Law Plus Business & Commercial Lawyers for Small Business
Practical legal support for the everyday realities of running a business — from your first contract to selling up and moving on.
Business & commercial law
Legal advice that speaks your language
Running a business means making decisions with legal consequences almost every day — signing a lease, taking on a business partner, hiring staff, agreeing to a supplier's terms. Most owners don't need a law lecture; they need to know what they're actually agreeing to, where the risks sit, and what a sensible next step looks like. That's exactly how we work.
We act for sole traders, family businesses, startups and established companies across Australia. Whether you're setting up for the first time, formalising an arrangement that's been running on a handshake, or preparing to sell the business you've spent years building, we give you clear advice, plain-English documents and pricing you know before we start.
And because we're a small-business firm ourselves, we understand that time and cash flow matter. We won't bury you in paperwork or bill you for work you didn't ask for.
What we help with
Our business and commercial work covers the full life cycle of a small business:
- Business structures — choosing between sole trader, partnership, company or trust, and setting it up properly from day one.
- Contracts — drafting and reviewing supplier agreements, service contracts, distribution arrangements and contractor agreements.
- Buying or selling a business — due diligence, contract negotiation, and managing the transaction through to settlement.
- Shareholder and partnership agreements — clear rules for decision-making, profit sharing, exits and disputes, so a disagreement doesn't sink the business.
- Commercial terms and conditions — terms of trade that actually protect you when a customer pays late, cancels or disputes an invoice.
How we work
- A free 15-minute consultation to understand your situation.
- A clear scope and price before any chargeable work begins.
- Fixed fees available for contract reviews, business sale documents and shareholder agreements.
- Documents written in plain English you can actually use.
Fixed-fee options, not open-ended bills
Most business owners delay getting legal advice because they fear the cost more than the problem. We think that's backwards — an unsigned contract reviewed early is almost always cheaper than a dispute untangled later. That's why we offer fixed fees for defined pieces of work like contract reviews, terms and conditions, and business sale documentation. You'll know the price before we lift a pen.
For larger or less predictable matters — a complex purchase with extended due diligence, for example — we'll give you a written costs estimate and keep you updated if anything changes. No surprises, no invoices you weren't expecting.
If you're not sure whether your issue needs a lawyer at all, ask us. Sometimes the honest answer is that you can handle it yourself, and we'll tell you so.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
You can register a company yourself, but choosing the wrong structure — sole trader, partnership, company or trust — can cost you in tax, personal liability and flexibility later. A short conversation upfront is usually far cheaper than restructuring down the track.
A shareholder agreement governs the relationship between owners of a company; a partnership agreement does the same for partners in a partnership. Both set out how decisions are made, how profits are shared, and what happens when someone wants to leave or a dispute arises.
Yes. We review supplier agreements, service contracts, distribution arrangements and commercial terms and conditions. We flag the clauses that matter, explain your risks in plain English and suggest practical changes you can take back to the other party.
Fixed fees are available for many business services, including contract reviews, business sale documents and standard shareholder agreements. Where a fixed fee doesn't suit the matter, we give you a written costs estimate before any chargeable work begins.
Typically: reviewing the contract of sale, conducting due diligence on the business's finances, contracts, leases and employees, negotiating amendments, and managing the transfer through to settlement. We guide you through each stage and keep the deal moving.