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
Compare document advice, transaction handling and outside expenses separately before treating two quotes as equivalent.
A property-service quote should tell you what work is included, who will do it and when they can start. Before comparing prices, explain the property location and whether you are buying, selling or seeking help with an existing problem.
Identify the transaction and the jurisdiction
Give the property location and explain the stage you have reached. Ask whether the provider handles that type of work in the relevant state or territory. The office’s location alone does not establish the scope of the service.
If you already have documents or a proposed signing date, say so when enquiring. Ask for prompt advice about timing rather than interpreting deadlines from a general article. This guide cannot assess a contract or tell you whether to commit to a transaction.
Check the provider type and the named person
The NSW Government explains conveyancing services offered by solicitors and licensed conveyancers in NSW. Provider roles and licensing arrangements need checking in the relevant jurisdiction; do not assume a directory label proves current qualifications.
Ask who is responsible for advice, who manages routine updates and where questions outside the engagement would be referred. If a disagreement has arisen, clarify whether the same provider can assist with that work.
Separate advice from transaction handling
Ask which documents will be reviewed and what explanation you will receive before making a decision. A proposal to manage a transaction does not tell you how detailed the document advice will be or which associated records are included.
For a purchase, ask what material the provider needs to assess the brief. For a sale, ask what document preparation is included. In either case, request a written list of exclusions and clarify how additional work would be authorised.
Compare the full cost description
Request a breakdown of professional fees, GST and anticipated outside expenses. Ask which amounts are estimates and what could change them. Two headline prices are not equivalent when they include different work or expenses.
Ask about charges if the transaction does not proceed, if documents are revised or if the brief becomes more complicated. These are questions about the proposed contract for services; do not assume the same charging arrangement applies across firms.
Confirm secure communication and acceptance
Agree who will contact you, what a routine update looks like and how important instructions will be checked. If you receive changed payment details, confirm them through a contact method you have independently established with the provider before relying on the message.
Ask for confirmation that the firm has accepted your work and the required timeframe. A form submission, directory click or appointment request is not confirmation that someone is managing the transaction.
Worked example · hypothetical
A practical comparison
A fictional buyer sees one quote labelled professional fees and another labelled total estimate. Neither has yet been checked against the full document set.
The quoted amounts describe different things.
Ask: Which outside expenses and GST are included?
Why it matters: The figures may not be comparable.
The advice stage is unclear.
Ask: What documents will you explain before I need to decide?
Why it matters: Transaction handling does not define the advice scope.
The transaction may change.
Ask: What happens to the fee if it does not proceed?
Why it matters: The charging arrangement needs to be understood upfront.
Your next step: Record the answers and unresolved questions in your private comparison worksheet before accepting the proposal.
Open the private comparison worksheet →Your private preparation
Your first-enquiry checklist
Print this page using your browser, or copy the prompts into your own private notes. This page does not collect your answers.
- Which outside expenses and GST are included?
- What documents will you explain before I need to decide?
- What happens to the fee if it does not proceed?
- Who will advise me, and how have I checked their professional status?
- What has the firm accepted in writing, and what remains unconfirmed?
Common questions
Can I compare a conveyancer and a solicitor?
Compare the services each is qualified and willing to provide in the relevant jurisdiction. Ask about your actual transaction, any related issues and how work outside scope would be handled.
Does the lowest quote represent the lowest total cost?
Not necessarily. Compare professional fees, GST, outside expenses, exclusions and changes that may trigger further charges.
Will a provider review documents before I sign?
Ask explicitly about the timing and scope of document advice. Do not assume an advertised transaction service includes every review you need.
What if the purchase or sale does not proceed?
Ask how the proposed fees work in that situation before engaging the provider. The answer depends on the agreed service terms.
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.