Frequently asked questions

You get a written estimate before any work begins, and for defined pieces of work we quote a fixed fee. What drives the number is scope and complexity, not how long we happen to take. A standard residential purchase is a known quantity; a contested estate is not, and we price the first stage of it rather than pretending to price the whole thing. If the scope changes, we tell you before the cost does.

Yes. The first twenty minutes are complimentary and obligation-free. That is usually enough to work out whether you have a problem that needs a lawyer, what it would involve, and roughly what it would cost. Plenty of those calls end with us telling someone they do not need us yet.

For defined work, yes — contract and section 32 reviews, conveyancing, wills and powers of attorney, company and trust setups, lease reviews. The fee is quoted in writing before we start and does not move unless the scope does. Litigation and disputes cannot honestly be fixed end to end, because neither we nor anyone else controls what the other side does, so we fix the cost of each stage instead.

Government charges and third-party costs — stamp duty, registration fees, search and certificate fees, court filing fees, ASIC fees. These are set by someone else, are not ours, and we itemise them at cost so you can see the difference between what we charge and what the government does. On a property purchase they are usually the larger number.

Legal fees for a company setup including a constitution and shareholder agreement typically fall between $1,500 and $4,000 depending on complexity. ASIC registration fees are set by the regulator, change periodically, and are additional. If your structure is straightforward we will tell you, and if it is not, we will explain what makes it so before you commit.

A lawyer replies within one business day. Not a receptionist taking a message and someone calling back next week — a lawyer, who has read what you sent. If your matter has a deadline on it, say so in your first message and it moves up the queue.

No, and you are not the first. Contracts with an auction or a signing deadline are prioritised. Send the contract and the section 32, tell us the date, and we will work to it. Earlier is better because it leaves room to ask the vendor to change something, but late is far better than not at all.

The settlement period is negotiated in the contract. Thirty, sixty and ninety days are the usual options, with sixty most common for an established home. Off-the-plan purchases run much longer, because settlement follows registration of the plan of subdivision and can be years away.

A lawyer reads it and replies within one business day, usually with questions. If it is something we can help with, you get a written estimate and a costs agreement setting out the scope. Nothing is charged and no work begins until you have both and have agreed to them.

For a straightforward conveyance either can act. The difference is scope: a licensed conveyancer cannot advise outside conveyancing, so a trust question, a contested duty position, a caveat, or a dispute heading towards court has to be referred elsewhere. With a solicitor it stays in the same matter with someone who already knows the file. If your purchase is simple, we will say so.

Rarely. Most matters run by phone, email and video, and documents are signed and settled electronically. Some things genuinely benefit from a meeting — signing a will, or a first conversation about a complicated family situation — and our office is at Level 1, 225 Bridge Road, Richmond if you would prefer to come in.

Yes, anywhere in Victoria. Property, wills, business and litigation matters all run perfectly well remotely. Wills have signing requirements that need attention, and we will explain what those mean for you rather than leaving you to work it out.

You are entitled to change lawyers. Depending on where the matter is, there may be fees owing to the previous firm and a file to be transferred, and we will tell you what that involves before you decide. It is worth having the conversation early rather than after another few months of something not working.