The primary Act regulating legal costs between a solicitor and client is the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) but there are other applicable legislation such as the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), the Family Law Act (Cth), the Legal Profession Regulation 2017 (Qld) and other interstate laws governing the legal profession.
Precedents
Disclosure and Costs Agreement <$3000 v2.1
Resources
Time limits on a client's right to dispute Legal Costs Checklist
Legal Services Commission - Regulatory Guides
Queensland Courts - Cost assessment - legal fees
QLS Costs Guide 2014 - Please note that changes to the law on unfair contract terms came into effect on 9 November 2023. In addition to protecting consumers, these reforms expand the definition of ‘small business’ to include anyone who employs 100 people or less or any business with an annual turnover of less than $10 million and impose significant consequences and penalties.
The below costs templates from the 2014 Guide have not been updated and do not address these changes nor do they address the changes to the Legal Profession Act 2007 including abbreviated disclosure of costs (s307B) which came into effect on 1 March 2024. Practitioners should consider reviewing their own client retainers and costs agreements to ensure that they will not be in breach of these provisions.
Extracted example documents
Example agreement – non-sophisticated client
Example agreement – sophisticated client
Example non-associated third party costs agreement
Example form – litigation – disclosure prior to settlement of litigious matter
Example letter – update/ongoing disclosure – non-sophisticated client
Bill notification example (non-sophisticated/pro bono/consumer)
Bill notification example (sophisticated)