At MDV Family Lawyers we offer a $200 fixed fee initial consultation to all new clients inclusive of GST. This consultation can go for anywhere up to one hour at no additional charge to you. All we ask is that you pay your initial consult fee upfront on the day of your appointment.
At your initial consultation we obtain enough information from you so that we can guide you on the best way to move your matter forward. If you would like MDV Family Lawyers to represent you, we then issue you with a Costs Agreement and Disclosure Document which details our ongoing charges. We may ask you to compile documents and information for us, and a follow up appointment will be scheduled, usually for two weeks’ time.
To speed up the process and potentially save you time and money you can prepare yourself for your initial consultation by gathering some preliminary documents and information to bring with you, like:
Call MDV Family Lawyers on (02) 4421 7455, email info@mdvfamilylawyers.com.au or book online now.
For most services we charge for the work we do based on hourly rates:
The Solicitor with carriage of your matter may seek the help of a fellow Solicitor or Administrative Assistant from time to time.
We charge in 6 minute increments, so you will only be charged for time we’re actually working on your matter. The time spent is rounded up to the nearest 6 minute increment (e.g. 12 minutes, 18 minutes etc).
We may incur disbursements or expenses whilst working for you. This is money we pay to others on your behalf and might include search fees, court filing fees, process server fees, expert fees, witness expenses, travel expenses, transcript expenses and barrister’s fees.
A one off administration charge of $30 will be invoiced to you once we commence work on your matter. You will also be responsible for further internal expenses incurred whilst carrying out your instructions, such as postage, printing, photocopying and sending/receiving facsimiles.
If your matter involves court proceedings, we will need to charge you an up front court filing fee. We will not commence court proceedings until this fee has been paid. More on court filing fees.
MDV Family Lawyers charge a fixed fee for all divorce applications of $800+GST, plus your court filing fee and disbursements.
The current court filing fee for a sole application is $865. You may be eligible for a reduced filing fee of $290. Contact us for eligibility requirements.
Disbursements include a one off administration charge of $30 plus personal service fees which typically range from $75–$200 depending on the location of the other party.
When you instruct MDV Family Lawyers to act on your behalf, we provide you with an estimate of our costs and disbursements, plus our payment terms. Our estimates are based on past experience and our current understanding from you as to what services are required. Our costs may exceed the estimate if further information becomes available or circumstances change as your matter progresses. In this event we will provide you with a revised estimate as soon as practicable.
We know that resolving family law issues and problems can be costly. At MDV Family Lawyers we pride ourselves on keeping you as up to date as possible with our costs at various stages along the way.
If you would like to discuss our costs further, we encourage you to contact our office and speak with our Principal Solicitor, Miss Melissa Vine.
In most cases we issue itemised invoices fortnightly and appreciate prompt payment. We will notify you if this payment schedule would vary in your specific case. We would be happy to discuss any aspect of your invoice that concerns you.