Contract Reviews

Q: Why should I get a contract reviewed before I sign?

Because a contract of sale is binding once it is signed and exchanged, and its terms are heavily weighted toward the seller who prepared it. A review is the one chance to understand exactly what you are committing to, catch clauses that shift risk onto you, and negotiate changes before you are locked in.

Q: Can you review a contract before an auction?

Yes, and you should always have the contract reviewed before you bid. There is no cooling-off period when you buy at auction, so once the hammer falls you are bound with no way out. A pre-auction review means you bid knowing exactly what you would be signing.

Q: Do you review contracts for sellers as well as buyers?

Yes. We review or prepare the contract of sale for vendors too, making sure your disclosure obligations are met and your special conditions, deposit and settlement terms protect your position before the contract goes out to buyers.

About to Sign a Contract of Sale? Let a Property Lawyer Read It First.

Every review done by a qualified property lawyer — not an unqualified checker.
Residential, off-the-plan, strata, commercial and vacant land contracts.
Fixed-fee pricing and a plain-English report on what you’re committing to.
Fast turnaround — often same or next-day for urgent purchases and auctions.
For buyers and sellers, across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA.

Get Your Contract Reviewed

Property lawyer reviewing a contract of sale with a client before signing

The most valuable half-hour in your whole purchase

A Contract of Sale Is Binding the Moment You Sign

A contract for the sale and purchase of land is one of the largest financial commitments most people ever make — and once it’s signed and exchanged, its terms are locked in. The agent acts for the seller. The standard form is only a starting point, and the special conditions bolted on to the back are where the real risk lives.

A contract review is a lawyer reading that document before you commit — checking the price, deposit, settlement date, cooling-off rights and finance conditions, and combing the special conditions for clauses that quietly shift risk, cost or blame onto you. Where something needs changing, we tell you what to ask for and, if you’d like, negotiate the amendment with the other side’s solicitor.

At Corporate Legal, every contract is reviewed by a qualified property lawyer — so if a clause needs negotiating, a dispute emerges, or your purchase involves a company, trust or self-managed super fund, you already have a lawyer on the file who can act. You get a clear, written summary of what the contract really says, in plain English, before you’re bound to it.

Corporate Legal provides legal and conveyancing services only — not financial, taxation, investment or credit advice. Whether a particular property, price or ownership structure suits you is a decision for you and your accountant, broker or licensed adviser.

Signing soon? Send us the contract before you sign

What a review covers

What We Check in Your Contract

A proper review goes well beyond a quick read. We work through every part of the contract and the documents attached to it, and flag anything that needs your attention before you sign.

Price, Deposit & Adjustments

The purchase price, the deposit amount and how it’s held, the balance due, and how rates, land tax, levies and rent are adjusted at settlement — so you pay only your share.

Cooling-Off & Key Dates

Your cooling-off rights (which differ by state and don’t apply at auction), the settlement date, and every deadline for finance, inspections and notices — miss one and you can lose money.

Finance & Inspection Conditions

Whether the contract is subject to finance and to building, pest or strata inspections — and if not, what that exposes you to. We make sure your escape routes are actually in the document.

Special Conditions

The clauses added by the seller’s solicitor — sunset dates, price variations, release of deposit, limits on your rights. This is where risk is quietly transferred, and where a review earns its keep.

Title, Easements & Encumbrances

What’s actually registered against the title — easements, covenants, caveats, mortgages and rights of way — and whether any of it restricts how you can use or develop the property.

Disclosure & Inclusions

The disclosure documents attached to the contract — planning certificates, vendor statements, strata records — plus the list of inclusions and exclusions, so you know exactly what stays and what goes.

Not sure what you’re signing? That’s exactly what a review is for.

Book a Contract Review

Who we help

Whether You’re Buying or Selling

Buyers & First-Home Buyers

Before you sign or exchange, we tell you in plain English what you’re committing to and where the risks sit — so you buy with confidence, not crossed fingers.

Pre-signing contract review & report
Cooling-off & finance-clause guidance
Amendments negotiated on your behalf

Sellers & Vendors

Selling? We review (or prepare) the contract your agent has drawn up, make sure your disclosure obligations are met, and protect your position before it goes to buyers.

