Practice area

Construction & Infrastructure

Assess the contract, project records and applicable payment or dispute process together. Verify notices, time limits, variations and supporting quantities before relying on a draft claim or response.

Key facts

Tasks covered: 31
Tasks with a step-by-step checklist: 9
Local differences: 2 jurisdictions where this area changes

Jurisdiction

Tasks

GreenLawyer reviewYellowClose supervisionRedLawyer-led

Tasks in Construction & Infrastructure
Task	How AI is used	Human involvement	What the lawyer must review
Prepare and check a progress-payment claim before it is servedStart this task See suggested levels	Draft a progress-payment claim structure from the schedule of rates or invoices, and list reference-date and endorsement points still to confirm.	RedLawyer-led	Apply the security-of-payment or prompt-payment rules for the site Check reference dates, endorsements and service windows; they differ and are fatal if wrong
Prepare and check a progress-payment claim under the state security-of-payment ActChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Draft a progress-payment claim structure from the schedule of rates or invoices, and list reference-date and endorsement points to confirm under the state Act.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm the Act: NSW BCISP 1999, Vic SOP 2002, Qld BIF 2017, SA BCISOP 2009, ACT BCISP 2009 Confirm WA SOP Act 2021 (CCA 2004 for older contracts), NT or Tas as applicable Check the reference date, service window and endorsement (NSW, Vic, Qld) Diarise the schedule deadline in business days NSW residential work from 20 August 2024: check s 8(2) bars unlicensed or uninsured contractors Check amounts line by line
Prepare a Construction Contracts Act 2002 payment claimChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the contract details, the claimed amount, the period and the supporting invoices, and set them out as a reference list for the lawyer. The tool drafts no part of the payment claim and supplies no skeleton or suggested wording for it. Against the claim the lawyer has written, check the statutory particulars and the service details.	RedLawyer-led	Prepare the claim under the Construction Contracts Act 2002 Do not use a NSW claim form or an East Coast SOP due date Check retention money: the rules from 5 October 2023 do not apply to homeowner contracts
Check a construction payment claim against the state prompt-pay or lien statuteChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract claimed amounts, dates of work and notice dates into a timeline.	RedLawyer-led	Do not use an Australian SOP form Open the state lien or prompt-pay statute and the contract Verify every generated statutory reference (Formal Opinion 512)
Check a New South Wales payment claim against the current Act before it is servedChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the named month, the claimed amount, the contract payment date and any supporting-statement attachment into a checking list.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm coverage, service timing and the section 11 class Approve the claim that is actually served Do not let the checking list decide those points
Check an ACT payment claim against the current Act before it is givenChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the calendar month, the claimed amount, the contract payment day and the description of the work into a checking list.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm the Act covers the contract Check the calendar-month timing Use the earlier of the two section 13 dates as the due date Approve the claim that is given
Check a Queensland payment claim under the Building Industry Fairness Act before it is givenChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the reference date, the claimed amount, the contract payment clause and any supporting-statement attachment into a checking list.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm the Act, the reference date and the section 73 due date Approve the claim that is given Do not let the checking list decide those points
Calculate the Victorian dates for a payment claim and a payment scheduleChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the service date, any shorter contract time, and the month of the work from the payment claim and the contract into a date list.	RedLawyer-led	Work the dates from the authorised Act Use the Commission pages only as a check on what was read, not as the calculation
Calculate the Tasmanian dates for a payment claim and a payment scheduleChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the reference date, the date of service, the contract payment period, and whether the respondent is described as an owner or a building practitioner into a date list.	RedLawyer-led	Apply sections 4A, 15, 17 and 19 to the contract and the parties Read the CBOS making-a-claim page beside the Act Take the date from the Act
Check a Western Australian payment claim under the 2021 Act before it is givenChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the contract date, whether the claimant is a head contractor or a subcontractor, the named month and the contract payment clause into a checking list.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm the commencement position, the named month and the section 20 class Approve the claim that is given Do not let the checking list decide those points
Check a South Australian payment claim against the authorised 2009 Act before it is servedChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the reference date, the claimed amount, the contract payment date and the premises where the work is carried out into a checking list.	RedLawyer-led	Confirm coverage and the service window Read both limbs of section 11 Approve the claim that is served Do not rely on the checking list to supply the missing due-date limb
Work out whether a Northern Territory payment dispute is still inside the 65 working daysChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the payment-claim date, the contract payment clause, and the date of any dispute, rejection or non-payment into a dated table.	RedLawyer-led	Decide whether section 8 is met and whether the 65 working days are still open Approve any application that is served Do not let the dated table decide that the dispute has arisen
Draft the payment schedule and adjudication responseStart this task See suggested levels	Draft a payment schedule or adjudication response from the claim, the contract and the reasons on the file, mapping each disputed item to a document.	RedLawyer-led	Calendar the statutory window yourself Attach every document cited Do not invent adjudication authorities
