Consumer terms

1. Using MatterPath as a consumer

You may use MatterPath to complete a guided assessment, review a factual summary, receive rules-based matching results and decide whether to request an introduction to a law firm.

MatterPath does not currently charge consumers for assessments, summaries, matching or selecting an introduction. If a paid consumer feature is introduced later, its price and specific terms will be shown for your agreement before any charge is made.

If you provide information about another person, you must have authority to do so. Do not impersonate another person or provide information that you know is materially false.

2. Assessments and your information

A MatterPath assessment asks guided questions based on the practice area and state or territory you select. It cannot identify every fact, issue, exception or law that may affect a matter.

Answer each question accurately to the best of your knowledge and check your answers before completing the assessment. Saving or completing an assessment does not mean that MatterPath or a law firm has reviewed it.

Do not include identity documents, passport numbers or other highly sensitive identifiers unless MatterPath specifically asks for them through a protected workflow.

Information supplied to MatterPath is not automatically protected by legal professional privilege. Privilege may or may not apply to later communications with a law firm, depending on the circumstances and applicable law.

3. Urgent matters and deadlines

MatterPath is not an emergency service and does not monitor assessment answers.

If anyone is in immediate danger, call 000.

Starting, saving or completing an assessment, requesting a match or waiting for a notification does not lodge a document, start legal proceedings, preserve a visa or review right, stop a limitation period or arrange urgent legal representation.

If a notice, court date, visa date, limitation period or other deadline may apply, seek qualified legal help immediately. Do not wait for a MatterPath match.

4. Automatic translations

If you choose a supported language, MatterPath may use artificial intelligence to translate MatterPath-authored questions, answer options, headings and interface text. The English questionnaire is the source text. Automatic translations may contain errors, omit nuance or use terminology differently from a lawyer, court, tribunal or government agency.

MatterPath does not send your assessment answers to the translation provider. Your answers are stored as you enter them. A translated summary uses translated MatterPath labels while showing your written answers as entered.

Do not rely on an automatic translation to interpret legislation, a court order, government correspondence, a deadline or legal advice. If meaning is important or unclear, view the English text and seek help from a qualified lawyer or professional interpreter.

5. Your factual summary

MatterPath creates a factual summary from the answers you provide. The summary is not legal advice, a legal document for filing, a merits assessment or a prediction of outcome.

You must review the summary and correct anything that is inaccurate, incomplete or misleading before authorising any sharing. MatterPath may retain earlier summary versions so that changes and sharing decisions can be recorded accurately.

6. How matching works

MatterPath uses rules-based matching to compare requirements recorded in your assessment with verified information held about approved participating law firms. Criteria may include practice area, state or territory coverage, service location, consultation method, preferred language and current capacity.

MatterPath may return up to three law firms. If no law firm satisfies every preference, MatterPath may show the closest available options and identify preferences that were not met.

A recommendation is not:

• legal advice or an assessment of the merits or value of your matter;
• a guarantee that a law firm is the best firm for you;
• a guarantee that a law firm is available or free from a conflict of interest; or
• an obligation on a law firm to accept you as a client.

Membership payments, introduction fees and bidding do not form part of the suitability score or recommendation order.

7. Law-firm payments to MatterPath

Participating law firms may pay MatterPath a membership fee. Accepted-introduction fees apply only to eligible standard-introduction matters for eligible non-personal-injury organisations. If such a law firm chooses to accept a consumer-authorised introduction, it also pays MatterPath the introduction fee shown to it.

Where that standard fee applies, it is the greater of AUD $40 or 10% of the law firm's verified standard one-hour consultation rate recorded when the recommendation is created. The fee is paid by the law firm to MatterPath. It is not a percentage of your damages, settlement or legal outcome and does not improve the firm's matching position.

A law firm remains responsible for making any disclosure about that payment required by its legal or professional obligations.

