Australian Lawyers Bill
Australian lawyers charge for their services on a fee-for-service basis. Depending on the type of lawyer, this may mean that they bill by the hour or quote a fixed fee for their work. Regardless of how they choose to charge, it’s important that they provide you with an itemised bill at the end of the matter, so you can see how much time they spent on your matter.
Legal Services Commissions and state legal service regulators receive many complaints about the cost of their services, including clients who feel they have not received good value for money. The most common issues raised in these complaints include getting a surprise bill, poor communication, poor service, unmet expectations and misunderstanding about what a lawyer does.
In most cases, the underlying reason for this dispute is that clients were not given a fair estimate of their costs upfront. This is why it is so important to ask for a detailed bill when working with your lawyer, usually within 30 days of completion of your matter.
How Do Australian Lawyers Bill For Their Services?
The cost of your lawyer will depend on their experience and qualifications. For example, a junior lawyer will usually charge between $200 and $300 per hour (plus GST), while an associate lawyer can cost $250 to $400 per hour.
A senior lawyer will typically charge between $750 and $1500 per hour (plus GST) to represent you. This is usually for cases involving high-stakes litigation or for more specialised work, such as patent law or trade mark law.
Specialist lawyers will be more expensive than generalists because they are specialised in one area of law. For example, a family lawyer will focus on preparing pre-nuptial agreements or child custody matters, while a criminal lawyer will be more specialised in dealing with complex matters concerning a client accused of committing a crime.
There are several different types of lawyers in Australia, each with a specific role and function. These include solicitors, barristers and legal counsel.
Generally speaking, Australian lawyers are qualified legal practitioners who have completed a law degree and hold a practising certificate. They must also undergo practical legal training and 18 to 24 months of supervised practice before they can call themselves a lawyer.
They can specialise in various fields of law, such as commercial, family, criminal or property law. They will also often work directly with you, rather than with a third party, and will be able to give you advice on all aspects of your matter.
In addition, you can expect to pay filing fees and disbursements, such as a barrister’s fee or an expert report. These fees will be set out in your lawyer’s costs agreement.
A lawyer should provide you with a written estimate of your fees at the beginning of a matter. This estimate should be fair and reasonable. If you do not agree with the estimate, you can discuss this with your lawyer and they should be able to help you come to an agreement that is acceptable to both parties.