Choosing and preparing
How to choose a lawyer
Compare lawyers using factors you can verify, ask clear questions about service and costs, and make your own informed choice.
Quick answer
The short version
Choose a practising lawyer whose relevant experience, jurisdiction, service approach and fees fit your needs. Check their practising status through the appropriate state or territory regulator, ask who will actually do the work, and obtain clear information about costs and communication before agreeing to proceed. No directory, advertisement or paid placement can establish that one lawyer is objectively the best for you, and no lawyer should promise a particular outcome.
Official context: Before and at your first appointment
Start with relevant experience, not a ranking
A useful comparison begins with the legal work you may need. Ask whether the lawyer regularly handles the relevant practice area, jurisdiction and type of process, such as negotiation, a tribunal application, court proceedings or a transaction. Experience with a similar issue can be relevant, but every matter has different facts and risks.
Avoid treating search order, a featured profile, firm size or a marketing claim as proof that a lawyer is better. Paid visibility must be identified as advertising where it affects placement. MatterPath's suitability process and consumer-choice controls are separate from commercial payments, and a participating firm's payment does not guarantee an introduction, client or outcome.
Check jurisdiction and practising status
Australian legal practice is regulated by state and territory bodies. Before engaging a lawyer, check the relevant official register for a current Australian practising certificate. If your issue involves another jurisdiction, ask whether the lawyer is able to advise and appear where required, or whether they work with a local practitioner.
A register check confirms an important professional credential. It does not show that the lawyer is available, has accepted your instructions or is suitable for every aspect of your matter. Confirm those points directly and ask whether any conditions on practice are relevant to the proposed work.
Ask about conflicts and who will do the work
A firm will usually need the names of relevant people and organisations to check for conflicts of interest. Provide enough accurate information for that check, but do not send a detailed history or unnecessary documents until the firm explains what it needs and how to provide it securely.
Ask whether the person you first speak with will be responsible for the matter. Work may be shared with another lawyer, paralegal, conveyancer, migration professional or external barrister. Ask who supervises the work, who your main contact will be, and whether different hourly rates or other charges apply to different team members.
Compare communication and availability
A capable working relationship depends on being able to understand advice and receive realistic updates. Ask how the firm usually communicates, how often it expects to update you, what happens when your contact is unavailable, and how urgent communications are handled. A lawyer may not be able to respond immediately, but should be able to explain a reasonable process.
Consider whether you need in-person meetings or whether phone and video service will work. Tell the firm about interpreter, hearing, vision, mobility, cognitive or other accessibility needs. Ask who arranges and pays for any interpreting or support service, and whether important advice and next steps can be confirmed in writing.
Understand the fee proposal
Ask whether the firm proposes an hourly, fixed, staged, capped, conditional or other arrangement, and obtain the applicable disclosure or agreement in writing. The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner recommends asking about the consultation fee, total estimate, calculation method, additional expenses, possible changes and payment options. Similar principles are useful nationally, although the legal requirements differ by jurisdiction.
Clarify what is included, what may be charged separately, whether GST is included, when invoices will be issued and whether money is required in advance. An estimate is not necessarily a guaranteed final price. Ask how the firm will tell you if the scope, strategy or likely cost changes.
Reasonable warning signs
Pause if you cannot get a clear explanation of who the lawyer represents, the proposed scope, the charging basis or the immediate next step. Be cautious about pressure to sign quickly when there is no explained urgency, requests to send money to an account that has not been verified, or public claims that guarantee success, compensation or a particular court result.
Legal outcomes depend on facts, evidence, applicable law, the other parties and independent decision-makers. The Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules prohibit false or misleading advertising where adopted, subject to local variations. A confident explanation of options is different from a promise of outcome.
Keep control when using MatterPath
MatterPath can help you compare participating firms using information about your stated needs and verified profile details. It does not rank a firm as the best, provide legal advice or guarantee that a firm will accept the matter. Review each profile and the stated reason it may be relevant.
You choose which firm, if any, may receive identifying information through the MatterPath disclosure process. Before authorising disclosure, review the proposed information and remove unnecessary detail where the product allows. The selected firm then makes its own conflict, capacity and acceptance decision.
Lawyer comparison checklist
Use the same questions for each firm so the comparison reflects your priorities rather than presentation alone.
- Is the lawyer shown as currently entitled to practise on the relevant official register?
- Does the lawyer regularly handle the relevant practice area and jurisdiction?
- What parts of the matter are included and excluded from the proposed scope?
- Has the firm completed a conflict check before receiving detailed confidential information?
- Who will perform and supervise the work?
- How will the firm communicate, and what response time should I normally expect?
- Can the firm accommodate my language, disability and communication needs?
- Is service available in person, remotely, or both?
- What fee structure is proposed, and what is the current estimate?
- Which disbursements, barrister costs, expert costs and GST may be additional?
- How will changes to scope and cost be approved and communicated?
- What is the first practical step if I decide to engage the firm?
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How can I check whether a lawyer is allowed to practise?
Use the official register maintained for the relevant Australian state or territory. A law society or legal-services regulator can direct you to the correct register. Confirm identity carefully where names are similar.
Should I speak with more than one lawyer?
You may compare firms if time and circumstances permit. Ask consistent questions about experience, scope, availability, communication and costs. Each firm may charge for an initial consultation, so confirm that first.
Is a larger law firm always better?
No. Firm size does not determine suitability. Consider relevant experience, who will do the work, service capacity, communication, location, accessibility and the proposed cost arrangement.
Can a lawyer guarantee that I will win?
A lawyer can explain options and risks, but outcomes depend on evidence, law, other parties and independent decision-makers. Treat a guaranteed result or compensation figure as a warning sign.
Does a MatterPath recommendation mean the firm has accepted me?
No. A recommendation indicates potential relevance based on the available information. The firm independently completes conflict, capacity and acceptance checks after any consumer-authorised disclosure.
Verified references
Sources and official help
These official resources were checked on 26 August 2026. Use the linked service for its latest information.
- Before and at your first appointmentVictorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
- Your lawyer's ethical obligationsVictorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
- Six questions to ask about legal costsVictorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
- Tips for hiring a private lawyerLegal Aid Western Australia
- Australian Solicitors' Conduct RulesLaw Council of Australia