Frequently Asked Questions for lawyers
What is Lawyersearch?
Lawyersearch is an online legal intermediation company. We use the efficiencies of the internet to make the law and your legal practices more accessible to businesses, organisations, individuals, and other lawyers who may want to refer work to you.
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Is Lawyersearch independent of all legal practices?
Yes, Lawyersearch is completely independent of any legal practice in Australia. You can be assured that referrals and matching is performed in an entirely non-partisan and unbiased way.
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How much will I be charged to use the service?
Lawyersearch charges a fee for all job matches made through our system. This varies according to the matter concerned and currently ranges between $45 and $150.

All our charges attract a discount for payment by credit card.

All fees are disclosed clearly for you to view before you make a decision to bid on any matter.

You will be asked to agree to the above charging conditions under the terms of the Lawyersearch Online Services Agreement.
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How will billing occur?
Billing occurs by tax invoice forwarded to you electronically. Payment may be made either by credit card or by cheque. To encourage payment by credit card we offer a discount for payment using this method. Your invoice will clearly state the discount applicable to any invoiced amount.

When is payment due for a client-lawyer match?
Under the Lawyersearch Online Services Agreement, you must advise us whenever you succeed in retaining a client as a result of a referral from Lawyersearch. Our invoices will be issued on the basis of the information you provide us, together with our own tracking and audit systems.
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Am I obliged to retain the client if I have accepted the job on the Lawyersearch site?
No. You are not obliged to retain the client. Under the Lawyersearch Online Services Agreement, you are not obliged to enter into the retainer agreement, or to maintain a retainer if:
  1. you or your firm has a conflict of interest in relation to the client or the subject matter of the retainer;
  2. you or your firm has previously taken enforcement proceedings against the client in relation to amounts owing to you or your firm by the client;
  3. the client is an undischarged bankrupt or has a criminal record;
  4. you or your firm reasonably believes the client is not credit worthy or will adversely affect the good standing of your practice; and
  5. you or your firm reasonably considers that it will not be able to comply with the Professional Conduct and Practice Rules in relation to accepting instructions from the client.
However, if you do not retain the client after being referred to that client, you must notify us of that fact within 48 hours in writing and state the reasons why you were not able to retain the client.
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Are jobs referred to a law firm, or to individual practitioners?
Jobs are referred to individual practitioners within firms. This way, we can ensure that the right jobs go directly to the right lawyers who can then act quickly if they wish to submit a bid.
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I have registered as a lawyer. Why can't I bid on jobs yet?
You will not be able to bid for available jobs until your registration is approved and made "active" by our staff after verifying your details and confirming payment of the registration fee.
You will however be able to post matters that you would like referred to colleagues prior to your own registration being activated.
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Why should I use the Lawyersearch service?
Using Lawyersearch delivers value to your practice. It will bring you new business and new clients, all without expensive advertising and marketing campaigns that may not reach the right audience.

Our experience has shown that those lawyers who bid quickly and regularly for jobs are the most successful with their matches. Lawyers report that they gain exposure to a volume of jobs that they would not normally encounter and that the Lawyersearch job notifications enable them to keep in touch with what is happening in the marketplace for lawyers. Some of our lawyers have reported a marked increase in the traffic of jobs which makes them enthusiastic supporters of the service!

Lawyersearch also saves you time and leaves you in full control of the amount of work you wish to take on. By registering as a lawyer affiliate, you receive instant access to our noticeboard of available jobs. If you are interested in taking a job and meet the qualifications the client is seeking, you can have your practice's credentials placed before that client.

Once you retain a client you pay a small, pre-disclosed commission to Lawyersearch.
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Who are our partners?
Lawyersearch currently has trading partnerships with the following organisations;

www.domain.com.au (Fairfax's F2 network)

www.westpac.com.au (Westpac B2Buy Marketplace)

www.yahoo.com.au (Yahoo!)

www.looksmart.com.au (Looksmart Ltd)

www.commercialrealestate.com.au (CRE Pty Ltd)

www.yourmortgage.com.au (HWW Ltd)

www.abl.net.au (Australian Business Ltd)

www.thechamber.com.au (NSW State Chamber of Commerce)

www.propertylook.com.au
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Is paying Lawyersearch a commission or referral fee legal?
Yes. So long as the commission or referral fee to Lawyersearch is disclosed to your client, either at the time of billing or beforehand, there is no issue of secret commissions.
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