Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Feb 18, 2015 9:33 am Hi, Thinking of opening a law practice offering cheap legal advice for understanding legal jargon in building contracts/ negotiating terms and conditions. Just wondering if there is a market for this? For those that have done a knockdown rebuild, did you get a lawyer to review the contract? Was there any room to negotiate T&C's with a volume builder? Did you take legal advice to resolve building disputes/defects? TIA Re: Lawyers advice? 2Feb 18, 2015 9:53 am Hi Pindle, I tried to negotiate a few minor changes to a volume builder's HIA contract but they would not budge, it was a take it or leave it contract. They did acknowledge that it was a contract written by a builders association for the protection of builders not the owners. I think it is time the government stepped in and set down a standard building contract that protects all parties equally. Re: Lawyers advice? 3Feb 19, 2015 12:00 am there are some builders out there that get you to sign early contracts not just the PWA trapping you into building, so i think there is a big need for legal advice and i have heard of people taking legal action as their build wasnt to standard. Re: Lawyers advice? 4Feb 19, 2015 12:15 am The question is whether people are willing to pay and how will you establish yourself as an expert in the field. Experts typically come with hefty fees. If it is cheap legal advice it will more than likely be that as charge out rates are generally in line with experience. You dont need a lawyer to understand the legal jargon. ALso when/ if it comes to a legal battle will the "cheap charge out rate Lawyer" be able to hold his own. I agree with the other posts regarding the need for a contract that protects. Not sure about the market for cheap legal services...... Re: Lawyers advice? 5Feb 19, 2015 7:59 am In my view cheap already has negative impression. Most people have been stung and know that cheap has a catch. People will pay a fair price for a good job and it does not have to be cheap. People will pay premium if they can see value or if you give them peace of mind Instead of thinking cheap think more about the strengths you offer and then market yourself accordingly Cheap No, Budget? much smarter! And yes there is a market for good advice you just have to be better than anyone else around and offer value. Why is Apple biggest co in the world? It's not cheap it's premium, their profit margin is close to 40% but they have the best product.They have so much money they are seriously in danger of falling off their wallet and hurting themselves. Samsung is cheaper but who wants Samsung? Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Lawyers advice? 6Feb 19, 2015 11:04 am BE spot on about the connotations of cheap. With professional advice you tend to get what you pay for and are priced accordingly or you go bust. Question, would you consider laser eye surgery from a place called Budget Laser Eye Barn Just a small correction on Samsung though, the Galaxy Note 4 and Edge are not as cheap as you claim. I guess its all relative to your own situation but both those sell for around the same price as the Apple 6 plus without contract. I am an apple user myself but I can see benefits of having certain features like expandable memory - But that is a whole sepearate topic Re: Lawyers advice? 7Feb 19, 2015 11:11 am building-expert Why is Apple biggest co in the world? It's not cheap it's premium, their profit margin is close to 40% but they have the best product.They have so much money they are seriously in danger of falling off their wallet and hurting themselves. Samsung is cheaper but who wants Samsung? You had me all the way until down here..... might I say spoken by a true apple fanboi ! Give me Samsung any day over the grossly overpriced apple stuff... I can add plenty of derogatory comments about some of the apply fanboi squad (there are fanboi's for all products, so apple aren't the only ones that have them) , but because I know you are a lot better than that, and that you know your job extremely well, I won't drop down to that level. I will add that I fully agree with your comment that they will seriously hurt themselves if they fell off their massive wallet. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Lawyers advice? 8Feb 19, 2015 11:51 am bpratt building-expert Why is Apple biggest co in the world? It's not cheap it's premium, their profit margin is close to 40% but they have the best product.They have so much money they are seriously in danger of falling off their wallet and hurting themselves. Samsung is cheaper but who wants Samsung? You had me all the way until down here..... might I say spoken by a true apple fanboi ! Give me Samsung any day over the grossly overpriced apple stuff... I can add plenty of derogatory comments about some of the apply fanboi squad (there are fanboi's for all products, so apple aren't the only ones that have them) , but because I know you are a lot better than that, and that you know your job extremely well, I won't drop down to that level. I will add that I fully agree with your comment that they will seriously hurt themselves if they fell off their massive wallet. Haha, thank you for echoing my thoughts And yes I agree, there have been times where I felt like getting legal advice over some parts of the building contract, since the conveyancing team only deals with land, nothing about the building contract. There should be a uniform regulated contract which should cater to both builders as well as the owner's interests. Re: Lawyers advice? 