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
Name the client and the task first. Compare the documents, meetings and later support included in each proposal.
Making a will, helping administer an estate and seeking advice about an estate dispute are different tasks. Start by identifying which conversation you need. Then compare the proposed lawyer, the work included and the way instructions will be taken.
Distinguish planning from work after a death
If you want to plan ahead, list the questions you would like advice about rather than deciding which documents you need from an online package name. Explain any existing documents and ask whether the lawyer needs to see them.
If someone has died, say whether you need help understanding administration or advice about a disagreement. Ask the lawyer to assess any relevant dates. This guide cannot determine who has authority to act, what a document means or how an estate should be distributed.
Clarify the client and who can give instructions
If you are helping a relative arrange an appointment, explain your role. Ask who the firm’s client would be and how the lawyer wants to receive instructions. Being a helpful organiser does not itself establish authority to instruct for another person.
Ask about communication, accessibility and attendance requirements before booking. If someone needs support, let the lawyer explain how that can be arranged while allowing the intended client to participate appropriately.
Compare the actual documents and meetings
For planning work, ask what the proposed service includes: initial advice, drafting, review meetings and arrangements to complete the documents. Do not assume a price described as a will package covers every related planning question.
For estate work, ask for the first defined stage, what information must be provided and what depends on further investigation. An initial estimate may need revision as the lawyer understands the work. Ask how revisions are explained and approved.
Check relevant experience and future contact
Ask the named lawyer about experience with the particular work you need. Preparation of documents and contentious estate work may involve different people. Verify professional status independently and ask how the firm handles work outside its expertise.
For planning documents, ask about storage, obtaining copies and the process for seeking a later review. For ongoing estate work, ask who provides updates and how you will know which tasks remain outstanding.
Use general information without treating it as document advice
Legal Aid WA publishes information about wills and estates, including the different issues that can arise. Its wills page states that it does not draft wills. These are WA resources, not a substitute for advice about another jurisdiction.
Ask a lawyer what applies where the matter is being handled, especially if people, property or documents involve more than one place. Seek a clear scope and charging arrangement before assuming one engagement covers everything.
Worked example · hypothetical
A practical comparison
A fictional adult child is arranging an appointment for a parent and comparing two planning-document offers.
The intended client is not named.
Ask: Who would be your client and give instructions?
Why it matters: The family’s practical help and the engagement are different matters.
The document list is unclear.
Ask: Which documents and meetings are included?
Why it matters: Package names are not a reliable scope comparison.
Later contact is uncertain.
Ask: How would the client obtain copies or request a review?
Why it matters: The working arrangement extends beyond the first appointment.
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.
- Who would be your client and give instructions?
- Which documents and meetings are included?
- How would the client obtain copies or request a review?
- 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
Is a wills lawyer always the right person for an estate dispute?
Ask whether the named lawyer handles disputes of the kind you have described. Similar practice labels do not establish that the same person does both kinds of work.
Can I book an appointment for a parent?
You can enquire about arrangements, but clarify who the client is and how instructions will be obtained. Ask the lawyer about your proposed involvement.
Does a quoted document package include future changes?
Ask directly. Clarify the documents, meetings, completion arrangements, storage and later review costs included in the proposal.
Can this guide tell me whether an existing will is valid?
No. A lawyer needs to assess the document and relevant circumstances. Seek advice rather than relying on a general checklist.
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.