Market Overview
South Australia’s construction lawyers remain comparatively cheap when compared to their counterparts in other major Australian states. Perhaps due to these lower hourly rates the pressures for fixed price costing and regular WIP reporting are not as strong in South Australia. That said most practitioners reported regularly offering fixed pricing on non-contentious matters and the occasional practice of fixed costing for the various stages of contentious matters.
Hourly rates were also and somewhat unusually not correlated to firm size or type with smaller and specialist firms often charging hourly rates equal or similar to those charged by larger firms.
Partner Hourly Rates – Overview
Commercial Litigation Pricing - Nationally
Hourly Rate NSW Victoria Western Australia Queensland
$400-$500 3% 12% 8% 17%
$500-$600 4% 21% 11% 38%
$600-$700 14% 15% 54% 25%
$700-$800 22% 28% 23% 20%
$800-$900 51% 22% 4%
$900+ 6% 2%