Online Legal Services

Online Legal Service Terms

These Online Legal Services are offered by Balwyn Legal to provide convenient access to fixed-fee legal information services and selected document-preparation services.

These services are designed for straightforward matters only. Where your matter is complex, urgent, disputed, outside scope, or otherwise unsuitable for online handling, Balwyn Legal may require a separate consultation or may decline to act.

Scope of online services

Balwyn Legal may offer, from time to time, online services including:

1. Ask a Lawyer Online

2. Initial Paid Consultation

3. Fixed-Fee Will

4. Power of Attorney

5. Other fixed-fee legal products as listed on this website

Each service is limited to the scope expressly described on the relevant product or service page.

No automatic solicitor-client relationship

Your use of this website, submission of an enquiry, or use of an automated tool does not, by itself, create a solicitor-client relationship.

A solicitor-client relationship arises only when Balwyn Legal confirms acceptance of your matter and, where applicable, you accept the relevant costs disclosure and costs agreement.

AI-assisted services

Balwyn Legal may use AI-assisted systems and automation tools to help collect information, triage enquiries, prepare draft content, generate preliminary responses, and support document assembly.

AI-assisted outputs are subject to review, limits, and suitability requirements. Balwyn Legal does not represent that every automated output will be appropriate for every factual scenario. You must not rely on any automated output as a substitute for tailored legal advice unless Balwyn Legal expressly confirms otherwise.

Information only vs legal advice

Unless expressly stated, content generated through this website is general information only and is not legal advice.

Legal advice depends on your full facts, documents, objectives, risks, and appliable law. If your matter requires legal advice, representation, or strategic assessment, Balwyn Legal may require a separate consultation or retainer.

Client responsibilities

You warrant that the information you provide is accurate, complete, current, and not misleading.

You acknowledge that any delay, inaccuracy, omission, or incorrect assumption in the information you provide may affect the quality, suitability or usefulness of any output prepared through this website.

Identity, verification and suitability

Balwyn Legal may require identity verification, conflict checks, capacity confirmation, or further supporting documents before providing a service, finalising a document, or accepting any retainer.

Balwyn Legal may refuse, suspend, or terminate an online service where:

• the matter is unsuitable for online handling

• there is an actual or potential conflict of interest

• there are concerns about fraud, identity, capacity, or misuse

• the service requested falls outside scope

• Legal or professional obligations require further review

Turnaround times

Any turnaround time stated on the website is an estimate only, not a guarantee. Timing may depend on information quality, payment, verification requirements, document complexity, lawyer availability, and other practical matters.

Fees and payment

fees for online services are as stated on the relevant service page unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Where applicable, payment must be made in advance before Balwyn Legal commences the online service.

If GST applies, GST is payable in addition unless the stated price expressly says otherwise.

Refunds and rescheduling

Balwyn Legal may, in its discretion and subject to law, offer a refund, partial refund, credit, or rescheduling where:

• the service cannot proceed for suitability reasons

• the matter is outside scope

• the client cancels within the time stated on the relevant service page

• fairness requires an adjustment

Unless otherwise stated, no refund is available once substantial work has commenced, a document draft has been materially prepared, or a paid consultation has been missed without sufficient notice.

Consultation deposit policy

Where a consultation fee or booking deposit is required, the booking is not secured until payment is received.

if a client cancels with at least 24 hours’ notice, Balwyn Legal may offer a rescheduled appointment or credit, and may offer a refund where appropriate.

If a client fails to attend without sufficient notice, the consultation fee or deposit may be forfeited.

Confidentiality and privacy

Balwyn Legal handles personal information in accordance with applicable privacy obligations and its Privacy Policy.

You should not submit highly sensitive or urgent material through an online service unless the website expressly requests it and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Limitation of service scope

Balwyn Legal does not guarantee that any online service will be suitable for litigation, contested matters, court filing, tax planning, estate planning complexity, asset protection complexity, migration complexity, or any other fact-sensitive or specialist issue unless expressly stated.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law applicable in Victoria, Australia.

