Fees from 1 July 2026
Advances
| Legal fee deposit | $1,600 |
| Size of loan | First mortgage base fee |
|---|---|
| ≤ $500k | $4,500 plus GST |
| > $500k and ≤ $1m | $5,000 plus GST |
| > $1m and ≤ $3m | $6,000 plus GST |
| > $3m and ≤ $5m | $7,500 plus GST |
| > $5m and ≤ $10m | $10,000 plus GST |
| > $10m | Price on application |
The following amounts will be added to the above fees if the situation arises
| 2nd mortgage / caveat | Per first mortgage: $500 plus GST for a confirmed priority amount $800 plus GST with a simple priority deed Complex intercreditor deed may be additional and will be quoted upon seeing the deed |
| Builder’s tripartite agreement | $500 plus GST |
| Paper settlement | $1,000 plus GST |
| International VOI / execution | $600 plus GST |
| Third party guarantor – independent solicitor and financial advice | $800 plus GST |
| Urgency fee – same day settlement | $2,000 plus GST |
| Urgent fee – next day settlement | $1,500 plus GST |
| > 3 parties or properties, or more complex scenario | Please confirm fees with your Bransgroves team leader |
| Additional matters for which legal fees may be increased | Significant variations to the security documents required by the borrower, structure changes to the loan (e.g. adding securities or parties last minute), a number of rescheduled settlements requiring additional work |
Syndicate add ons
| 3 members or less | $500 plus GST |
| 6 members or less | $800 plus GST |
| 10 members or less | $1,200 plus GST |
| > 10 members | $1,200 plus GST for the first ten members plus $500 plus GST per ten members thereafter |
Disbursements
Search disbursements are usually between $700 and $1,500 depending on how many parties and properties are involved and an estimate will be added to our fees.
Deposits
We offer the following arrangements regarding deposits. Either:
- A non-refundable deposit of $1,600; or
- The lender or broker undertakes to reimburse us our out of pocket disbursements if the loan does not proceed up to a maximum of $1,600.
Drawdowns
| Drawdowns – Solo Lenders | $500.00 + GST |
| Drawdowns – Syndicates and Co-lenders | $800.00 + GST |
Variations
| Variation (extension) | $1,000 plus GST and disbursements |
| Variation (increase) | $3,000 plus GST and disbursements |
Discharges
| No of lots | Price per lot ex GST |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,250 |
| 2 lots | $1,100 |
| < 5 | $950 |
| < 10 | $800 |
| < 20 | $600 |
| > 20 | $400 |
Enforcements
Enforcement is a delicate matter, this is because it involves a lender suing their customer. This is obviously unavoidable but nevertheless can be extremely damaging to the lender’s reputation if not handled fairly. A borrower who has fallen on hard times, and is already facing financial distress, should not be harshly dealt with because they will bear the lender ill will, and so will the broker who introduced them.
At Bransgroves Lawyers we have seen many lenders come and go over the years. We have observed that after several years of gouging equity from defaulting borrowers there is an inevitable repercussion for the lender in terms of new business. Australia may be a big country but the commercial mortgage market is a small world. Brokers get new business from referrals and repeat business. If a lender destroys their clients then the lender is destroying their future business pipeline. Therefore brokers learn to avoid lenders who gouge out equity in the event of a default through excessive legal fees and rapacious default rates. Word of mouth is passed between brokers and the lender becomes pigeonholed as oppressive and finds it difficult to get quality business in the future.
Accordingly, we advise all lenders to have moderate default rates and fees and for our own part we aim to keep our fees as low as possible. We do this by acting quickly, avoiding unnecessary work, and charging modest fees for the work that we do. We regard our enforcement department as a necessary support service for our clients, not an opportunity for plunder. Our aim is for borrowers when they see our fees to concede that they were treated fairly.
| Enforcement Fees | |
|---|---|
| Managing Director / Special Counsel | $550 per hour plus GST |
| Senior Associate | $400 per hour plus GST |
| Junior Lawyer (Associate) | $350 per hour plus GST |
| Paralegal | $150 per hour plus GST |
| For a default notice | Circa $1,500 |
| For undefended proceedings (up to and including sale) | Circa $30,000 |
| For defended proceedings with no trial | Average $50–80k |
| For defended proceedings with a trial | Average $120–150k |