Fee Policy
This Fee Policy sets out how General Standards charges for its work, and is in addition to the Standard Terms. This includes charges on specific matters and general queries. Where time is charged, please refer to our Standard Rates.
If you are unsure about a Fee, you should contact australia@generalstandards.co.
Standard Prices
General Standards publishes its Standard Prices for most of its services. This is a fixed-fee with set inclusions and processes.
Standard Prices usually include:
- 2 parties only to a single document
- 1 Consultation (to start the work)
- Preparation of legal documentation
To support our services, we typically include at no extra charge:
- Up to 2 rounds of amendments (as needed)
- Finalisation (getting documents ready to sign/use)
- Digital signing for 2 parties using Annature.com.au (where needed or possible)
Where any of the inclusions change, the Standard Price may vary.
For example, if a contract has more than 2 parties, or there are multiple parties signing the same type of document with the Company (eg several employees).
Standard Prices are also based on performing the work in a defined process and timespan:
- Work performed in the scheduled Work Window (and not urgently)
- Feedback is received promptly (usually 3 business days)
- Finalisation is approved promptly (usually 2 business days)
- Documents are signed promptly (usually 2 business days)
Where the client changes any of the process, work done outside of the process may be separately charged.
For example, if feedback on a document is not received for several weeks, further amendments may be charged on a time cost basis.
We will let you know if a Standard Price changes, or if there are any additional charges due to changes to the inclusions or processes, before you incur those charges.
Consultations
Consultations are discussion-based bookings, whether performed online, on-phone or in-person, and are booked from https://gnrl.co.
New Clients
- If you are not yet a client, there is no charge for your consultation (as its purpose is usually to provide you with a quote).
Existing Clients
- Standard consultations are scheduled for 20 minutes and are charged at our Standard Rates based on the actual time spent, unless agreed otherwise.
- Most Standard Contracts & Services include an upfront consultation, which is included in the price. Additional consultations are charged at Standard Rates, unless agreed otherwise.
- Where a consultation is primarily to obtain a Quote for a new Matter, we will credit the value of the consultation to any Fees for that new Matter started within 30 days.
- If a consultation is cancelled by the Client, the Client will be entitled to take up another consultation within 30 days, however no refunds will be offered.
Minor Services & Queries
It is inherent in the nature of commercial legal services that clients have "quick questions" that need to be resolved, and we want to help. But no matter how large or small the query, the same legal professional standards apply to our answers (ie we're still liable if we're wrong).
Clients should expect that if they have a query, fees will apply for its answer. This includes queries about closed matters or clarifications on existing documents (unless of course we are fixing an error of our making).
Clients are able to book Consultations (see above) as an affordable and practical way to have minor queries answered. Where queries are put to us in writing, we will record the time for our response at our Standard Rates - if we feel that the cost of doing so will exceed the cost of a 15 minute Consultation, we will advise you in advance and seek your consent before continuing. However we have no obligation to answer a minor query if we do not believe we will be remunerated for doing so.
Fixed Fee and Capped Fee Services
Fixed Fee Services
Fixed Fees are invoiced in full and are payable prior to delivery of the documentation.
Where you don't provide feedback in a timely manner under a Fixed Fee matter, General Standards may require you to provide feedback with 5 days, which if not provided shall end the Fixed Fee, and all work on items commenced will be considered paid in full.
Capped Fee Services
Capped Fees are time cost matter where the Client pays the lesser of the time cost at our Standard Rates or the Standard Price.
The Capped Fee only applies to the usual inclusions and processes of the Standard Price. Any work in excess to the inclusions, or outside of the process, will also be charged at the Standard Rates but not included in the Capped Fees. We will let you know if work attracts extra charges before you incur the costs.
All work on Capped Fee Matters are billed regularly, on 7 day terms. We will bill any part of the Capped Fee, irrespective of the status of the Matter, up to the Capped Fee (after which we will not send further invoices).
General Standards Pty Ltd
ABN 33 634 696 512
Revolver Lane
231 Chapel Street Prahran VIC 3181
generalstandards.co
Liability limited by a scheme approved
under Professional Standards Legislation