Property Building &
Construction Law

Peter Murphy & Associates is a boutique legal practice specialising in Property, Building and Construction law with special expertise in Strata Title and planning matters. The firm acts for a number of Strata and Building Managers and buildings and their respective Owners Corporations and is a member of the NSW Institute of Strata Title Management.

Terms of Engagement

Professional Fees

We will charge you at an hourly rate for each hour or part hour on a pro-rata basis that a legal practitioner is engaged on your matter in accordance with the following Rates: $350 per hour or part hour.

If the costs are in excess of 10% above the higher of those figures we shall provide you with a new estimate. However if you continue to instruct us after the costs have exceeded any estimate this will be on the understanding that our costs at an hourly rate will be paid by you even though we may not have advised you of any new estimate.

This fee is inclusive of all secretarial, administrative, facsimile and telephone charges and all general photocopying (except for bulk photocopying which is charged at cost.)

Disbursements

In addition to our professional fees, you will be required to pay for expenses which we incur on your behalf as your agent. Depending on the type of matter, these may include such items as barristers and other experts fees, court filing fees, Land & Property Information fees, Office of State Revenue fees, Australian Securities & Investments Commission search and lodgement fees. All disbursements are charged at cost.

Accounts

We will render an account on a weekly basis. Our ability to provide a competitive service to our clients depends upon payment in accordance with our terms of 7 days.

The account will briefly describe the work done. If you require an itemised account you must request this within 30days after you receive the account.

If an account remains unpaid 30days after you receive it, we are entitled under the Act to charge interest at a rate no greater than that fixed under the Act. We will charge you interest at our overdraft rate with the ANZ Banking Corporation, which is less than the penalty interest rate

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Our professional fees (whether expressed as a total amount or an hourly rate) are determined without regard to and are exclusive of any GST. Should we incur any liability for GST in respect of any supply we make in providing our services, our fees will be increased by an amount equal to that liability.

Where we incur expenses/disbursements for which we are entitled to seek reimbursement from you, the amount we will charge will be reduced by any input tax credits for which we are entitled and increased by an amount equal to the GST liability we incur in relation to the expense/disbursement.

We will provide you with a Tax Invoice in a form that complies with the requirements of the GST Law so that you can, if permitted by the GST Act, obtain input tax credit for the GST included in our fees and disbursements.