COSTS DISCLOSURE & COSTS AGREEMENT - Online Legal Services

Introductory statement

This document sets out Balwyn Legal’s standard costs disclosure and costs agreement terms for selected online legal services.

It is intended to provide written disclosure of the basis of charging and the estimated total legal costs for the defined online service selected by the client, and to record the terms on which that service is provided.

Defined online services

This standard online disclosure/agreement may apply to the following products, where selected by the client:

• Ask a Lawyer Online

• Initial Paid Consultation

• Fixed-Fee Will

• Power of Attorney

• other defined fixed-fee products listed on this website

Basis of charging

The basis of charging for each online product is agreed fixed-fee pricing for a defined scope of work.

The fixed fee for each product is the price published on the relevant service page, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Disbursements, government fees, registration fees, third-party charges, and out-of-scope work are not included unless expressly stated.

Scope and estimate by product

Ask a Lawyer Online

Scope:

• review of the client’s submitted question

• preliminary written response

• general guidance and next-step information within the defined online scope

Estimated total legal costs:

• the published fixed fee for the selected Ask a Lawyer Online service

Exclusions:

• detailed legal advice on complex facts

• review of extensive documents

• court strategy

• negotiations

• representation

• ongoing retainer work

Initial Paid Consultation

Scope:

• one consultation of the duration stated on the booking page

• preliminary discussion and broad guidance based on the information available at the time

Estimated total legal costs:

• the published consultation fee

Exclusions:

• post-consultation work

• document review beyond the consultation scope

• drafting

• correspondence

• negotiations

• representation

Fixed-Fee Will

Scope:

• intake questionnaire review

• preparation of a basic will suitable for a straightforward matter within the product scope

• solicitor review where included in the product description

Estimated total legal costs:

• the published fixed fee

Exclusions:

• complex testamentary planning

• trusts

• asset protection structuring

• blended family complexity beyond scope

• company / trust succession planning

• extensive advice conferences unless separately agreed

Power of Attorney

Scope:

• preparation of the selected power of attorney / appointment document within the stated product scope

• review of supplied information for document preparation

Estimated total legal costs:

• the published fixed fee

Exclusions:

• complex capacity issues

• related advice beyond scope

• elder abuse disputes

• litigation

• tribunal work

Out-of-scope work

If Balwyn Legal considers that your matter is outside the scope of the selected online service, we may:

• propose a separate consultation,

• issue a separate costs disclosure and retainer,

• request further information, or

• decline to proceed.

Out-of-scope work is not covered by the online fixed fee unless expressly agreed in writing.

Client rights

You have the right to:

• negotiate a costs agreement,

• negotiate the billing method,

• receive a bill,

• request an itemised bill after receiving a lump sum bill,

• seek independent legal advice about this agreement,

• raise any concern about legal costs.

These rights should be stated in costs disclosure material.

Updates to estimate

If it becomes apparent that the total legal costs are likely to exceed the original estimate or fall outside the original scope, Balwyn Legal may provide an updated disclosure and seek further instructions before continuing. Updated estimates should be given in a timely way.

Billing and payment

For online legal services, payment is generally required in advance.

Where further work is required beyond the selected online product, Balwyn Legal may issue a further disclosure, bill, or costs agreement.

Consultation credit wording

Where the relevant service page states that a consultation fee is creditable toward future legal fees, that credit applies only as expressly stated on that page and only if Balwyn Legal is subsequently retained for the relevant further work.

Failure to attend

If a paid consultation is booked and the client does not attend without sufficient notice, the consultation fee may be retained in accordance with the booking terms stated on the relevant service page.

Acceptance

By proceeding with the selected online service, making payment, and affirmatively accepting this document, you acknowledge that:

• you have read and understood this Costs Disclosure & Costs Agreement,

• you agree to the fixed-fee pricing and scope of the selected service,

• you understand the limitations of the selected online service,

• you consent to Balwyn Legal providing the selected service on these terms.

Important note

This standard document is designed for defined online products. Bespoke retainers, litigation matters, family law disputes, criminal matters, and other variable-scope matters may require separate or more tailored disclosure and agreement.