By Talk to a Lawyer · Published 19 September 2026 · 4 minute read
Contract advice may concern an agreement you are considering, one already operating or a relationship that has broken down. Start by explaining which stage applies. The complete agreement, including schedules and later changes, matters more than an isolated clause copied into an email. Tell the adviser what you need the contract to achieve and which event has prompted the enquiry.
Read. Prepare. Find an office.
Use this guide to organise your questions, then confirm the provider’s experience, availability and first-stage fee.
Find contracts providers →Reconstruct the agreement as it actually operates
Collect the signed version, attachments, orders and written variations. If arrangements were partly oral or agreed through messages, explain that rather than assuming no contract exists. Identify the parties, the service or goods, payments already made and work already performed. Ask which version or communication the adviser needs to assess the obligations.
Translate your concern into a practical question
You may want to understand a renewal, payment trigger, cancellation request, limitation of liability or responsibility for delays. Describe the situation that worries you. For example, explain what would happen if delivery were late and which downstream commitment would be affected. The adviser can assess the wording against that scenario instead of reviewing a clause without context.
Distinguish review from negotiation or enforcement
Ask whether the fee includes explaining the agreement, proposing revisions, communicating with the other party or advising about an existing dispute. If you have already sent a termination message or stopped performance, provide it promptly. Do not assume a general contract review authorises a particular response or that deleting a disputed clause produces a workable agreement.
Read the agreement as a sequence of events
A useful way to prepare is to follow the contract from beginning to end: what starts the obligation, what each party supplies, when payment becomes due, what happens if performance changes and how the relationship ends. Note any term that depends on a separate schedule or another document. If there are conflicting versions, retain them and identify which was signed or accepted. Ask for a practical explanation of the most important obligations, not only tracked changes that leave you unsure how the revised agreement would work in daily operations.
Compare the scope and cost of advice
Compare advisers against the commercial decision you need to make. Give each office the same transaction stage, documents and objective, then ask for a first-stage deliverable. A review, a negotiation and ongoing business advice are different services. Record which financial assumptions need your accountant's input and who will coordinate any specialist work before a commitment is made.
- Review and advice
- Ask for the issues identified, their practical effect and the decisions you must make. Confirm whether written advice or a marked-up document is included.
- Drafting and negotiation
- Ask who communicates with the other party, how revisions are priced and what happens if the deal changes materially during the work.
- Completion or implementation
- Confirm responsibility for approvals, signing, records and follow-up tasks. Ask which registrations, searches or external professional costs sit outside the legal fee.
Read the guide to consultation fees and written quotes, or use the provider comparison worksheet.
Illustrative situation · not a client result
What a focused enquiry looks like
A consultant is worried about an automatic renewal. They provide the whole agreement, the start date and later emails changing the service. The first task is to understand the renewal position and options, with negotiation priced separately if required.
Your preparation checklist
Gather what you already have. Mark missing records and uncertain dates rather than guessing; ask the office what it needs before sending sensitive documents.
0 of 4 gathered · ticks reset when you leave this page.
A preparation aid, not confirmation that a legal requirement is complete.
A first enquiry you can adapt
I need [a draft reviewed or an existing agreement explained] before [date]. The agreement concerns [work or goods], and I am especially concerned about [specific event]. I have the main document and schedules. What review scope and written explanation would your fee include?
Replace the bracketed details with accurate information. Keep the first message brief and confirm a secure channel for the full records.
Common questions about contracts
Should I send just the clause I dislike?
Send the complete version through the agreed channel. Definitions, schedules and other clauses may affect how the provision operates.
Is a template enough for a new arrangement?
Ask whether it matches the parties, work and risks. Familiar wording does not establish that a template suits the transaction.
Further reading and scope
Business.gov.au: prepare a contract
Australia; practical business-contract guidance.
This is general preparation information, not an assessment of your legal position. Requirements, dates and available remedies depend on the facts and jurisdiction. The linked resource has the scope described above; it does not verify an individual provider or this guide.