Fee Schedules
Often legal bills are high, not because of the hourly rate, but because of the time spent by the lawyer or lawyers to get to the outcome. My promise is that every case handled by me will be handled in the most efficient and cost effective way to achieve the best result within the budget available. I can do that because I have been doing this for over 20 years and I work alone.
Legal Rates
My default hourly rate for legal work is $375 + GST.
Disbursements policy: Unlike other law firms, I do not charge for disbursements which are incurred 'in house' (e.g. telephone, post, etc). Only disbursements incurred with external suppliers are charged.
Reduced rates: I do offer reduced rates in certain circumstances as set out below.
Compare my rates to the market (2016 survey)
First Meeting or Consultation
I do charge for an initial legal consultation for new clients, but at reduced rates:
- Businesses: $250 + GST for the first hour of advice
- Employees: $225 + GST for the first hour of advice
The first hour of advice can either be a face to face meeting, reviewing documents, or a telephone consultation.
If you are a business - the Hotline
Upon application, a business client can join our Hotline. The Hotline works on the basis of a monthly retainer fee and gives you the following benefits:
- Access to our online document library
- A set number of hours of advice per year
- Reduced consultancy rates if you exceed your hours in any given Hotline year
There are three Hotline packages: Gold, Silver and Bronze
| Membership | Monthly Fee | Hours | Consultancy Rates* | Saving** |
| Bronze | $75 + GST | 4 | $300 + GST | $500 + GST |
| Silver | $150 + GST | 8 | $275 + GST | $1,000 + GST |
| Gold | $300 + GST | 16 | $250 + GST | $2,000 + GST |
* You pay these rates if you exceed the number of hours of advice per year
** Savings are calculated based on the number of hours per year as part of the package multiplied by the default hourly rate above
Your hours can be used for legal advice or any of the other services I offer including executive coaching.
Thank you for all your support over the years - this hotline membership has been one of the best investments we made way back when you started it! Its a brilliant service and you have helped us through many tricky situations and given us peace of mind. I also appreciate that you flexed into helping my family at certain times too - we have certainly had our moneys worth!
If you are an employee on a low wage or salary
My aim is to make access to advice accessible and so I offer reduced rates for employees pursuing a personal grievance who are or were employed on a low wage or salary:
- Salary or wage at or below $60,000 p.a.: $250 + GST
- Salary or wage at or below $80,000 p.a.: $275 + GST
- Salary or wage at or below $100,000. p.a.: $300 + GST
- Salary or wage at or below $119,000 p.a. : $325 + GST
To take advantage of these reduced rates you must provide evidence of salary / wage
If you are an athlete or a sports club with a legal issue
I carry out my sports consultancy work at a lower charge out rate to reflect that some athletes or clubs may not have the financial means to deal with a sporting dispute.
My default charge out rate for athletes and sports clubs is: $250 + GST
Coaching rates
I tailor packages to suit the individual because each coaching journey is unique and people's goals vary. Packages are based on a yearly fee and the number of sessions per year varies depending on the package you choose.
Packages range from $5,000 - $20,000 + GST
Investigations
I carry out investigations on a fixed fee basis. The fee will depend on the likely number of witnesses to be interviewed and the estimated length of the investigation.
Fees start from $5,000 + GST per investigation.
