Free Calculator · Updated 18 May 2026
Model partner / senior associate / junior hour splits at your firm's rates, layer in disbursements and a target write-down, and see the blended rate and recovery percentage before the matter starts.
Planning estimate
Directional planning tool — not a costs disclosure. Always issue a written costs agreement and Uniform Law disclosure where the $750 / $3,000 thresholds apply before commencing substantive work.
Typical AU range — Partner $650 / Senior $450 / Junior $280 per hour. Override below if your firm rates differ.
Partner
Senior associate
Junior / lawyer
Search fees, filing fees, counsel, experts, transcript.
Default 10% — applied to fees WIP before disbursements.
How To Use
Step 1
Each practice area presets typical AU rates by seniority — adjust to your firm's actual schedule before using the output for any client communication.
Step 2
Be honest about partner-time vs delegation. Matters that get fee-earner-misallocated produce 20%+ write-downs more often than under-scoped ones.
Step 3
Disbursements (counsel, searches, court filing) flow through GST-inclusive in most cases. Target write-down of 10-15% is realistic — beyond 20% means rescope or renegotiate fee.
Step 4
Use the calculator output as the basis for your costs disclosure under Uniform Law (NSW + VIC) or your state's Legal Profession Act — never as a substitute for it.
Practitioner Notes
Under $750: no disclosure. $750–$3,000: basic disclosure. Above $3,000: written costs agreement + scope + estimate + billing intervals. Estimate exceeded by 25%+: new disclosure required.
Time entered the same day captures 15-25% more billable hours than time entered weekly. The single biggest lever on recovery is contemporaneous capture, not rate setting.
When new instructions land, issue a scope-update letter before the next fee earner touches the file. Without it, the work happens, the budget blows, and the write-down absorbs the over-run.
Corporates and insurers increasingly ask for blended rates. Your calculator shows yours — sanity-check it against their RFP target before negotiating.
Commercial litigation partners often charge $600–$800/hr in major capitals, senior associates $400–$500, juniors $250–$320. Property/conveyancing runs lower — partners $450–$550, juniors $200–$250. Family law sits in the middle; criminal trial advocacy can match commercial litigation rates for senior counsel. Rates vary widely by firm tier, jurisdiction, and matter complexity — use the calculator as a benchmark and adjust to your firm's economics.
Write-down is a deliberate reduction of WIP before invoicing — the time was recorded but the firm chooses to bill less, usually because the matter ran over budget or the client relationship justifies a discount. Write-off is post-invoice — the invoice was issued and is now uncollectible, so it's removed from accounts receivable. Most firms target a write-down rate (10–15% is common) and treat anything above 20% as a budget-management failure.
Blended rate is the average hourly rate across a matter weighted by fee earner. A matter with 10 partner hours @ $700 and 40 junior hours @ $280 has a blended rate of (10×700 + 40×280) / 50 = $364. Clients increasingly request a blended quote upfront because it's simpler than tiered hourly rates and rewards firms that delegate appropriately. The calculator shows your blended rate so you can sanity-check it against client expectations.
In NSW and VIC (Uniform Law states), costs disclosure is mandatory when legal costs are likely to exceed $750 (basic disclosure) or $3,000 (full disclosure including a written costs agreement and the matter scope). Other states have their own thresholds under state Legal Profession Acts. Failing to disclose voids the costs agreement and limits recovery to what the court determines fair and reasonable — usually well below the WIP. Issue a costs agreement before substantive work begins on every fee-bearing matter.
Fixed fees suit well-defined, repetitive matters with predictable scope: simple conveyancing, basic wills, uncontested probate, standard employment contracts. The risk to the firm is scope creep — fixed-fee matters need tight scope statements and a clear change-request mechanism. For litigation, complex M&A, or family-law disputes, hourly billing remains the default because outcomes and effort are too uncertain to price up front.
Yes — legal services attract 10% GST, with a few narrow exceptions (some pro bono / community legal centre work, certain disbursements like court filing fees that are exempt or input-taxed). Disbursements are usually GST-inclusive when charged to the client and need to be itemised. The calculator displays both ex-GST and GST-inclusive totals so you can show clients the full payable.
Track time, manage trust money, and issue Uniform Law–compliant costs agreements from one platform.
Last reviewed and updated: by Bishal Shrestha
About the author
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, and small business consulting across Australia. Bishal has reviewed matter budgeting and hourly billing economics with AU law-firm principals.
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