Form · Costs, billing & litigation funding
Uniform Law standard costs disclosure form (matters likely to cost $750 to $3,000): completion guide
Links to the prescribed Uniform Law standard costs disclosure form (Form 1) and explains how to complete each part, when it may be used instead of a full disclosure, and what to do when the estimate grows.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
- AI use
- Yellow AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use.
- Law stated as at
- 17 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked on 17 October 2026 against the official form at lsbc.vic.gov.au and the 4 authorities it cites, for New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Link to the official form. Licence: Prescribed form: Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 Sch 1 Form 1. Linked, not reproduced. Word version published by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner.
Where this comes from
The official form is published by lsbc.vic.gov.au; this page is a completion guide. Last checked on 2026-10-17.
When to use it
Use in NSW, Victoria and WA where professional fees (excluding GST and disbursements) are not likely to exceed $3,000. Do not use for commercial or government clients (no disclosure is required) or where costs are likely to exceed $3,000: use the full costs disclosure letter instead.
How AI may be used
AI can assemble a first-draft scope and estimate from the matter plan for the lawyer to check. The estimate is the law practice's representation to the client, so a lawyer sets and approves every figure.
AI may
- Draft the "What we will do for you" scope from the lawyer's file note, listing assumptions and exclusions.
- Compare the draft estimate with the time recorded on similar closed matters and flag any gap for the lawyer.
- Flag when time recorded on the matter approaches the $3,000 threshold so a full disclosure can be made in time.
AI must not
- Must not set or change the estimate, the fee basis or the scope without lawyer approval.
- Must not alter the wording of the prescribed form or delete the client rights panel.
- Must not receive client details in a tool that is not on the firm's approved AI tools register.
The lawyer checks
- The estimate is realistic for the stated scope and excludes GST and disbursements when tested against the threshold.
- Any barrister or other law practice information required by s 175 is attached.
- The file records the date and method by which the form was given and a diary note to re-check the estimate.
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Official form
Open the official form. Always use the current version from the issuer. Licence: Prescribed form: Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 Sch 1 Form 1. Linked, not reproduced. Word version published by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner..
Read the full text
The full text is for signed-in accounts. It is free. When you sign in you can:
- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
More in Costs, billing & litigation funding
- Costs disclosure and costs agreement letter (Uniform Law ss 174 and 180)
- Engagement and costs agreement clauses: AI use, client consent and charging for AI-assisted work
- Billing and time-recording policy for AI-assisted work
- Notice to client of a significant change in legal costs (Uniform Law s 174(1)(b))
- Litigation funding agreement review checklist (including class actions)
All precedents for Costs, billing & litigation funding · Tasks and AI use in this area