When you buy a home in Victoria, the conveyancing bill usually has two parts: the professional fee for the conveyancer or lawyer's work, and disbursements, which are amounts they pay to others on your behalf. Around that bill sit other purchase costs, such as land transfer duty, that are not conveyancing fees but often pass through settlement.
This guide explains what you are paying for, what quotes often leave out, and how a free automated report differs from paid conveyancing. It does not give typical prices. There is no official fee schedule, and prices vary with the property and the provider, so the only reliable figure is a written quote for your purchase.
What are conveyancing fees?
They are what you pay a licensed conveyancer or property lawyer to handle the legal side of your purchase. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends getting written quotes from several providers and discussing all the disbursements with them.
| Part of the bill | What it is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Professional fee | The charge for the representative's own work | Reviewing the contract, advising you, preparing documents, attending to settlement |
| Disbursements | Costs paid to third parties for you, often passed on at cost | Title and property searches, certificates, settlement platform fees |
| GST | Usually charged on the professional fee, and on some disbursements | Check whether the quote shows prices with or without GST |
Costs that are not conveyancing fees
Some costs often get mixed up with conveyancing because they are paid around settlement. Consumer Affairs Victoria lists the upfront costs of buying as including legal and conveyancing fees, loan establishment fees, land transfer duty, GST where applicable, building and pest inspections, an asbestos assessment for older homes, and moving costs.
- Land transfer duty (stamp duty) is a state tax, usually the largest of these. The State Revenue Office explains how it is worked out and which concessions may apply.
- Settlement adjustments for council rates and other charges are worked out between you and the seller based on the settlement date. They are part of what you pay at settlement, not a fee.
- Lender fees and inspections are paid to your lender and inspector, not to your conveyancer.
Keeping these separate makes quotes easier to compare, because a quote for conveyancing will not include them.
What changes the price
The fee for your purchase can depend on:
- The type of property. An established house, an apartment with owners corporation documents, vacant land and off-the-plan purchases involve different work.
- How complicated the contract is. Unusual special conditions, title issues or a lot of negotiation take more time.
- Timing. A very short settlement or an auction this weekend may limit who can help and how quickly.
- How many contracts you need reviewed. If you are looking at several properties, ask whether each pre-signing review is charged separately.
What quotes often leave out
A low headline price is hard to judge until you know what is excluded. Ask the provider directly:
- Is the review before I sign included, or charged separately?
- Does the price change if the purchase does not go ahead?
- Is advice on changes to special conditions included?
- Are owners corporation documents or off-the-plan contracts extra?
- Which disbursements are estimates, and which are fixed?
- Is there an extra charge for a short or rushed settlement?
Also check who you are dealing with. Consumer Affairs Victoria says conveyancers must be licensed and lawyers must hold a current practising certificate, and both must carry professional indemnity insurance.
Doing it yourself
You can do your own conveyancing in Victoria. Consumer Affairs Victoria notes that you would not then have the professional indemnity insurance a lawyer or conveyancer carries if something goes wrong, and suggests using a professional if you are not confident.
A free automated report is not conveyancing
AI4Convey gives you a free automated report on a Victorian contract of sale and Section 32. It reads the contract and emails you a plain-English summary of the key dates, the clauses that could cost you money and what the special conditions do, usually in about five minutes.
That is not conveyancing. It does not give legal advice, manage your dates, prepare documents or attend to settlement, and it does not reduce what a conveyancer charges. A licensed conveyancer or property lawyer from our panel receives the same report and may contact you; any service you choose to engage is separate and priced by them. Where the report helps is in getting your questions ready before you ask for quotes or advice.
To see where fees fit in the wider purchase, read our step-by-step conveyancing guide. If you are new to all of this, start with what conveyancing is.
Before you ask for quotes
Have the property address, the contract and Section 32 if you have them, your expected settlement date and whether the sale is private or at auction. Providers can quote more accurately when they know what they are quoting for. If you already have the documents and haven't signed, you can get a free automated report to help prepare for those conversations.
Sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria, Seek expert advice on property and Planning to buy property; State Revenue Office Victoria, Land transfer duty. Checked 12 October 2026.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. AI4Convey is not a law firm or a licensed conveyancer. Always have a licensed conveyancer or lawyer review your full contract before you sign or settle.