Draft the payment schedule and adjudication response under the state ActChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Draft a payment schedule or adjudication application or response from the claim, the contract and the reasons on the file, mapping each disputed item to a document.	RedLawyer-led	Lodge within the window: NSW s 17(3), 10 business days after receiving the schedule NSW: 20 after the due date if a scheduled amount is unpaid; 10 after the s 17(2) period if none Check the different Qld and WA windows Confirm the ANA is approved and diarise the determination deadline Attach every document Cite only determinations and cases you have located
Respond to a New Zealand payment claim with a CCA payment scheduleChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	List each claimed item and the file material that supports payment, withholding or dispute.	RedLawyer-led	Respond with a payment schedule under the Construction Contracts Act 2002 Do not use a Victorian form Check retention money if payment is held back on a commercial contract
Prepare a New South Wales payment schedule from reasons the lawyer will includeChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the claimed amount, the date the claim was served and the respondent’s instructed reasons into a payment-schedule shell.	RedLawyer-led	Fix the scheduled amount and each withholding reason Approve the schedule that is sent Remember a reason not in the schedule is not available in the adjudication response
Prepare an ACT payment schedule within the earlier of the contract time and 10 business daysChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the claimed amount, the day the claim was given and the respondent’s instructed reasons into a payment-schedule shell.	RedLawyer-led	Fix the scheduled amount and each withholding reason Approve the schedule that is sent Keep the adjudication response inside those reasons and the section 22 periods
Prepare a Queensland payment schedule, or count the section 79 adjudication windowChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the day the payment claim was given, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already served into a dated table.	RedLawyer-led	Set the scheduled amount and reasons, or identify the section 79 window Approve the document that is given Do not let the dated table choose the window
Calculate the Victorian adjudication application, response and determination datesChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the date the payment schedule was received, the due date for payment, and the date of any section 18(2) notice into a list of adjudication triggers.	RedLawyer-led	Choose the path and calculate each date from Authorised Version No. 015 Do not assume a single 10 business day period covers every application
Calculate the Tasmanian adjudication application, response and determination datesChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the date the payment schedule was received, the due date for payment, and the date of any notice of intention to apply into a list of adjudication triggers.	RedLawyer-led	Calculate each alternative from sections 21, 23, 24 and 28 Read the CBOS page with the Act Do not use a time that appears only on that page
Prepare a Western Australian payment schedule, or count when an adjudication application can be madeChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the day the payment claim was made, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already given into a dated table.	RedLawyer-led	Set the scheduled amount and reasons, or fix the day the entitlement to apply arises Approve the document that is given Do not let the dated table decide that day
Prepare a South Australian payment schedule, or count the section 17 adjudication windowChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the day the payment claim was served, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already served into a dated table.	RedLawyer-led	Set the scheduled amount and reasons, or name the section 17 limb Approve the document that is served Do not let the dated table choose the limb
Prepare a Northern Territory adjudication application or the 15-working-day responseChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Extract the day the application was served, the parties to be served and the contract documents attached into a service list.	RedLawyer-led	Settle the application or response Approve what is served; the service list does not decide the contents
Review a construction contract against the chosen standard formStart this task See suggested levels	Compare the draft to the named standard form, list departures on payment, variation, time-bar, risk allocation and dispute clauses, and produce an issues table.	YellowClose supervision	Identify the actual standard-form version Check time-bars and conditions precedent; they are the high-value traps Do not accept invented "industry standard" positions
Review a construction contract against AS 4000, AS 2124, GC21, NEC4 or FIDICChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Compare the draft to the named standard form, list departures on payment, variation, time-bar, risk and disputes, and flag whether the baseline is AS 4000:2025 or AS 4000-1997.	YellowClose supervision	Confirm the version: AS 4000:2025 (June 2025) moves default disputes to litigation Note AS 4000:2025 also updates PPSA, WHS and variation clauses Flag bespoke departures and every time-bar Decide whether each is a condition precedent (Peninsula Balmain v Abigroup (2002) 18 BCL 322) Apply ACL unfair terms (contracts to $5 million, from 9 November 2023) and PPSA
Prepare a variation or extension-of-time claim from the site recordsStart this task See suggested levels	From the contract, site diaries, programmes and correspondence, draft a variation or EOT claim with a chronology, clause references and a list of missing records.	YellowClose supervision	Check notice and time-bar clauses; missing them is fatal Check the claim against the actual clause and contemporaneous records
Build a defects schedule and draft the demand from the inspection reportsStart this task See suggested levels	Turn inspection reports into a defects schedule and a first-draft demand, with each item tagged to a report page and a list of limitation facts still needed.	YellowClose supervision	Confirm which building statute and limitation period apply Confirm expert reports meet the court's expert-witness code before they are served
