Written by: John Greenhalgh, Director, Family Law (Updated: 3 November 2026)
Do Lawyers Charge for Every Phone Call? Understanding Family Law Fees and Fixed-Fee Alternatives
Worried about being charged every time you call your family lawyer? Discover how traditional legal billing works and how fixed-fee options, including Greenhalgh Pickard’s Family Law Resolve, can make legal costs more predictable.
When facing a separation or parenting dispute, many people hesitate to contact their lawyer because they fear every minute is ticking away on an expensive invoice.
It’s a common concern. Do you really want to pay for a six-minute phone call just to ask a simple question?
Unfortunately, holding back can allow relatively minor problems to develop into more serious disputes.
Understanding how lawyers charge, and the alternatives available, can help you manage your family law matter with greater confidence and less financial uncertainty.
At Greenhalgh Pickard, we offer fixed-fee family law services, including GP Family Law Resolve, a $3,000 per month arrangement designed to give clients ongoing access to legal advice and assistance without the usual hourly billing for work covered by the plan.
How Lawyers Bill for Phone Calls and Emails
Under traditional time-based billing, solicitors generally charge according to their hourly rate, often broken down into six-minute increments.
For example, a four-minute telephone call may be charged as one six-minute unit, while an eight-minute discussion may be charged as two units.
Queensland’s Legal Profession Act 2007 requires law practices to disclose how legal costs are calculated and provide cost estimates in circumstances where disclosure obligations apply.
For clients, however, knowing how the bill is calculated doesn’t necessarily remove the anxiety associated with making contact.
When every telephone call, email or discussion potentially adds to the bill, clients may begin rationing their communication with their solicitor.
In family law matters, this can result in:
- Unnecessary emotional stress while second-guessing legal rights and obligations.
- Important information being overlooked in property or parenting negotiations.
- Decisions being made without appropriate legal advice.
- Small disagreements escalating into more expensive disputes.
Sometimes a five-minute conversation at the right time can prevent weeks of unnecessary conflict.
How Fixed-Fee Legal Billing Works in Family Law
Fixed-fee legal services provide an alternative to traditional hourly billing.
Rather than charging for every six-minute increment, the lawyer and client agree on a price for a clearly defined scope of work.
This gives clients greater certainty about their costs and allows them to make informed decisions about how to progress their matter.
At Greenhalgh Pickard, we offer fixed-fee services for various stages of family law matters, including initial advice, strategy planning, negotiation and formalising agreements.
For example, our fixed-fee Strategy & Action Plan provides clients with written advice, a practical action plan and a costed roadmap for the next steps in their matter.
Where additional work is required, the scope and pricing can be agreed before proceeding.
For clients who need ongoing assistance throughout their separation, we also offer a different approach.
GP Family Law Resolve: Ongoing Legal Support for $3,000 per Month
One of the biggest frustrations with traditional legal billing is the feeling that you cannot pick up the phone without incurring another charge.
Our GP Family Law Resolve service is designed to address exactly that concern.
For $3,000 per month, including GST, eligible clients have access to ongoing family law advice and assistance within an agreed scope, without being charged separately for every telephone call or email.
Resolve is designed for clients who want their family law matter actively managed towards an agreement, particularly where there is a realistic prospect of resolving parenting or property issues without court proceedings.
The monthly fee includes services such as:
- Ongoing legal advice by telephone, email or video.
- Reviewing and advising on correspondence from the other party or their solicitor.
- Communicating and negotiating with the former partner or their legal representatives.
- Preparing settlement proposals and offers.
- Assistance with financial disclosure.
- Parenting and property negotiations.
- Regular reviews of strategy and progress.
- Preparing written summaries of agreed terms and parenting plans where appropriate.
The real benefit is that clients can raise questions as issues arise, knowing that routine communication within the agreed service is covered by their monthly fee.
There’s also no long-term lock-in contract, and the service can be stopped when the matter is resolved. A pause option is available when appropriate.
What’s Not Included?
Resolve focuses on ongoing advice, negotiation and reaching an agreement without court proceedings.
Some services are priced separately, including court proceedings and appearances, mediation attendance, consent orders, binding financial agreements, certain complex superannuation work, and external expenses such as barristers, experts and valuations.
These additional services are quoted separately before proceeding.
Resolve is offered following our Strategy & Action Plan, once we have assessed whether the arrangement is appropriate for the client’s circumstances.
For suitable matters, it provides a more predictable way of accessing continuing legal support throughout the negotiation process.
Learn more about GP Family Law Resolve and our fixed-fee family law services.
Is Any Legal Question Too Small to Ring About?
When it comes to family law, seemingly minor questions can have significant consequences.
A simple conversation about separating bank accounts, changing residential locks, responding to a difficult message or agreeing on temporary parenting arrangements can help prevent misunderstandings and unnecessary disputes.
Clients sometimes hesitate to ask these questions because they are concerned about the additional cost.
Yet early advice is often one of the most effective ways to manage the financial and emotional pressures associated with separation.
Some practical steps include:
- Keeping a list of non-urgent questions to discuss with your solicitor.
- Seeking early advice before making decisions about shared financial assets.
- Asking for guidance before agreeing to significant changes in parenting arrangements.
- Contacting your lawyer promptly when informal negotiations begin to break down.
Under a suitable fixed-fee arrangement, including our Resolve service, clients can maintain regular communication with their legal team without the uncertainty of additional time-based charges for covered work.
This encourages questions to be raised early, when issues may be easier to resolve.
Why Predictable Legal Fees Matter
Family law disputes can be stressful enough without the added uncertainty of accumulating legal costs.
Knowing what legal assistance will cost makes it easier to budget, seek advice when needed and remain actively involved in resolving your matter.
At Greenhalgh Pickard, our approach is to provide clear advice, transparent pricing and practical pathways towards resolution.
Whether you need an initial consultation, a fixed-fee strategy plan or ongoing assistance through GP Family Law Resolve, we aim to ensure you understand both the work being undertaken and the associated costs.
Key Takeaways
Good communication with your family lawyer is essential to resolving disputes efficiently.
Traditional hourly billing remains common, but fixed-fee services can provide a practical alternative for clients who want greater certainty over their legal expenses.
With GP Family Law Resolve, suitable clients can access ongoing legal advice and negotiation assistance for $3,000 per month, including GST, without worrying about a separate bill for every routine call or email covered by their agreement.
If you’re facing separation, property settlement or parenting issues and would like to understand the options available, contact Greenhalgh Pickard’s family law team.
Contact Greenhalgh Pickard to discuss your family law matter and whether Resolve is right for you.
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Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. It does not take into account your personal circumstances and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional legal advice. Family law outcomes depend on individual circumstances and the discretion of the court. For advice about your specific situation, please contact Greenhalgh Pickard on (07) 5444 1022.
Greenhalgh Pickard’s Family Law Team
