Property · Conveyancing · Leases
Property law, by lawyers who have read more Gawler contracts than most agents have drafted.
A property transaction is the biggest financial decision most families ever make. The legal work behind it should be the smallest worry. That is what we are for.
What we handle
Every kind of property work, from the standard to the awkward.
Property transactions are a big decision and a significant matter for most people. We have been doing them in the Gawler region since 1986 — residential, rural, commercial, off-the-plan, the lot.
On the buying and selling side, we handle the Contract for Sale, the cooling-off period, stamp duty calculations, lender requirements, title searches, settlement and exchange. On the development side, we handle subdivisions, building contracts, and the council approvals that always take longer than anyone expects.
When property goes sideways — a building dispute, a boundary disagreement, a defective fence, a neighbour with a different view of the easement — we work the matter the same way: write the right letter first, escalate only when we need to, and stop the moment it stops being economic to fight.
If you are here because…
Three reasons most property files start.
You have a contract in front of you.
Send it to us today. We will read it, ring you back, and tell you exactly which clauses to worry about and which are standard. Cooling-off and settlement deadlines do not wait, and most expensive mistakes happen here.
You are buying your first home.
The agent works for the vendor. The conveyancer who comes free with the loan is usually fine, until something is not standard. For a few hundred dollars more, you get a real lawyer reading your contract.
There is a dispute over a fence, easement or boundary.
Almost every one of these starts as a small misunderstanding and becomes expensive only when one side digs in. A properly worded letter from us resolves a surprising number of them in a week.
Common questions
The questions almost every first caller asks.
A conveyancer can handle a standard contract, but every contract becomes non-standard the moment something goes wrong — late settlement, undisclosed defects, finance falling through, a caveat appearing on title. A property lawyer can handle all of those without referring you on.
Before you sign it. The cooling-off period exists for a reason but it is short and conditional. We can usually read and advise on a residential contract within 24 hours of receiving it.
We quote a fixed fee for standard residential conveyancing, with disbursements (search fees, title transfers, etc.) on top. We tell you the total before you commit. Complex transactions are quoted separately.
We coordinate with the bank, the other side's lawyer or conveyancer, and the Lands Titles Office. You sign the transfer documents in our office a few days before. On the settlement day itself, you do not need to do anything — you just get the call to confirm it has settled.
Yes, and we strongly recommend you have one of us read the contract before you sign. Off-the-plan contracts have features (sunset clauses, variation rights, building staging) that catch most buyers out at least once.
Start with a single letter from us to the neighbour, setting out the law (Fences Act 1975 SA) and what we propose. That fixes most disputes. If it does not, the next step is the Magistrates Court Civil Division, and we can act for you there.
We'll call you back the same business day.
Tell us briefly what's happening. Steven will call you back for a free 15-minute conversation, the same business day. No obligation, no pressure to engage us afterwards.
Thank you. We'll be in touch today.
Your message is with our team. If it's urgent, you're welcome to call us directly on (08) 8522 6025.