Small Business Lawyers, On Demand

Fixed-price legal support for Australian SMEs, contracts, employment, disputes and IP, drafted by Australian lawyers.

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Trusted by 650,000+ Australian businesses

The small business owner Lawpath is built for

This page is written for the person actually running an Australian small business, the founder, the ops lead, the office manager. Most small businesses don't need an in-house lawyer; they need a fixed-price commercial lawyer they can call three or four times a year without an hourly meter running. That's the model. If you're a listed company with a general counsel, or you're in Federal Court, you're on the wrong page. Everyone else, the sole traders, Pty Ltds, family trusts, franchisees, read on.

This page is for you if…

You run an Australian small business, sole trader, partnership, Pty Ltd, trust, or franchise.
You need contracts, employment agreements, terms of trade, NDAs, cease-and-desist letters or a shareholders agreement drafted or reviewed.
You want a lawyer who knows small business, not a big-firm partner who bills in six-minute increments.
You want a fixed price you can budget for.

This page isn't for you if…

What our small business lawyers cover

These are the areas of small business legal work we handle end-to-end. Every quote is fixed-price and confirmed within 1 business day. If you need work outside these areas, tell us, we either scope it in or refer you to a specialist we trust, within one business day.

Area	Typical work	Starts from
Commercial contracts	Supplier, customer, terms of trade, bespoke drafts	$1,400 + GST
Employment & contractor agreements	Employee, contractor, restraint clauses	$800 + GST
HR advice & compliance	Workplace policies, HR obligations, ASIC record-keeping, general compliance	$500 + GST
Business formation & company setup	Pty Ltd, trust deeds, shareholder onboarding	$700 + GST
Commercial disputes & debt recovery	Letters of demand, conciliation, negotiation	$400 + GST
Sale or purchase of a business	Share sale, asset sale, due diligence checklist	$3,500 + GST
Commercial property & leasing	Retail and commercial lease review	$1,200 + GST
Franchising	Franchise agreement review, disclosure document	$3,500 + GST
Trusts	Discretionary and unit trusts, deed variations	$1,500 + GST
Shareholder & partnership agreements	Share transfer, dividend, exit provisions, deadlock resolution	$1,600 + GST
General commercial matter	Anything else in scope, quote after scoping	Matter-specific quote

What it actually costs

Most Australian small businesses use a commercial lawyer three to five times a year, a supplier contract, an employment agreement, a demand letter, an occasional shareholder dispute. At boutique hourly rates ($500–$650/hour) that's easily $10,000–$15,000 a year in legal fees. Lawpath uses fixed-price quotes for the everyday work and matter-specific quotes for anything larger.

Pricing as of FY 2025-26

Matter	Fixed-price range	Typical turnaround
NDA, mutual or one-way	$600–$1,150 + GST	3-5 business days
Services / consulting agreement	$1,800–$3,200 + GST	5-10 business days
Commercial contract (bespoke draft)	$1,400–$3,200 + GST	5-10 business days
Shareholders agreement	$1,600–$3,000 + GST	5-10 business days
Letter of demand	$400–$900 + GST	2-4 business days
General commercial matter	$500–$3,500 + GST	Scoping call first

Prices exclude GST. Turnaround is confirmed in your quote. Your fixed-price quote is issued within 1 business day of submitting your brief, and you approve it before we invoice anything.

How it works

Five steps from brief to delivery, the same process for every matter type.

STEP 1

Submit your brief

Tell us if you want to draft or review a small business matter, or want an initial consult to work out what you need - plus the basic facts. About 2 minutes on the form. No credit card, no lock-in.

STEP 2

We check your brief

A Lawpath Account Manager reviews your brief and allocates it to a Lawpath employee lawyer based on their experience and capacity in small business law.

STEP 3

Fixed-price quote

Your allocated lawyer prepares a fixed-price quote for the specific work you've described. You'll receive one quote, never a marketplace bidding war.

STEP 4

Hear back in 1 business day

Your quote arrives with the lawyer's profile, experience, and a plain-English scope. If you're happy, accept and we begin.

STEP 5

Work delivered

Once you accept, your fee is held in Lawpath's statutory trust account under the Legal Profession Uniform Law until the work is complete. You review the deliverable; funds release only when you're satisfied.

A team of Lawpath lawyers

Every Lawpath lawyer is admitted to the Supreme Court of an Australian state or territory and holds a current practising certificate. Your lawyer's admission details are provided on request before work begins.

Not every document needs a lawyer, most just need doing properly.

550+ lawyer-drafted templates, unlimited eSignatures and team collaboration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a small business lawyer cost in Australia?

Boutique commercial firms typically bill $500–$650 per hour. Most small businesses spend $10,000–$15,000 a year on legal fees at those rates. Lawpath uses fixed-price quotes, see the pricing table above for common matters.

Can Lawpath handle a Fair Work claim?

We handle Fair Work conciliation and pre-hearing advice. If your matter progresses to a formal Fair Work Commission hearing, workers compensation claim or workplace investigation, we refer you to a specialist employment barrister.

What's the difference between a business lawyer and a corporate lawyer?

In practice the two labels overlap. Corporate lawyers usually work with larger companies on M&A, capital markets and board advisory work. Business lawyers, including Lawpath’s team, focus on the everyday legal work that runs a private company or small business.

Do I need a lawyer to set up a Pty Ltd company?

Some questions, structure choice, founder equity split, IP ownership at incorporation, are better answered before you incorporate. If you already know it’s a Pty Ltd, ACN registration is a form-filling exercise Lawpath handles directly for $600 + GST (plus the $636 ASIC government fee). If you’re unsure, book an initial consult first.

Are Lawpath's small business lawyers actual Australian lawyers?

Yes. Every Lawpath lawyer is admitted to the Supreme Court of an Australian state or territory and holds a current practising certificate. Your lawyer’s admission details are provided on request before work begins.

Do I need a lawyer, or can I use a template?

Templates are great for simple, low-stakes matters, Lawpath Essentials includes access to 550+ legal templates you can use straight away. A lawyer is the better option for HR advice, compliance breaches, ASIC obligations, or contracts above $20k. If in doubt, book an initial consult and we’ll tell you honestly if a template will do.

Ready to talk to a business lawyers?

Get a fixed-price quote within 1 business day, no obligation to proceed.

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