Is GST added to lawyers' fees?

Yes. Professional fees attract GST, so hourly rates and fixed fees are usually quoted plus GST. Court filing fees do not attract GST.

Do lawyers charge for the first consultation?

Some do and some do not. First consultations range from free to several hundred dollars. In the Northern Territory, the Law Society's First Interview Scheme offers a 30-minute consultation for $99 including GST.

Can a lawyer charge me for preparing a bill?

No. Under section 191 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law, a law practice must not charge for preparing or giving a bill.

Can a lawyer charge interest on an unpaid bill?

Yes, if the bill states that interest is payable and the rate, and the costs are unpaid 30 days or more after the bill was given. The rate is capped under the Uniform Rules.

Does the losing side pay all my legal costs?

Rarely. A costs order usually covers only part of what you pay your own lawyer, so there is often a gap between costs recovered and costs charged.

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost in Australia?

A lawyer in Australia commonly costs between about $250 and $750 per hour plus GST, and partners and accredited specialists in capital cities charge $900 or more per hour. Many lawyers quote fixed fees for defined work, and personal injury firms often act on a no win no fee basis. Rates vary with the lawyer's seniority, the firm, the city and the complexity of the matter.

Before you agree to anything, ask for a written estimate of the total cost. Under the Legal Profession Uniform Law in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia, a law practice must give you written costs disclosure when legal costs are likely to exceed $750, excluding GST and disbursements. You can then compare quotes from firms listed among the best law firms in Australia.

How much does a lawyer charge per hour?

A lawyer charges about $250 to $750 per hour plus GST in most Australian practices, and the rate rises with seniority. The ranges below are indicative only. Actual rates vary widely between firms and cities, so always get the rate of each person who will work on your matter in writing.

Who does the work	Indicative hourly rate (plus GST)
Paralegal or law clerk	about $120 to $250
Solicitor (early career)	about $250 to $450
Senior associate or special counsel	about $400 to $650
Partner or accredited specialist	about $550 to $900 or more

Barristers charge separately, usually by the hour for advice and paperwork and by the day for hearings. Their fees are a disbursement on your solicitor's bill.

Why do lawyers charge in 6-minute units?

Most lawyers record time in 6-minute units, which are one-tenth of an hour. A 6-minute phone call is billed as one unit, and an 8-minute call as two units, or 12 minutes. Some lawyers bill in 15-minute units, so ask which unit applies before you engage them.

What fee models do lawyers use?

Lawyers in Australia use 4 main fee models, and one matter can combine several of them.

Hourly rates. Time is recorded against your file and billed at each person's rate. Common for disputes and litigation.
Fixed or staged fees. An agreed price for the whole task or for each stage, such as a will, a divorce application, a lease review or a plea of guilty.
Scale or item-by-item fees. A set amount per item of work, such as issuing a summons or preparing an affidavit, often by reference to a court scale.
Conditional fees (no win no fee). Professional fees are paid only if the matter succeeds, sometimes with an uplift fee.

Every model adds disbursements: court filing fees, barristers' fees, expert and medical reports, searches, and stamp duty where relevant.

How much is a first consultation with a lawyer?

A first consultation with a lawyer costs anywhere from nothing to several hundred dollars. Some firms offer a short free initial meeting to assess the matter, and others charge a fixed fee or their hourly rate. The Law Society Northern Territory's First Interview Scheme offers a 30-minute consultation with a legal practitioner for $99 including GST. The Law Society of South Australia runs the See a Lawyer Referral Service. Free advice is also available from legal aid commissions and community legal centres for people who qualify.

How does no win no fee work?

No win no fee means the lawyer's professional fees are payable only if the matter has a successful outcome, as defined in a written conditional costs agreement under section 181 of the Uniform Law. The agreement must be signed by you, be in plain language and include a cooling-off period of at least 5 clear business days.

Uplift fee. In a litigious matter, the lawyer may add an uplift of up to 25% of the legal costs, excluding disbursements, under section 182. The cap applies to the fees, not to your compensation.
Contingency fees are prohibited. A fee calculated as a percentage of the award or settlement is prohibited under section 183. In Victoria, a group costs order in a class action is the exception.
Not available in criminal or family law. Conditional costs agreements cannot be used in criminal proceedings or proceedings under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).
You still carry risks. You may have to pay disbursements, and if you lose you can be ordered to pay the other party's costs.