Participating law firms may pay fixed MatterPath membership or advertising fees. For personal injury and compensation matters, MatterPath does not charge a law firm per claimant or accepted introduction, by claim value, by legal fees or by outcome. Consumers choose which firm may receive their identifying information. Personal Injury Advertising Membership is A$299 per month from signup. No founding discount or accepted-introduction fee applies.

Membership does not purchase access to a particular claimant and does not guarantee any minimum number of enquiries, introductions, clients or revenue. The fixed monthly payment covers public directory/profile presence, advertising visibility, platform and account tools, and consumer-directed contact and disclosure functionality.

MatterPath does not offer or charge for a paid introduction for a category it classifies as a prohibited referral matter or as requiring compliance review. If that applies, you may still view restricted public profiles, receive non-paid suggestions, choose a firm, expressly authorise disclosure or contact a firm directly. MatterPath may also show neutral information about a Law Society referral service, Legal Aid or a community legal centre. This does not mean that the person has no legal options.

For personal injury and compensation matters, consumers may view restricted public profiles, receive non-paid suggestions, select a firm themselves, expressly authorise disclosure to that selected firm, and contact it directly. No firm acceptance or claimant-linked payment is required before consumer-authorised disclosure.

8. Selecting a law firm

Nothing is shared with a recommended law firm merely because it appears in your matching results.

If you select a law firm and separately authorise sharing, MatterPath may show that firm a limited matter overview containing the relevant practice area, state or territory, suburb, stated urgency, consultation preferences and preferred languages.

The limited matter overview does not include your name, email address, phone number or full MatterPath summary. The selected law firm may use the overview only to decide whether it is willing and able to consider the introduction.

9. Full introduction consent

Selecting a law firm and sharing the limited matter overview does not authorise disclosure of your identity or full summary.

MatterPath asks for separate consent before it may release your name, email address, optional phone number and current MatterPath summary. For an eligible standard-introduction matter, those details are released only after the selected law firm accepts the introduction and the accepted-introduction payment succeeds. For personal injury, compensation and other non-billable matters, no claimant-linked fee applies. MatterPath releases those details after your separate express consent, without requiring the selected law firm to pay for or accept an introduction. MatterPath may still confirm that the firm remains eligible to receive your information.

You do not have to authorise a full introduction. If you change your mind before the information is released, contact MatterPath promptly. Once information has been released to a law firm, MatterPath cannot guarantee that the disclosure can be recalled. The law firm will hold its own copy and is responsible for handling that copy under its legal and professional obligations.

10. Engaging a law firm

Using MatterPath does not create a lawyer-client relationship with MatterPath. Selection, consent, an introduction, a telephone call or an initial consultation does not by itself mean that a law firm has agreed to act for you.

Before acting, a law firm may need to:

• check conflicts of interest;
• verify identity;
• assess jurisdiction, capacity and suitable expertise;
• explain its scope of work and legal costs; and
• enter a separate engagement or costs agreement with you.

Legal services and legal fees are provided and charged by the law firm, not MatterPath. Review the law firm's costs disclosure and engagement terms before instructing it. MatterPath is not a party to that engagement.

11. Match notifications

If no suitable law firm is currently available, you may expressly ask MatterPath to email you when a matching approved law firm becomes available. This request does not guarantee that a match will become available or that a law firm will accept the matter.

You may ask us to cancel the request by contacting info@matterpath.com.au. Optional promotional messages remain separate from a requested match notification.

12. Privacy requests and deletion

The Privacy Notice explains how to request access to, correction of or deletion of personal information. Requests may also be made through your MatterPath account.

Deletion is not always immediate or complete. MatterPath may retain records where reasonably necessary for security, consent evidence, complaint handling, legal claims or compliance with law. Account deletion through MatterPath cannot delete information already disclosed to an independent law firm. Contact that law firm about its copy.

13. Your statutory rights

Nothing in these Consumer Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right or remedy available under the Australian Consumer Law, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or another law where that guarantee, right or remedy cannot lawfully be excluded.

Contact info@matterpath.com.au if you have a question or complaint about MatterPath. Complaints about a lawyer or legal service should ordinarily be raised with the relevant law firm or legal-services regulator.