Appearing self-represented, Whitehall told the court he wanted to move away from his 20-year piloting career when he began working for a conveyancing company in the NSW city of Newcastle.

While there, he prepared and witnessed the signing of wills and represented a woman in a Belmont court for a traffic infringement.

The court heard he also signed a water access licence.

The president of the NSW Law Society, Cassandra Banks, said Mr Whitehall’s sentence should “serve as a deterrent to people tempted to falsely hold themselves out as being a lawyer and as a reminder of the consequences of such conduct”.

“People in need of legal advice have a right to expect that the person they have retained to provide these services is qualified to do so,” Ms Banks said.

“Lawyers in NSW are subject to stringent ethical obligations including the paramount duty to the administration of justice, duties to the court, and to advancing the clients’ interests above their own.

“They are required to maintain the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and fairness.”

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In sentencing remarks, Magistrate Juliana Crofts said Mr Whitehall left his clients without “protection” and open to “serious ramifications”.

Ms Crofts added she was concerned for his lack of understanding about the seriousness of his conduct.