About

Six Minute Units is an independent information site about what legal help costs in Australia. It is for people about to see a lawyer for the first time, people already in a dispute who want to understand a costs estimate, and anyone who has received a bill and is not sure whether it is fair.

The guides explain how lawyers charge, what Australian legal profession laws require them to disclose, how no win no fee agreements and costs orders work, and how to dispute a bill. Worked examples show the arithmetic step by step, and the calculators let you test your own numbers.

We do not give legal advice, rank or recommend law firms, or accept payment from firms to appear on the site. All dollar figures are illustrative examples, not market rates or quotes. The rules differ between states and territories and some thresholds are indexed each year, so every guide links to the regulator, court or legal aid body where you can check the current position. For advice on your own matter, speak to a lawyer, a legal aid commission or a community legal centre.

How this site is made

Six Minute Units is an independent information project. Guides are drafted with the help of AI writing tools and checked against official and primary sources before publication; see our Editorial Policy. We are not affiliated with any provider mentioned on the site and do not sell products or services.