General information only — not legal advice. Search Solicitors is a directory and information resource, not a law firm. Laws and procedures vary across Australia and may change. Seek advice from an appropriately qualified Australian legal practitioner about your own circumstances. A listing is not an endorsement or a guarantee of qualifications, availability or outcomes.
The practical takeaway
Which events are documented, and where is the supporting material? Will you be advising me only, or also communicating on my behalf?
A concise dispute brief separates what happened, what is documented and what you want help deciding. It gives a prospective lawyer a clearer starting point than an unstructured archive.
Create a factual timeline
List the key events in date order and identify the document supporting each entry. Distinguish a direct observation from what someone told you. If you cannot confirm a date, say so. Keep original documents intact and ask how to supply copies; do not alter an original to make the sequence easier to read.
- Which events are documented, and where is the supporting material?
Define the immediate decision
Explain what you want advice about now: understanding a letter, assessing options or deciding what to do next. Include any stated response date without assuming it is the only relevant date. Ask the lawyer to assess timing directly rather than relying on a general website description of deadlines.
- What should be assessed first given the documents and dates involved?
Describe the practical objective
Explain the outcome you hope for in ordinary terms, such as clarifying responsibilities or resolving a payment disagreement. Ask the lawyer how different approaches would be evaluated and costed. An introductory enquiry should help establish whether the firm can assist; it cannot establish the merits or likely outcome of the dispute.
- What information do you need before discussing possible approaches?
Purchase a clear first assessment
Ask what the initial review includes, which documents will be read and what you receive afterwards. Clarify whether correspondence with another party is outside that stage. Do not assume the firm will send a response or take protective steps until it expressly accepts that work.
- Will you be advising me only, or also communicating on my behalf?
Worked example · hypothetical
A folder contains hundreds of unsorted emails
A business owner wants an initial assessment but has not identified the key correspondence.
A folder contains hundreds of unsorted emails
Ask: Would a chronology and a short index help identify the material you need first?
Why it matters: Clarifying the proposed service prevents a comparison based on different assumptions.
The initial discussion leaves a task unclear.
Ask: What should be assessed first given the documents and dates involved?
Why it matters: Record the answer so you can distinguish confirmed arrangements from an expectation.
Further work has not yet been agreed.
Ask: Will you be advising me only, or also communicating on my behalf?
Why it matters: A specific next step helps you understand who is responsible and what has been accepted.
Your next step: Write down the answer, ask for unclear terms to be explained, and compare the written proposal before engaging the provider.
Open the private comparison worksheet →Your private preparation
Turn this guide into your enquiry
Print this page using your browser, or copy the prompts into your own private notes. This page does not collect your answers.
- Which events are documented, and where is the supporting material?
- What should be assessed first given the documents and dates involved?
- What information do you need before discussing possible approaches?
- Will you be advising me only, or also communicating on my behalf?
Common questions
Should I ask the lawyer to send a response immediately?
Explain the date and the document first, then ask what can be assessed and accepted. Advice about a letter and sending a reply on your behalf are separate tasks unless both are agreed.
What belongs in a dispute chronology?
Include dated events, a short factual description and a reference to supporting material. Label uncertainty and distinguish documents from recollection rather than presenting every statement as established fact.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked 2026-09-20. Read each source in its own jurisdiction and context. Examples and worksheets are original editorial aids, not actual client stories. How we prepare our content.
General information only — not legal advice. Search Solicitors is a directory and information resource, not a law firm. Laws and procedures vary across Australia and may change. Seek advice from an appropriately qualified Australian legal practitioner about your own circumstances. A listing is not an endorsement or a guarantee of qualifications, availability or outcomes.