The Best Lawyers in Melbourne – How Do You Choose?
On average you’ll find hotel rooms in Melbourne CBD for around $150-200. Most people will read reviews and use a booking engine to help them make that purchase decision. Yet when hiring a lawyer, which can cost thousands of dollars, people just roll the dice.
At FirmChecker, we collect and verify independent ratings and client reviews of the best lawyers in Melbourne. We do this because getting the right lawyer can make a big difference to your life – much bigger than an unpleasant experience in a hotel.
It’s crucial to make the right decision.
Tip 1: look at their experience – not just their FirmChecker score.
A lot of law firms will tell you that they’re excellent in commercial law. They might have really good ratings, but if you drill down to their experience those ratings might be in the wrong area of law. It’s not worth taking a gamble.
Tip 2: Fixed fee clients are happier on average
Look at the fee arrangements different lawyers offer. If you’re like most people – the peace of mind associated with a fixed fee will be worth it. Ask about alternative fee structures to the standard hourly rate to avoid nasty surprises if things change.
Tip 3: You can read each individual review by going to the FirmChecker profiles in the link below.
If you leave a review of a provider you’ve previously used – you’ll get access to all of our data. This article is just a high level summary – our powerful search engine can help you the best lawyers in Melbourne for exactly what you need.
Legalite, Cremorne
Main areas of practice: Commercial & Business, Intellectual Property & Technology
Legalite’s an innovative firm that specialises in advising franchising businesses. They’re very highly regarded by their clients and have won awards for their no-fuss service.
We’d recommend Legalite for startups and small businesses from many industries, particularly franchising.
Legalite profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Cremorne, VIC
Law Squared, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Commercial & Business, Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Law Squared are another good option for small businesses, and also have a spin-off business for startups called ‘Cubed’. It has a broader range of services than Legalite and is a multi-city practice. However, it has fewer reviews for us to judge them by than Legalite.
Overall, Law Squared has a good reputation for providing fixed fees and going against the grain of traditional law firms – and their clients seem to love their work.
Law Squared profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Aptum Legal
Main areas of practice: Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Aptum is an upcoming, progressive commercial litigation specialist firm, with a focus on fee transparency. They are very highly rated for understanding their clients’ needs.
Aptum Legal profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Buchanan Law Firm
Main areas of practice: Intellectual Property & Technology
Buchanan Law Firm is a leading boutique specialist in intellectual property. Winner of a 2020 Client Choice Award, it has a proven track record of outstanding service with detailed, thoughtful reviews.
Buchanan Law Firm profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Brighton
Burns IP & Commercial, Cremorne
Main areas of practice: Intellectual Property & Technology, Commercial & Business
As the name suggests, these lawyers are experts in intellectual property matters. In particular, they have many satisfied clients for whom they’ve done trade mark registrations, patent applications and non-disclosure agreements. They service both local and international clients.
Burns IP & Commercial profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Cremorne, VIC
Clarendon Lawyers, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Commercial & Business (Corporate M&A), Consumer & Competition
Clarendon Lawyers specialise in mergers and acquisition work in the corporate world. While they’re a boutique firm, focus on big-end-of-town work. This is why you’ll save time signing up for a FirmChecker account and looking at individual reviews – it’s not always enough to just look at the rating and work-type summary.
While they’re great at what they do, they’re unlikely to come in at a price-point that’s compelling for most small business legal work.
Clarendon Lawyers profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
MIA Contract Lawyers, Carlton
Main areas of practice: Commercial & Business, Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Primarily a business firm that have broad business experience across a range of industries, but with a specialist focus on contracts. They can be trusted for high quality legal work and have a demonstrated track-record of good client service.
MIA Contract Lawyers profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Carlton
Moores, Hawthorn
Main areas of practice: Wills & Estates, Employment & Industrial
Based in Hawthorn, Moores is a generalist firm with a track record in Wills, Workplace Law, Family Law and Commercial Law. A good option for clients based in the inner East of Melbourne who want personalised service without having to trek into the city.
Moores profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Hawthorn
PH Solicitor/SportsLawyer, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Employment & Industrial, Dispute Resolution & Litigation
A prime example of why drilling down into work-type matters. This firm provides niche expertise in employment disputes with a focus on the sports industry.
PH Solicitor profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Nicholas O’Donohue & Co, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Wills & Estates, Dispute Resolution & Litigation
This firm has good ratings overall in Wills & Estates and Dispute Resolution. They’re a generalist, more traditional firm who have been around for 90 years. Although they have good ratings, their sample size is a little thin.
Nicholas O’Donohue and Co profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Best Hooper, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Property & Planning
Best Hooper are specialists in local government and town planning. They also perform well in property and commercial areas. They have a good sample-size of satisfied clients. Accordingly, you can trust their rating.
Best Hooper profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Madgwicks Lawyers, Melbourne
Main areas of practice: Commercial & Business, Employment & Industrial
Madgwicks is one of the largest firms on this list, providing a full suite of services with a focus on business.
They’re a good option if you’re looking for traditional legal expertise and you’re a larger business or high net worth individual. If there you’re a startup or small business you should look elsewhere on this list.
Madgwicks Lawyers profile and reviews
View all Lawyers in Melbourne
Further reading
3 Key Tips for Choosing the Right Lawyer. We look at what matters most when selecting a lawyer to make sure you have a good experience.
9 Soft Skills the Best Lawyers Use. It’s not always technical expertise that sets lawyers apart – sometimes it’s the soft skills that matter. Here’s what to look for.
5 Key Tips to Choose the Right Accountant. How to make sure you get value for money.