Building & Construction Lawyers

A written building contract is often required by law and is essential for protecting everyone involved in a project. Our building lawyers prepare clear, user-friendly contract templates that comply with Australian and state-based legislation, including: Security of Payment Acts Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Act Home building legislation Applicable design and building practitioner regimes. Our templates range from straightforward domestic building contracts through to bespoke commercial head contracts, subcontracts, design and construct agreements, consultancy agreements, and supply contracts. We tailor each document to your business model, project pipeline, and risk appetite, then walk you through how to use, populate, and administer it on real projects so your team can roll it out with confidence. Where you operate under principal-issued contracts such as AS 4000, AS 4902, AS 4905, GC21, or PC1, we can also prepare standard amendment schedules so your position remains consistent from project to project.

Before we negotiate anything, we take the time to understand your commercial position, project risk profile, scope of works, and program. That up-front investment means our negotiation strategy is targeted: we protect what matters most to your project while preserving the working relationship with the principal or head contractor. Our construction lawyers bring extensive industry experience to every matter. We identify the clauses that genuinely shift risk, including: Time bars and liquidated damages caps Indemnities and set-off rights Fitness-for-purpose obligations Latent condition regimes and design responsibility We deliver contract markups, schedules of departures, side letters, and negotiation playbooks, and where the matter warrants it, we lead negotiations directly with the other side and their legal team.

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every construction business. If money is owed to you, the right strategy depends on the size of the debt, the strength of your contractual position, and the realistic prospects of recovery. We advise on claims under the Security of Payment Acts in every Australian jurisdiction, including: Payment claims and payment schedules Adjudication applications and responses Enforcement of adjudication determinations Statutory demands and letters of demand Suspension of works and set-off under contract Contractors' charges and trust account claims Recovery proceedings in relevant courts and tribunals On the defence side, our construction lawyers help respondents resist unjustified payment claims, contest jurisdictional facts, and challenge determinations through judicial review where appropriate. Our advice is always commercial: we tell you what your options realistically look like, what they will cost, and what they are likely to recover.

A construction dispute can stall programs, trigger funding issues, sour key relationships, and escalate costs quickly if it isn't managed early and well. We develop dispute resolution strategies tailored to the status of your project, the terms of your contract, and the relevant legislation. Our construction dispute lawyers act on: Variation disputes and extension of time claims Defect and latent condition claims Scope and design disputes Termination and repudiation Professional negligence claims against consultants Insurance recovery We run matters through contractual dispute resolution procedures, expert determination, mediation, adjudication, arbitration, and litigation in state and federal courts and specialist tribunals. Wherever possible, our goal is resolution that is fast, cost-effective, and protective of both your immediate commercial interests and your long-term reputation in the market.