top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you keep your fees so low?

We do a few things. First, we continue Dr Macmillan’s original practice of keeping our operating costs as low as possible, yet without compromising the quality of our work. While he started out helping people on the steps of the Supreme Court, and in coffee shops and McDonald's restaurants, our family-friendly offices at 575 Bourke Street in the centre of Melbourne's legal district are perfect for us as a value-focused law firm. Second, we charge our time at below-market rates. For instance, when Dr Macmillan was working as a lawyer in Hong Kong in 2006, his professional fee was $800 per hour. Now, depending on a client's situation, he charges from as little as $30 and up to $450 per hour, which is still less than most mid-level solicitors. Third, we only help people with their legal and official documentation. We don't engage in expensive litigation or try to cover lots of areas of law. Being super specialised makes us more efficient.  Lastly, we are a small firm, and all of us multitask like pros. When you call us up for an appointment, you’re just as likely to speak to Dr Macmillan as anyone else.

2. Do you work with businesses, or just individuals?

We work with everyone who needs help with witnessing, certifying and authenticating their legal and official documents. Sometimes this means working with individuals and families. Sometimes it means helping business people get their company documents in order, particularly when seeking a loan or when dealing with overseas partners, courts or authorities. 

3. Do you make home or office calls?

Yes we do, but it's rare. It depends on a number of factors. Sometimes it makes practical sense for us to come to you, for instance, if you need help on a wide range or number of matters. At other times, it’s better for us to work from our offices and have clients come to us, particularly for quick tasks. It’s all about juggling the needs of different clients. Talk to us about what would work best for you, and we’ll see what we can do.

4. Can any law firm do what you do?

In theory, yes. But what we do is highly specialised and requires specialist qualifications and accreditations, which other firms could get but most don't. We can also do things that other lawyers have never ever done before, nor are they likely to ever do them in the course of their ordinay legal work. We're also super client-focused, which for us includes spending time with our clients without charging them. That's a big part of what we do, especially when our clients are stressed or overwhelmed by their legal issues, such as in difficult family violence cases or complicated business transactions. Obviously other firms can do this, too, but they are less likely to do it because their business models require them to charge for as much of their time as possible. Plus we sometimes charge as low as $30 per hour, which we've never seen another law firm do. That's because we believe in helping people first, even if economically it's not profitable for us. That type of thinking literally baked into our DNA as you can see from the founding story of our firm.

bottom of page