Our fees
Fixed fees where we can, a written estimate before any work starts, and your first 30-minute consultation credited toward the matter if you proceed.
Tell us what has happened
Call or book online. We confirm the area of law, check for any deadline, and tell you whether we can help — before you pay anything.
Book a fixed-fee consultation
A fixed-fee consultation, in person at Epping or by video. The 30-minute fee is credited toward your matter if you go ahead with us.
Written fee estimate
After the consultation we provide a written estimate for the full matter. No work proceeds until you approve it in writing.
| Service | Duration | Fee (inc. GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Online consultation | 30 min · online | $180 |
| Online consultation | 60 min · online | $250 |
| In-office consultation | 30 min · Epping | $180 |
| In-office consultation | 60 min · Epping | $250 |
All fees include GST. Figures above are consultation fees; the cost of a full matter is set out in the written estimate you approve before we start.
Fixed fee or hourly — and how we decide
Where a matter can be scoped properly, we quote a fixed fee, so the price does not move while the work is done. Conveyancing, wills, and most straightforward applications fall into this group.
Some matters cannot honestly be fixed-priced, because how long they run is not ours to control — a contested hearing, or a dispute where the other side sets the pace. For those we set out in the written estimate which rates apply and what each stage is expected to cost, and we bill only for work actually done.
Either way you see the number before the work starts, and we do not begin until you have approved it in writing.
What the law requires us to tell you
Victorian lawyers work under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. Except where the total legal costs are below a small statutory threshold, we must give you written disclosure of what your matter is likely to cost, and of your rights about costs, before we start acting for you.
That disclosure is not a formality. It tells you the estimated total, what could change it, how and when you will be billed, and what to do if you are unhappy with a bill. You are entitled to negotiate the costs agreement, to ask for an itemised bill, to be told if the estimate changes, and to have our costs independently reviewed.
Disbursements are separate from our fees
Disbursements are amounts paid to someone else on your behalf — court filing fees, property and title certificates, a barrister, an expert or medical report, transcripts, or searches. They are set by the court or the provider, not by us.
We pass them on at cost, and the ones your matter is likely to need are listed in your written estimate so they are not a surprise later.
If the cost changes
An estimate is an estimate. If something happens that changes the work — the other side disputes a point that was agreed, new evidence arrives, an extra hearing is listed — we tell you in writing, with a revised estimate, before that additional work is done.
You should never learn that a matter became more expensive from the invoice.
No win, no fee in injury matters
In eligible personal injury matters we can act on a no win, no fee basis, which means our professional fees are payable only if your claim succeeds. Eligibility criteria apply and we will tell you honestly at the first consultation whether your matter qualifies.
These arrangements are regulated. Any uplift fee is capped by law, and the law does not permit them in criminal or family law matters. Disbursements may still need to be paid as the matter runs, and we explain that before you sign anything.
If you think a bill is wrong
Tell us first. Ask for an itemised bill if you have not had one, and we will go through it with you — most questions about a bill are answered in a phone call.
If that does not resolve it, you can take a costs dispute to the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, and legal costs can be independently assessed by the Costs Court of the Supreme Court of Victoria. We will tell you about both rather than wait to be asked.
Common questions about our fees
Do I have to pay for the first consultation?
Yes — the first consultation is a fixed fee, so you know the cost before you book. If you go ahead with us, the 30-minute consultation fee is credited toward your matter.
What does conveyancing cost?
A fixed fee, agreed before we start: $1,090 including GST to buy, $980 including GST to sell. That covers the contract and section 32, liaising with the agent and the other side, the PEXA settlement, adjusting rates and taxes, and attending settlement itself. Disbursements — the PEXA fee, title and plan searches, and the council, water and owners corporation certificates — are paid to third parties and passed on to you at cost, with no mark-up. The fee only changes if the matter does, and we would tell you before doing any additional work.
Will you tell me what my matter will cost before you start?
Yes. After the consultation we give you a written estimate for the whole matter, and no work proceeds until you approve it in writing.
Are your fees fixed or charged by the hour?
Fixed wherever the work can be scoped, which covers most conveyancing, wills and straightforward applications. Where a matter cannot honestly be fixed-priced, the written estimate sets out the rates that apply and what each stage should cost.
Do your fees include GST?
Yes. Every figure we publish and every figure in your estimate includes GST.
What are disbursements?
Amounts we pay to someone else for your matter — court filing fees, title and property certificates, a barrister, expert or medical reports, transcripts and searches. They are set by the court or provider, passed on at cost, and listed in your estimate.
What happens if my matter ends up costing more than the estimate?
We tell you in writing, with a revised estimate, before the extra work is done. You should never find out that a matter became more expensive by reading the invoice.
Do you act on a no win, no fee basis?
In eligible personal injury matters, yes — our professional fees are payable only if the claim succeeds. Eligibility criteria apply, any uplift fee is capped by law, and the law does not allow these arrangements in criminal or family law matters.
What can I do if I disagree with a bill?
Ask us for an itemised bill and raise it with us first. If that does not settle it, you can take a costs dispute to the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, and have the costs assessed by the Costs Court of the Supreme Court of Victoria.