Early-career lawyer stole $25k in false expenses scheme

A Perth lawyer fabricated reimbursement claims to pocket more than $25,000 from his firm.

Clayton Steven Woodhouse had his name struck from the roll by three judges of the Western Australian Supreme Court for misconduct they described as being “of a most serious kind”.

Between June 2020 and March 2021, Woodhouse illegitimately obtained $25,889.27 from the Perth boutique firm that hired him as a law graduate in 2017 and promoted him to solicitor in 2018.

The funds were obtained using 27 false claims of reimbursement, including for court appearances that never occurred and flights, accommodation, and care hires he never used.

“In our view, to allow his name to remain on the Supreme Court roll would undermine the public’s trust and confidence in the honesty and integrity of legal practitioners, and, consequently, in the administration of justice,” Justices Michael Lundberg, Matthew Howard, and Michael Gething said in a decision published earlier this week.

Woodhouse pleaded guilty in March 2022 to a charge of gaining a pecuniary benefit with intent to defraud by deceit or fraudulent means and was sentenced to 12 months of immediate imprisonment.

On appeal, the Supreme Court resentenced Woodhouse to 11 months and 21 days imprisonment, conditionally suspended for 12 months.

During the trial, the criminal court heard Woodhouse’s need for money was driven by debts related to his illicit amphetamine use, which he said was taken to address symptoms of undiagnosed ADHD.

The misconduct was discovered when the Legal Practice Board questioned the firm on a $1,318.60 disbursement – the first of the 27 false reimbursements – for what Woodhouse claimed was for flights to Kalgoorlie for himself and another solicitor to attend a client meeting.

Woodhouse did not purchase the flights and did not travel to Kalgoorlie. The accompanying lawyer had no knowledge of the deception.

When first approached by the firm’s director on 8 March 2021, Woodhouse stated the client had been willing to pay and he “would locate the flight invoice… and forward that through to you”.

During a coffee meeting with the director the next day, Woodhouse lied and said the other solicitor’s flight was credited and used on a later date.

On 16 March, after claiming he followed up with Qantas, Woodhouse claimed the airline reimbursed the $1,318.60. He had “forgotten” to pay this back to the firm, and he had instead taken a Virgin flight to Kalgoorlie using his frequent flyer points.

Woodhouse was terminated on 25 March.

The funds were repaid in two instalments in March and May 2021, during which his practising certificate was suspended and then cancelled.

Woodhouse consented to the strike-off and did not file a response.

Citation: Legal Practice Board v Woodhouse [2026] WASC 95.