Consultation Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of these terms

By booking, providing a payment method, paying for, rescheduling, cancelling or attending a consultation with us, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.

In these terms, “we”, “us” and “our” means Leyton Stone Law Pty Ltd. “You” means the person booking or attending the consultation and, where applicable, any person on whose behalf the consultation is booked.

2. Types of consultations

We may offer both free consultations and paid consultations.

• Free consultations are generally short preliminary discussions to understand your enquiry, identify whether we may be able to assist, and explain next steps.
• Paid consultations are consultations for which a consultation fee applies. The fee is the amount published on the booking page at the time you book.

We may change the types, availability, duration, scope and price of consultations from time to time. Changes do not affect a booking already confirmed unless we agree otherwise with you.

3. Booking process

• Consultations may be booked through our website, online booking platform, email process or another method we approve.
• You must provide accurate and complete booking information, including your name, contact details and a brief description of your enquiry.
• You must not book a consultation using false, misleading or incomplete information.
• For paid consultations, we may require you to provide and store a valid payment method before confirming or proceeding with the consultation.
• We may decline, cancel or reschedule a consultation if we identify a conflict, if the booking is inappropriate, if the matter is outside our scope of practice, if payment details are not provided where required, or if we are otherwise unable to assist.

4. Paid consultation fees and payment method

• The fee for a paid consultation is the fee published on the booking page at the time of booking.
• Unless we expressly state otherwise in writing, paid consultations are charged after the consultation has been provided.
• We may require you to provide and store a valid payment method before confirming or proceeding with a paid consultation.
• Providing a payment method does not mean that payment has been taken. The consultation fee will generally be charged after the consultation has been provided.
• If you cancel less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time, or you do not attend, we may charge the consultation fee as a late cancellation or non-attendance fee.
• Payment of a consultation fee is for the consultation only. It is not a deposit, retainer or payment for future legal work unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing.
• Any future legal work will be subject to a separate written costs disclosure, costs agreement, engagement letter or other written confirmation from us.
• Where GST, card fees, platform fees or other charges apply, these will be shown or dealt with through the booking or payment process where required.

5. Cancellation, rescheduling and late cancellation fees

• If you cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time, no consultation fee will be charged, or any payment authorisation will be released where applicable.
• If you cancel less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time, we may charge the consultation fee as a late cancellation fee.
• If you do not attend the consultation, or you are too late for the consultation to proceed properly, we may charge the consultation fee as a non-attendance fee.
• If we cancel or reschedule a paid consultation and cannot offer a reasonable alternative time, no consultation fee will be charged.
• If we have already charged you in circumstances where a refund is required by law or expressly agreed by us, refunds will generally be processed back to the original payment method where reasonably possible.
• Nothing in these terms limits any non-excludable rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable law.

6. No payment in advance unless expressly arranged

Unless we expressly state otherwise in writing, we do not accept payment of consultation fees before the consultation has been provided. If we determine that any payment would be money received in advance for legal costs, we may decline to receive that payment, refund it, or deal with it in accordance with applicable legal profession and trust accounting obligations.

7. Free consultations

• Free consultations are offered at our discretion and subject to availability.
• We may limit, refuse, cancel or reschedule a free consultation at our discretion, including where a person has previously received a free consultation from us.
• A free consultation is not intended to be a full legal advice session unless we expressly say otherwise.
• If you need detailed advice, document review, urgent advice, written advice or advice on a complex matter, you may be directed to book a paid consultation or formally engage us.

8. Scope and nature of consultation

A consultation is limited to the time booked and the information available to us at that time. Unless expressly agreed in writing, a consultation does not include:

• preparation or lodgement of any application, form, submission or document;
• detailed review of evidence, correspondence, legislation, policy or case law;
• written legal advice;
• ongoing advice after the consultation;
• urgent action, deadline management or representation; or
• acceptance of responsibility for your matter or any deadline.

Any information or preliminary advice given during a consultation is based on the information you provide. If the information is incomplete, inaccurate or later changes, our comments or advice may no longer be applicable.

9. No solicitor-client retainer unless confirmed in writing

Booking, providing a payment method, paying for or attending a consultation does not automatically create an ongoing solicitor-client relationship or legal retainer.

A solicitor-client retainer for further legal work is only established when we confirm in writing that we have agreed to act for you, any required conflict checks are complete, and any required costs disclosure, costs agreement or engagement documents have been accepted.

10. Costs disclosure and future legal work

If we agree to provide legal services beyond a consultation, we will address legal costs separately. This may include a written costs disclosure, costs agreement, engagement confirmation or quote, depending on the nature and estimated cost of the work.

Legal costs must be fair and reasonable. Where required, we will provide information about the basis on which legal costs are calculated, an estimate of total legal costs, and information about your rights in relation to legal costs.

11. Your responsibilities

• You must provide accurate, complete and timely information.
• You must tell us if there are any urgent deadlines, visa expiry dates, refusal dates, cancellation notices, court or tribunal deadlines, or other time-sensitive issues.
• You must ensure you have a suitable device, internet connection and private environment for any online consultation.
• You must attend on time. If you are late, the consultation may still end at the scheduled finish time.
• You must ensure your stored payment method is valid and has sufficient funds where a paid consultation or late cancellation/non-attendance fee is payable.
• You must behave respectfully and lawfully during the consultation.

12. Documents and information provided before a consultation

You may provide documents or information before a consultation if requested or permitted by the booking process. Unless we expressly agree otherwise, providing documents before a consultation does not mean we have reviewed them in detail before the consultation.

We may decline to open attachments, links or files that appear unsafe, excessive, irrelevant or unsuitable for preliminary review.

13. Third parties attending consultations

If you want another person to attend the consultation, you must tell us. We may ask for confirmation that you consent to that person being present and hearing confidential or personal information.

We may refuse to proceed with a consultation if we are concerned about confidentiality, conflict, undue influence, identity, authority or professional obligations.

14. Recording consultations

You must not record, livestream, transcribe or distribute a consultation without our prior written consent.

We may make file notes or internal records of the consultation for legal practice, risk management, professional responsibility and administrative purposes.

15. Privacy, payment information and confidentiality

We handle personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, confidentiality obligations and professional obligations.

Payment details may be collected, stored and processed by third party payment or practice management providers. We do not require you to send card details by email.

Information you provide to us may be confidential or legally privileged in some circumstances. However, confidentiality and privilege can be affected if third parties attend, if information is shared publicly, or if disclosure is required or authorised by law.

16. Technology and third party platforms

Consultations may be conducted by phone, Microsoft Teams or another platform we nominate. Bookings, payment method storage, payments, forms, reminders and communications may involve third party technology providers.

We take reasonable steps to use appropriate systems, but we are not responsible for interruptions, outages, access issues, delays, platform errors or technical failures outside our reasonable control.

17. No guarantee of outcome

Migration law outcomes depend on legislation, policy, evidence, decision-makers, deadlines and your individual circumstances. We do not guarantee any visa, sponsorship, nomination, review, waiver, skills assessment, professional outcome, timeframe or result.

18. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for loss arising from your failure to provide accurate information, your failure to identify urgent deadlines, your failure to obtain further advice, technology failures outside our reasonable control, or reliance on comments made in a consultation after circumstances or instructions change.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, professional obligation or other right that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified.

19. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The current version will be published on our website and will apply from the date it is posted, unless stated otherwise.

20. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. The courts and tribunals of New South Wales have jurisdiction in relation to any dispute arising from these terms, subject to any applicable legal or professional regulatory process.

21. Contact details