Build a defects schedule and demand under the NSW DBPA, Home Building Act or Vic DBCAChecklist Start this task See suggested levels	Turn inspection reports into a defects schedule and draft demand, tagging each item to a report page and listing limitation facts needed under the applicable statute.	YellowClose supervision	Apply DBPA s 37: non-delegable, no proportionate liability Check Pafburn v The Owners – SP 84674 [2024] HCA 49 Note certifiers are outside the s 37 duty Check limitation: DBPA 10-year long-stop; HBA major 6, minor 2 years; Vic DBCA 10 years Class 2: check the strata building bond (rise from 2% to 3% deferred to 1 July 2028) Check cladding schemes and the expert code
Prepare a delay-and-quantum issues table from the experts' draftsStart this task See suggested levels	From delay reports and cost files, table critical-path allegations, concurrent-delay arguments and quantum heads with document cites.	YellowClose supervision	Decide causation and recoverable heads yourself Do not let a generated table become the expert's opinion
Draft construction-dispute pleadings or arbitration submissionsStart this task See suggested levels	Map each issue in the lawyer's issues table to the clause, notice or variation the lawyer has cited for it and to the documents in the evidence index, and set that mapping out as a cross-reference table which flags every issue with no document behind it and every notice or condition precedent with no document showing it was given in time. The table is a working tool for the lawyer: where a Scott Schedule or particulars will be filed or served, the lawyer writes the entries. From the source documents, compile a strictly tabular, source-tagged chronology of the delay events, notices, directions and claims, each row dated and tagged to the document it is drawn from, in date order and not in the order the pleading or memorial will take. Check the lawyer's draft against the form of pleading and particulars under the court rules, the List Statement requirements of the Technology and Construction List, or the tribunal's procedural order, on exhibit numbering, paragraph numbering, formatting and page limits. The tool writes no part of the pleading, the particulars or the memorial: in this task the document states the client's case and makes its admissions when it is filed or served, and the Scott Schedule that carries the pleaded particulars item by item goes out as drawn.	RedLawyer-led	The lawyer drafts the pleading, the particulars or the memorial, settles each allegation against the contract and the evidence, and writes the entries in any Scott Schedule or particulars that will be filed or served. Verify every cite, confirm whether the dispute-resolution clause sends the claim to court or to arbitration, and confirm each notice and condition precedent pleaded is supported by a document on the file. Decide yourself whether any notice was given in time and whether any time bar applies. The certification is personal to you and the tool cannot carry any part of it: in Victoria, that there is a proper basis for each allegation, denial and non-admission; in New South Wales, that a claim for damages has reasonable prospects of success.
Review tender and procurement documents for risk allocationStart this task See suggested levels	Compare the tender conditions, proposed contract and scope against the client's risk list; produce an issues table on design risk, time, payment and liability.	YellowClose supervision	Leave bid qualifications to the client as a commercial decision Check mandatory government-procurement rules if the principal is a public body
Draft contract-administration notices from the clause and the factsStart this task See suggested levels	Draft notices (default, suspension, termination, superintendent directions) that follow the contract's notice clause, with a service checklist.	YellowClose supervision	Check form, timing and who is authorised to issue the notice Get it right; a defective notice can lose the right
Draft or review a design novation packageStart this task See suggested levels	From the consultant appointments and the proposed D&C contract, draft a novation deed and a table of warranties, IP and professional-indemnity issues.	YellowClose supervision	Confirm the consultant's consent mechanics Confirm design liability sits where the client intends
Review a PPP or alliance project deed for a bid or disputeStart this task See suggested levels	Extract payment, KPIs, change, termination, interface and dispute clauses into an issues table with clause references.	YellowClose supervision	Read the deed itself; these deeds are fact-specific Do not advise from a generated summary of a 400-page deed
Build a notice-compliance register from the contract and correspondenceStart this task See suggested levels	Extract every notice obligation (time bars, variation, EOT, delay, latent conditions) into a register with trigger, form, addressee and whether the file shows a notice.	GreenLawyer review	Decide whether each notice was valid Check time-bar compliance; missing it can kill a claim
Assemble and lodge the adjudication application within the statutory windowStart this task See suggested levels	Build the item-by-item table of the payment claim against every reason for withholding in the payment schedule, index the contract, site records and payment history into the application bundle, and assist the lawyer with the submissions on entitlement under the lawyer's direction.	YellowClose supervision	Confirm the triggering event and the last day of the window against the applicable Act, confirm the nominating authority or registry is the correct one, and check that nothing in the submissions goes beyond the claim as served.
Serve a payment withholding request or subcontractors' charge to reach money held upstreamStart this task See suggested levels	Complete the approved form's particulars from the subcontract and the payment records, build the schedule of work and amounts claimed, and check the claim date against the statutory window. The supporting statutory declaration and the qualified person's certificate are the client's and the certifier's own, and the tool writes nothing into them.	YellowClose supervision	Confirm money is still owing up the chain, confirm the window has not closed, and advise the client what electing this remedy costs them before it is served.
Verify the head contractor's supporting statement before the payment claim is servedStart this task See suggested levels	Index the subcontract ledger and payment records against the subcontractor list for the claim period, list every subcontractor whose payment status is unconfirmed, disputed or outside the period, and compare the statement the head contractor has signed against the required contents of the approved form. The tool writes nothing into the statement.	RedLawyer-led	Check the reconciliation against the actual accounts, confirm the signatory can properly make the declaration, and confirm the statement accompanies the claim and covers the correct period.
