Two prices can describe two different appointments

Consider an invented example. One office quotes $250 for a half-hour meeting. Another quotes $450 for reading a specified contract, a meeting and a short written summary. These figures are illustrations, not market rates. Neither quote is automatically better: the useful question is whether each service answers the task you need completed.

If you only need an initial discussion, the first offer may suit. If you need advice on the contract itself, ask whether the first office would read it and what that would cost. Do not add a guessed review fee to make the quotes appear comparable.

Add an exclusions column before a price column

Make a three-column note: included work, excluded work and questions still unanswered. Record document limits, the proposed output and whether follow-up is included. Ask about GST and external expenses rather than presuming every amount is a final total.

For ongoing work, ask what could change the estimate and when the office will discuss the change. An hourly rate, fixed price and staged estimate answer different questions. The Law Society of NSW explains costs information in the solicitor-client relationship; use the relevant regulator’s guidance for your jurisdiction.

Send one scope question to each shortlisted office

Try: ‘I need advice on this document and a written explanation of the main issues. Does your proposal include reading it before the meeting, the meeting itself and that written output? What falls outside the price?’ Keep confidential documents back until you have confirmed the office and its transfer arrangements.

Record the response in the same format for both firms. If one cannot price the full task until it sees the document, note the cost of that assessment stage and ask what decision you will be able to make afterwards. An honest unknown is more useful than an invented total.