Original Book a Lawyer comparison worksheet

Lawyer Fee Comparison Worksheet

Put two proposals side by side. Keep unknowns visible and check whether the amounts cover the same work. General information only — not legal advice.

No account, upload or saving. Your figures stay in this page’s memory and are cleared when you reload or leave. Do not enter case details. Print a copy if you want to keep your comparison.

Law firm AFee arrangementProfessional fee (AUD)GST on the professional feeAdditional expenses: total payable (AUD)

Include any tax on expenses in this amount. Leave blank if unknown; enter 0 only if the law firm has confirmed no additional expenses for this comparison.

Total not yet established

Enter a valid fee or hourly rate.
Confirm whether the professional fee includes GST.
Confirm the total additional expenses, including any applicable tax; enter 0 only if confirmed.

Law firm BFee arrangementProfessional fee (AUD)GST on the professional feeAdditional expenses: total payable (AUD)

Include any tax on expenses in this amount. Leave blank if unknown; enter 0 only if the law firm has confirmed no additional expenses for this comparison.

Total not yet established

Enter a valid fee or hourly rate.
Confirm whether the professional fee includes GST.
Confirm the total additional expenses, including any applicable tax; enter 0 only if confirmed.

Before comparing the amountsBoth proposals cover the same task and deliverableI have checked relevant professional informationI know who will do the workI understand exclusions and potential extra workThe office has confirmed availability for my needs

Keep the unanswered questions visible

A smaller amount is not necessarily better value. Confirm missing information and matching scope before comparing proposals. This tool does not rank lawyers or assess legal ability.

How the legal fee comparison is calculated

The tool adds the professional fee and the expenses you enter. For hourly work, it first multiplies the rate by your hours estimate. It adds 10% to the professional fee only when you explicitly select that the provider says GST is additional. It does not decide whether GST applies, estimate future hours or predict the cost of a legal matter.

Two identical totals may buy different work. Ask about document reading, written advice, revisions, negotiation and any later stage. Include applicable tax in the expenses figure rather than adding it twice.

Tax background: Australian Taxation Office: GST overview. Confirm the tax treatment of your actual proposal with the provider.

Fee comparison example: document-review exclusions

Provider A quotes for a meeting. Provider B quotes for a meeting after reviewing an agreement. Before comparing the amounts, ask A what the review would cost and B how much reading is included. Keep the scope box unchecked until you understand that difference. This is a hypothetical example, not a provider recommendation.