File the adjudication certificate as a judgment debt and set the recovery routeStart this task See suggested levels	Reconcile the adjudicated amount against payments received to fix the unpaid balance, assemble the filing pack and covering material for the court, and draft the recovery step plan under the lawyer's direction. The affidavit of non-payment is the claimant's own sworn evidence and the tool writes nothing into it.	YellowClose supervision	Check the unpaid balance against the accounts, confirm the court's jurisdiction for the amount, and take the affidavit from the claimant yourself.
Build the project trust and retention money compliance register for the projectStart this task See suggested levels	Draft the register from the contract values, dates and retention terms, applying the threshold and account requirements of the applicable regime, and list the records and notices outstanding for each account.	GreenLawyer review	Confirm the contract values and the dates the thresholds were reached, confirm which contracts the regime actually catches, and advise on the consequence of an account that should have been opened and was not.
Build the statutory warranty and liability cut-off schedule for a residential building claimStart this task See suggested levels	Extract the completion, occupancy permit and certificate dates from the documents the lawyer identifies, tabulate each defect item from the inspection reports against the warranty period the lawyer has assigned to it, and flag every item whose source date is missing or inconsistent across the documents. The tool does not classify a defect or settle a date.	RedLawyer-led	Classify each defect and fix the trigger date yourself against the primary document, then check every barred and near-barred item before advising.
Check a residential building contract and the builder's licence against the statutory requirementsStart this task See suggested levels	Draft the compliance schedule by comparing the contract clause by clause against the statutory requirements and the prescribed terms, list the mandatory terms that are absent or altered, and record the licence and insurance particulars against the work described.	GreenLawyer review	Confirm the work is residential building work and which contract provisions of the Act apply, check the licence and insurance against the register rather than against the contract, and advise on the enforceability consequence of each gap.
Compare an adjudication determination against the application and response for review groundsStart this task See suggested levels	Compare the determination paragraph by paragraph against the adjudication application and response, index where each claimed item and each reason for withholding was dealt with, list the items and submissions the determination does not address, and date the review or challenge window. The tool does not identify or draft the grounds.	RedLawyer-led	Identify the grounds yourself from the comparison, confirm the window and the correct forum, and settle whether the point is jurisdictional or an error within jurisdiction.
Draft a security-of-payment adjudication response from the site recordsStart this task See suggested levelsAustralia onlySource basis: General AI-use guidance applied to this area; no area-specific AI source found.	Organise payment claim, schedule, contract and site diaries into a cited issues table.	YellowClose supervision	Verify each date and reason against the record; reasons not in the payment schedule may be excluded.
Check AI-summarised delay and variation claims against the programmeStart this task See suggested levelsAustralia onlySource basis: General AI-use guidance applied to this area; no area-specific AI source found.	Extract notices, dates and claimed EOT days into a table linked to source documents.	YellowClose supervision	Test causation and notice compliance yourself.
Prepare a construction expert brief that addresses AI useStart this task See suggested levelsNew South Wales onlySource basis: Court-rule source applied to construction experts; no construction-specific AI source.	Draft instructions requiring disclosure of any Gen AI use in the report.	GreenLawyer review	Confirm forum rules (e.g. NSW SC Gen 23, LEC note).
Summarise a construction contract's clauses in plain language for the clientChecklist Start this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia only	Produce a clause-by-clause plain-English summary from the executed contract.	GreenLawyer review	Check each summary against the clause text; flag special conditions.
Flag non-standard clauses against the AS 4000/AS 11000 base formChecklist Start this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia only	Compare the amended contract with the standard form and list departures.	YellowClose supervision	Lawyer confirms each departure and its risk allocation.
Build a time-bar and notice-trigger table from the subcontractChecklist Start this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia only	Extract every notice clause, trigger and time limit with clause references.	YellowClose supervision	Verify each time limit against the clause and SOPA overrides.
Draft a first-pass expert brief for a delay or quantum expertChecklist Start this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia only	Assemble questions and document list from the issues table.	YellowClose supervision	No AI in the expert's report without leave (Federal Court GPN-AI; NSW SC Gen 23).
Prepare a site-diary search and summary for a variation disputeChecklist Start this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia only	Search diaries and correspondence for events tied to each variation.	GreenLawyer review	Spot-check every cited diary entry.
Check AI-drafted payment claims and schedules against the security-of-payment ActStart this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia onlySource basis: Area-specific AU source in links	Compare the claim or schedule content and timing against the statutory requirements.	YellowClose supervision	Lawyer confirms the statutory deadlines.
Index expert reports in a building disputeStart this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia onlySource basis: Area-specific AU source in links	Index and cross-reference expert opinions by defect item.	GreenLawyer review	Verify against the reports.
Draft a variation-claim chronology from site correspondenceStart this task See suggested levelsWritten for AustraliaAustralia onlySource basis: Area-specific AU source in links	Build a dated chronology of directions and notices.	GreenLawyer review	Check against source emails.