9Feb 19, 2015 12:04 pm Yes I am Apple fanboy and can't wait for Apple watch, apple car and anything else they can produce but that's another story. My first computer was at MU where I had to punch cards and run batch overnight then spend 3 weeks fixing error codes. Now I sit in front of my 27" retina mac with stunning display clarity and think how lucky am I to have all this techno journey in my lifetime. I knew I would ruffle a feather or two but that's just to flush out a debate so forgive me. Back to OP There will always be a market for budget end and premium end of the market for any product, it's just about knowing what you can do wrap it attractively and position it wisely. I am assuming you have expertise, don't sell yourself cheap. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Lawyers advice? 10Feb 19, 2015 12:10 pm pindle Hi, Thinking of opening a law practice offering cheap legal advice for understanding legal jargon in building contracts/ negotiating terms and conditions. Just wondering if there is a market for this? You don't sound like a solicitor or a lawyer to me. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Lawyers advice? 11Feb 19, 2015 8:04 pm SaveH2O pindle Hi, Thinking of opening a law practice offering cheap legal advice for understanding legal jargon in building contracts/ negotiating terms and conditions. Just wondering if there is a market for this? You don't sound like a solicitor or a lawyer to me. Great pick up SaveH2O, how did I miss that? Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Lawyers advice? 12Feb 19, 2015 8:23 pm pindle Hi, Thinking of opening a law practice offering cheap legal advice for understanding legal jargon in building contracts/ negotiating terms and conditions. Just wondering if there is a market for this? For those that have done a knockdown rebuild, did you get a lawyer to review the contract? Was there any room to negotiate T&C's with a volume builder? Did you take legal advice to resolve building disputes/defects? TIA I do recall seeing a site that offered this type of service a couple of months ago but haven't been able to find it again. A lot of people who are prepared to pay for legal advice are probably most likely to either know a lawyer or seek a reference from someone they know. At the 'cheaper" end of the scale based on the sales of my guides, which only cost $4, when I get round to writing a guide to building contracts I would expect to sell between 150 - 200 per year. OK for a hobby project but not enough for a serious business. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Lawyers advice? 13Feb 20, 2015 6:12 am One of the things most people have missed so far is that legal advice is just half the job the other being review of documentation from builder's perspective and some practical education and guidance from experience. Just this week one of the members posted a photo. I could see from the photo that the house was set too low and the levels were all wrong. Builder, surveyor and private inspector all missed it. I am currently assisting someone in QLD whose house was set too low and now a subject of perched water table. This contract too was not properly reviewed nor can solicitor do that. On my pre purchase inspections I have found hundreds of homes set too low and consequently with drainage issues. Solicitor won't help you there. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Lawyers advice? 14Feb 20, 2015 8:17 am pindle Hi, Thinking of opening a law practice offering cheap legal advice for understanding legal jargon in building contracts/ negotiating terms and conditions. Just wondering if there is a market for this? For those that have done a knockdown rebuild, did you get a lawyer to review the contract? Was there any room to negotiate T&C's with a volume builder? Did you take legal advice to resolve building disputes/defects? TIA Low end of the market...no way Middle end rarely Top end often, LOL, there are heaps of ambulance chasers Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Lawyers advice? 15Feb 23, 2015 5:31 pm Thank you for your responses - and yes, I am a solicitor with construction law experience, and thinking of starting my own practice. I suppose the word "cheap" was not intended - I just know that people have a budget and dont like spending $ on lawyers fees. I was more considering an alternative model for charging - eg fixed fees based on a short telephone consult to assist people with understanding their building contract / or a package price for ongoing assistance throughout negotiation / the build in the event that things go astray. Re: Lawyers advice? 16Feb 23, 2015 5:48 pm pindle .......or a package price for ongoing assistance throughout negotiation / the build in the event that things go astray. NO disrespect intended... Budgets are very important and I am sure there could be something for everyone in your services. From an engineering/construction perspective things go astray quite often. Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs I've decided, after a period of confusion (my building broker told me it's probably not worth it to use a lawyer, but others have said it is a must) that I definitely will… 7 27899 Versaloc is a mortarless besser block system that still needs a properly engineered footing. If you just do a 400x200 footing it will fail in time. At 17m long you need it… 1 15083 Thank you so much for the effort. We will use it to talk with builder. We also had idea of building duplex instead and seeking suggest ions. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=106744 11 13761 |