Do I need a lawyer?
Most of us encounter conflict every day of our life and while we don’t need a lawyer when we are served the wrong coffee order there are times when engaging a lawyer to handle your dispute will get you a much better result with greatly reduced stress.

What should I know about my dispute?
The main things you should have a handle on are:
- You need to know what you are entitled to.
- You should know what your exposure is.
- You should consider whether or not you can negotiate a settlement with the other side.
- You should also have an idea of how quickly a resolution can be reached.
When Should I Contact A Lawyer?
In The Case Of Debt Recovery
In the case of a debt recovery, you will likely know how much you should be paid but you may not be receiving fast replies (or any replies) to your inquiries about late payments — leaving in doubt when (and if) you will ever be paid.
Building Disputes
If you are in dispute with a builder about their charges and faulty works, the contract terms and relevant laws must be considered, which you may require a lawyer’s advice on.
If You Are Being Sued
If, on the other hand, you are concerned about someone suing you — you should contact us immediately. If you wait too long, the other side may file a claim against you in Court which makes the whole process more expensive.
If You Receive A Court Summons
If you receive a ‘Summons’, ‘Claim’ or other document from a Court — call a lawyer immediately! Waiting too long could result in a judgment being made against you and all your assets (like your house and bank accounts) being at risk.
Get in touch with us if you have any questions.
Dispute Resolution Services
Our extensive experience in the area of dispute resolution enables us to provide realistic outcomes for our clients so as to avoid drawn out, expensive litigation. As skilled negotiators, we practice alternate dispute resolution (ADR) wherever possible to avoid the stresses of court by reaching commercial resolutions for our clients.
Professional Negligence
To bring a successful claim for professional negligence, you must establish that there was a duty of care owed to you by the professional and that the professional breached their duty of care, resulting in harm or damage to you. In some professions where the existence of a duty is not settled law, careful argument must be made and, in some instances, care is required in articulating the exact nature of the breach. In any event, such claims come in a multitude of forms and a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach cannot be taken.
Breach of Contract
There are many ways in which a breach of contract may occur and it can be difficult to work out if a party to a contract is in breach. Uncertainty can stem from poor drafting or construction of a contract. It is usually only the cases where the arguments on either side both have merit that end up in court, as the parties can not reach common ground. Our experienced lawyers will attempt to resolve your dispute in a very cost-effective manner.
Corporate Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Disputes arise in this context where bankruptcy trustees or liquidators attempt to repatriate monies paid to creditors for goods and/or services, claiming the same to be preferential or uncommercial payments to that creditor. Pace Adelaide Legal has brought both such actions on behalf of liquidators and also defended such claims successfully for creditors, for over two decades. This is a complex and technical area of law where diligent advice is a must.
Building and Construction Disputes
Building or construction disputes can have a massive impact on your life and that of your family. Be you a home owner, builder, developer, contractor or subcontractor, these disputes are always stressful and often extremely costly. Lingering or unresolved disputes can delay the build and cause significant increases in budgeted costs. Timely and pragmatic advice is the key. Our property law team is well aware of the need to move decisively and effectively in these matters and has the skills and resources to do so.
Director and Shareholder Disputes
Disputes may arise in the corporate landscape where directors are accused of breaching their duties of care, where shareholders claim to be oppressed by a majority and/or shareholder agreements are said to be contravened. The available causes of action are vast as are the remedies, heightening the need for a skilled professional to navigate you through this area of law. We have had conduct of such matters for over two decades.
Get in touch with us if you have any questions.
Types of disputes
Disputes come in all shapes and sizes; some times money is sought and other times an order to do or not do something is sought. The issues in disputes can range over multiple areas of law, requiring expertise the multiple areas. We practice in a range of property, commercial, corporate areas of law, which enhances our dispute resolution skills.
In Australia we have both Commonwealth and State court systems that run parallel to each other. Some disputes can be started in either system (known as jurisdiction in legalese) and the choice of jurisdiction will depend on various factors including complexity of the issues in dispute and money value of the claim (known as quantum). We will advise on the optimal jurisdiction for your claim based on a mix of factors.
Questions & Answers
Costs are discussed in the very first conversation so you know what to expect. In many matters Pace Adelaide Legal can offer a fixed fee to prepare an initial letter to the other side, usually between $800.00 and $1,500.00 plus GST, and ongoing negotiations are generally billed based on time with estimates provided at the outset.
After you engage a lawyer, they will typically draft a letter to the other party and attempt to resolve the matter informally by telephone, correspondence and, where appropriate, a meeting. You are kept informed at each stage and, if informal resolution is not possible, your lawyer will discuss whether Court proceedings or alternative dispute resolution such as mediation is the best option.
Yes. Pace Adelaide Legal practises in a wide range of commercial, property, corporate and insolvency matters and is well positioned to handle both simple and complex disputes. You can call for a complimentary discussion about how the team can assist with your situation.
Taking legal action in Court, known as litigation, is usually a lengthy process with many steps before any trial. Courts will generally require the parties to attempt to resolve the dispute, often through mediation, before listing a trial. Some matters can take years depending on the complexity and conduct of the parties, and there may be appeals after judgment, so early legal advice is important.
In your first phone call the lawyer will ask about your matter, who the dispute is with and what you hope to achieve. They will outline their initial thoughts on how you should proceed, ask you to send through key documents such as contracts and email correspondence and then provide their fees in writing so you can make an informed decision about engaging the firm.

Serina Pace
Managing Director & Legal Director

Alyssa Pace
Law Clerk

Sofia Butenko
Law Clerk
