The mantra of Montague Law is “Sensibly priced legal services”. Our commitment is to provide professional services at rates that are more affordable than most other law firms.
The benchmark for charging for legal fees in South Australia is the Scale of Fees set by the Supreme Court. Most firms charge at or (significantly) above the scale for most types of work. We charge at least 10% below the scale, always.
We provide fixed rates for simple, standard types of work, and those prices are listed below. Where we cannot provide a fixed fee we will give you an estimate and keep you updated if the estimate needs to change.
We wouldn’t say that we are providing cheap legal services, if there is such a thing, but we do want our charges to be reasonable, because we believe that everyone should have access to legal services. For this reason, we offer concession card holders discounts for many types of work. Montague Law also offers packages which bundle important necessary documents together at a more cost effective rate.
First free interview
We also offer a 30 minute first free interview.
During this first consultation potential clients are provided with preliminary information about how matters similar to their own ordinarily proceed. Although we will not be able to provide you with considered or specific advice in relation to your matter in such an appointment, we can provide information about the steps and costs that might be required to ensure that your matter can proceed effectively and efficiently.
The interview is obligation free and any engagement with you would then be subject to us entering into a mutually agreeable costs agreement with you.
Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Advance Care Directives
People’s needs and circumstances vary and so our fees for preparing Wills and other documents also vary.
Whether the work for your documents would be typical, or more basic or more involved depends not only on your intentions, but also the legal practicality of those intentions, the circumstances of your family and of your finances, and whether there might be any health or communication difficulties.
We try to accommodate most people within our basic or typical rates set out in the tables below but additional charges apply where significant extra work is required, as well as for any out of pocket expenses (like search or translation costs). The amounts for involved and semi-involved matters are rough guides only and we would need to provide you with a tailored estimate.
Examples of situations that tend to be more complicated include:
- Where there are potential concerns about your ability to understand and instruct us for the documents (e.g. memory and cognitive issues, or severe hearing issues).
- Having finances that are tied up with businesses, trusts or companies or with other people.
- Wanting to make a large number of gifts or wanting to make limited or conditional gifts.
| Individuals | Basic | Typical | Semi-involved | Involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will | $375 | $450 | $600-$1,200 | $1,200 + |
| Power of Attorney and Advance Care Directive | $350 | $350 | + | + |
| Full package (Will with Power of Attorney and Advance Care Directive) | $580 | $700 | $850-$1,400 | $1,400 + |
| Couples | Basic | Typical | Semi-involved | Involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wills | $620 | $800 | $1,000-$1,500 | $1,500 + |
| Powers of Attorney and Advance Care Directives | $550 | $550 | + | + |
| Full package (Wills with Powers of Attorney and Advance Care Directives) | $880 | $1,000 | $1,200-$1,700 | $1,700 + |
Concession Rates
For concession card holders we discount our fees by 10% (does not apply for third party costs or other disbursements such as searches and lodgement fees).
Deceased estates
Simple Grant of Probate – $2,400 (incl. GST)
Simple Grant of Letters of Administration – $2,400 (incl. GST)
The circumstances of the Will (if any), the assets of the estate and your own circumstances will determine whether an application is simple. Homemade and Will-kit Wills generally require additional work and cost. These prices do not include assistance with the administration of the estate. A filing fee is payable for grant applications (varies between $929 and $3,715 as at 1 July 2023) and search costs may apply.