Firm-wide obligations

Firm-wide obligations
Obligation	What it covers
Trust accounting & handling client money	Checks that apply across files.
Costs, billing & litigation funding	Checks that apply across files.
Client-facing & access-to-justice AI tools	Checks that apply across files.
Incoming evidence — deepfakes & synthetic documents	Checks that apply across files.
AI decision systems	Checks that apply across files.
Confidentiality & client information	Checks that apply across files.
AML/CTF — the practice as a reporting entity	Checks that apply across files.

What changes in New Zealand

What changes in New Zealand
Topic	What changes
Payment regime	Construction Contracts Act 2002, not the East Coast SOP Acts. It sets a payment regime, fast adjudication and enforcement of unpaid amounts.
Retention money	Protected on commercial contracts. The 2023 Amendment Act came into force on 5 October 2023: new commercial contracts from that date and existing ones renewed on or after it.
Homeowners	The retention-money rules do not apply to contracts with homeowners or residential occupiers.
Not Australian law	Do not serve a NSW payment claim or Victorian payment schedule as a CCA notice.
Limits on AI assistance	Do not generate a payment claim or adjudication notice on an Australian SOP form.

What changes in United States

Known here as: Construction and infrastructure

What changes in United States
Topic	What changes
Payment rights	Prompt-payment and mechanic's-lien rights are state statutes, not the Security of Payment Acts. Federal construction can add the Miller Act.
Checking	Formal Opinion 512: check generated claims, dates and statutory references against the contract and the current state lien statute.
Limits on AI assistance	Do not serve a generated payment claim or lien notice until you have matched it to the governing state statute and the contract.

Precedents for this area

All precedents for Construction & Infrastructure. Signed-in accounts can read the full text.

Related jurisdictions

New Zealand United States