Queensland has the same 25% uplift cap and contingency fee ban under sections 324 and 325 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld). Compare firms that offer these terms on No Win No Fee Lawyers in Australia.

What are scale costs?

Scale costs are amounts set by a court or by legislation for items of legal work. They mainly decide how much one party recovers from the other under a costs order, and some lawyers also charge their own clients by reference to a scale. Because a costs order rarely covers everything your lawyer charges, a winning party is often still out of pocket.

Some legislation caps the costs a lawyer can charge. In NSW, Schedule 1 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW) caps legal costs in personal injury damages claims of $100,000 or less at 20% of the amount recovered or $10,000, whichever is greater, unless the lawyer and client make a compliant costs agreement that contracts out.

What must a lawyer tell you about costs?

A lawyer must tell you in writing how costs will be calculated and estimate the total, once costs are likely to pass a threshold. Section 174 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law sets the rules in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.

Likely legal costs (excluding GST and disbursements)	Disclosure required under the Uniform Law
Up to $750	None required, but you can ask for it
$750 to $3,000	A short uniform standard disclosure form is enough
Over $3,000	Full written disclosure: basis of costs, estimate of total costs and your rights

The lawyer must also update you in writing when anything significant changes, including the estimate. Before settling a court case, the lawyer must estimate the costs you will pay and any costs you will receive from the other side, under section 177.

In Queensland, the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) sets the thresholds at $1,500 and $3,000 unless a regulation prescribes other amounts. South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory have their own legal profession legislation.

Can a lawyer charge you without a costs agreement?

Yes. A signed costs agreement is not required for most work, but costs disclosure is. If a law practice fails to disclose, any costs agreement is void and you are not required to pay until the costs have been assessed or the costs dispute determined, under section 178 of the Uniform Law. A no win no fee agreement is the exception, because it must be in writing and signed.

How much does a family lawyer cost?

A family lawyer commonly costs between about $300 and $750 per hour plus GST, and senior accredited family law specialists in capital cities charge $900 or more. Fixed fees are common for defined steps: preparing a divorce application commonly costs around $1,000 to $3,000 in legal fees plus the court fee. Contested property and parenting matters cost far more because of court time, barristers and expert reports. No win no fee is not available for family law proceedings. The guide How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Australia? sets out the court fees, and Court Filing Fees in Australia covers other courts.

How do you dispute a lawyer's bill?

To dispute a lawyer's bill, first raise it with the lawyer, then ask for an itemised bill, then go to the regulator or apply for a costs assessment. These time limits apply under the Uniform Law.

Step	Time limit
Request an itemised bill after a lump sum bill	Within 30 days after the costs become payable (s 187)
Law practice provides the itemised bill	Within 21 days of the request
Costs complaint to the regulator	Within 60 days after the costs become payable; in NSW, 30 days after an itemised bill is provided if you requested one
Costs assessment	Within 12 months after the bill or request for payment (s 198)

From 1 July 2026, the NSW Legal Services Commissioner can help resolve a costs dispute where the total bill is under $314,330, or where the amount in dispute is under $31,440, and can make a binding determination only where less than $31,440 is in dispute. The Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner applies the same $31,440 limit to the costs it can order a lawyer to reduce or refund. In NSW, costs assessments are made by court-appointed costs assessors through the Supreme Court. In Victoria, larger disputes go to the Costs Court of the Supreme Court or to VCAT. If costs are reduced by 15% or more on assessment, or the practice failed to disclose, the law practice generally pays the costs of the assessment under section 204.

In Queensland, a client applies for costs assessment within 12 months after the bill, under section 335 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).

What if you cannot afford a lawyer?

If you cannot afford a lawyer, start with free legal help. Free Legal Advice in Australia lists the legal aid phone lines and community legal centres in each state, and Legal Aid in Australia explains who qualifies for a grant of aid.

Comparing lawyers on cost

Get written estimates from two or three lawyers, compare the rate of each person who will work on the file, and ask which stages can be done for a fixed fee. For compensation claims, compare No Win No Fee Lawyers in Australia, including Personal Injury & Compensation Lawyers in Australia and Workers Compensation Lawyers in Australia. For fixed-fee work, compare Family Lawyers in Australia, Wills & Estates Lawyers in Australia, Conveyancers & Conveyancing Lawyers in Australia and Criminal Lawyers in Australia. The checklist in How to Choose a Lawyer in Australia covers the other checks, and city lists such as Law Firms in Sydney, Law Firms in Melbourne and Law Firms in Brisbane compare firms locally.