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 parts of this project fit your regular practice? What new work needs my approval before it begins?
Commercial work is easier to compare when you turn a broad problem into a defined project. For a Perth business, that may mean separating contract review, advice and implementation.
Map the business relationship
Identify the legal entities involved, the location of the work and whether the agreement concerns a customer, supplier, landlord or co-owner. Do not assume all business documents require the same expertise. Tell the lawyer if an interstate or overseas party is involved so they can assess whether additional advice is needed.
- Which parts of this project fit your regular practice?
Describe the operational concern
Explain what you need the agreement to achieve in ordinary language. For example, you might want clarity about handover, payment milestones or who can approve changes. Ask the lawyer to identify which documents and background facts they need. You do not need to propose your own legal clauses in the first enquiry.
- What information would help you assess the issue efficiently?
Check availability across time zones
If your decision makers or the other party are outside WA, agree on meeting times and response expectations with a named time zone. Confirm who can authorise instructions for your business. An office that can meet quickly may still need more time before it can start reviewing a substantial document pack.
- When can the review begin, and when should we expect the first output?
Review the scope before expanding it
Ask for staged work where appropriate: initial assessment, document work and further negotiation. Clarify assumptions about document length and the number of parties. Check the individual practitioner through the Legal Practice Board pathway and ask the firm to explain any detail you cannot reconcile with the record.
- What new work needs my approval before it begins?
Worked example · hypothetical
The business wants a quick call about three agreements
A business owner treats three related documents as one task, while the proposal covers only one.
The business wants a quick call about three agreements
Ask: Which agreement should be assessed first, and are the others outside this stage?
Why it matters: Clarifying the proposed service prevents a comparison based on different assumptions.
The initial discussion leaves a task unclear.
Ask: What information would help you assess the issue efficiently?
Why it matters: Record the answer so you can distinguish confirmed arrangements from an expectation.
Further work has not yet been agreed.
Ask: What new work needs my approval before it begins?
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 parts of this project fit your regular practice?
- What information would help you assess the issue efficiently?
- When can the review begin, and when should we expect the first output?
- What new work needs my approval before it begins?
Common questions
Does a commercial proposal cover implementation?
Only the stated scope tells you. Ask whether the firm will revise documents, coordinate signatures or handle further negotiations, and what remains your business’s responsibility.
What if our team is interstate?
Explain the locations and agree on time zones, decision makers and response expectations. Ask the lawyer whether the interstate aspects require a different scope or additional assistance.
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.