Costs Disclosure

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act 1981, legal practitioners are required to disclose certain costs-related information to their clients.

Clause 10 of Schedule 3 of the Legal Practitioners Act 1981 (Act) requires the disclosure by legal practitioners of certain costs-related information to clients.

Clause 10(5) of Schedule 3 of the Act provides that disclosure of some of the matters referred to in clause 10(1) can be satisfied by the practitioner providing to the client a copy of Form 1 – Disclosure of Costs to Clients which is prescribed for that purpose by regulation 59 of the Legal Practitioners Regulations 2014 (Regulations).

Clause 33 of Schedule 3 of the Act also requires that any bill issued by a practitioner must include or be accompanied by a written statement of the client’s rights in relation to that bill.

Clause 33(5) of Schedule 3 of the Act provides that the clause 33 requirement can be satisfied by the practitioner providing to the client with a copy of Form 2 – Notification of Client’s Rights which is prescribed for that purpose by regulation 63 of the Regulations.

Regulations 59 and 63 also require the Society to produce and make available on the internet the Fact Sheets referred to in Forms 1 and 2 titled Legal Costs - Your Right to Know and Your Right to Challenge Legal Costs respectively.

Translated Costs Disclosures and Fact Sheets

Legal Costs - Your Right to Know and Your Right to Challenge Legal Costs Costs Disclosures and Fact Sheets are available in the following languages:

  • Greek
  • Italian
  • Vietnamese
  • Chinese Simplified
  • Arabic
  • Persian
  • Dari
  • Hindi
  • Nepali - Nepali font

Please click here to access the translated fact sheets.

The Society is grateful for the receipt of funding from the Law Foundation of South Australia for the translation of these notices. For information about the Law Foundation of South Australia please click here.

Precedent Cost Agreements

These documents have been produced by the Society for the benefit of the entire legal profession. They are designed to assist legal practitioners to observe compliance with the costs disclosure provisions contained in the Legal Practitioners Act 1981 (as implemented on 1 July 2014). If you have any questions about this document, please contact the Ethics and Practice Unit of the Society on (08) 8229 0229 or via email.

For more information

Please contact Ethics and Practice via email or on (08) 8229 0229.

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