justice Martin granted an injunction restraining Mr Raghoobar from engaging in legal practice, including giving legal advice, corresponding on behalf of parties, drafting communications and attending court or mediation on behalf of others.

“The fact that Mr Raghoobar expressly told his clients that he is not a legal practitioner has no effect on whether his conduct amounted to engaging in legal practice,” Justice Martin wrote in his decision published Tuesday.

Mr Raghoobar obtained a law degree from the University of Kent in England in 1995 and after moving to Australia, he worked as a consultant at two Gladstone law firms from 2010 to 2019 before going into business for himself.

“He admits that he is not an Australian legal practitioner but says that he has never held himself out to be one nor has he engaged in the provision of legal services,” Justice Martin wrote.

“Mr Raghoobar says that he was, among other things, merely proof-reading and editing documents drawn by his clients for use in court proceedings and providing some assistance to them.”

In April last year, employees of the Commissioner executed a search warrant at Mr Raghoobar’s Central Queensland home where they allegedly seized 31 document binders relating to 20 individuals and 24 unique cases.

“They contained copies of documents filed in various courts, copies of correspondence to both the client and the other party in the matters, and tax invoices from a firm called SR Dep Services which is controlled by Mr Raghoobar,” Justice Martin wrote.

“When the Commissioner’s employees were executing the search warrant Mr Raghoobar told one of them that he had someone coming in for a trial.

“Soon after that, (a woman) arrived at the property and said that she was a client of Mr Raghoobar and that he was helping her with her trial and her documents.”

Commission staff seized a “large number” of invoices during the search which included for work including drafting submissions, meeting with clients, drafting emails to courts and other parties and organising the serving of documents.

In an affidavit filed with the court, Mr Raghoobar said after finishing consulting work with the legal firms, he received a number of queries from friends and acquaintances asking for help in their matters and he set up his business to support his family and meet his financial commitments.

“Mr Raghoobar said, and this was not disputed, that he did not represent himself as a lawyer,” Justice Martin wrote.