Vendor contract review & preparation
Disclosure & special-condition drafting
Deposit & settlement terms protected

Investors, SMSF & Business Buyers

Where entity, tax, GST or lease issues are in play, a review needs a lawyer — not just a checklist. We make sure the contract fits the structure you’re buying in.

Correct buying entity & name on title
SMSF, company & trust purchases
Tenancy, GST & going-concern issues

Buying through a super fund? See SMSF conveyancing

Why it matters

What a Contract Review Protects You From

Losing Your Deposit

Sign without the right conditions and, if your finance falls through or you can’t complete, you can forfeit a deposit worth tens of thousands. We make sure your exits are protected.

One-Sided Special Conditions

Clauses that let the vendor extend, vary the price, release your deposit early or limit your remedies. A standard read misses them — we find and negotiate them out.

Missed Cooling-Off & Deadlines

Cooling-off and finance dates are unforgiving and vary by state. Miss one and your rights can vanish. We map every date so nothing slips through.

Hidden Title Restrictions

Easements, covenants, caveats and encumbrances that limit what you can build or do — discovered before you sign, not after settlement when it’s too late.

Off-the-Plan & Sunset Traps

Long sunset dates, build variations and the risk of the developer walking away or repricing. Off-the-plan contracts carry risks a standard purchase never does.

The Wrong Buying Entity

Buying in the wrong name — individual, company, trust or SMSF — can mean paying stamp duty twice or breaching super rules. We confirm the structure before you exchange.

Send us the contract before you sign — that’s where the risk lives.

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Every kind of contract

Contracts We Review

Different contracts carry different risks. We review them all — and know what to look for in each.

Residential Sale Contracts

Houses, units, townhouses and villas — established homes and residential investments, bought privately or at auction.

Off-the-Plan & Strata

Apartments and townhouses bought before completion, plus existing strata lots — where sunset clauses and owners-corporation records matter.

Commercial & Retail

Offices, shops, industrial units and tenanted investments — with GST, going-concern, zoning and existing-lease issues checked.

Vacant Land & House-and-Land

Registered and proposed lots, and house-and-land packages — where the land and build contracts, and registration timing, need close review.

Auction & Pre-Auction Contracts

There’s no cooling-off at auction — so the review has to happen before you raise your hand. We turn these around fast.

Interstate Contracts

NSW, VIC, QLD and WA each have their own contract form, disclosure rules and cooling-off regime. We apply the right one for where you’re buying.

Have a contract in hand? We’ll tell you what type it is and what to watch.

Send It Through

How it works

How a Contract Review Works

Send Us the Contract

Email us the contract of sale (and any disclosure documents). Tell us the property, your timeframe and how you’re buying. We confirm a fixed fee upfront.

We Review Every Clause

A property lawyer works through the standard terms, the special conditions and the attached documents, and identifies the risks and anything unusual.

Plain-English Report

You get a clear written summary of what the contract really says, what to be careful of, and what we recommend changing — no jargon, no guesswork.

We Negotiate Amendments

Where a clause needs changing, we tell you what to ask for and, if you’d like, negotiate the amendments directly with the other side’s solicitor.

Sign With Confidence

Once you’re comfortable and the contract is right, you sign knowing exactly what you’ve agreed to — and we can carry the matter through to settlement.

Seamless Into Settlement

If you engage us for the conveyancing too, there’s no handover — the same firm that reviewed your contract settles it electronically on PEXA.

Ready to start? Send us your contract today.

Get Started

Why Choose Corporate Legal to Review Your Contract

A Lawyer Reviews It

Every contract is reviewed by a qualified property lawyer — so you’re covered the moment something needs negotiating, drafting or defending.

Fast Turnaround

We know purchases and auctions move quickly. Urgent contracts are often reviewed the same or next day, so you never miss your window.

Fixed-Fee Pricing

A clear, upfront fee for your review, confirmed before we start — no hourly surprises and no obligation to proceed further.

Plain-English Reports

We translate the legal terms into a summary you can actually act on, so you always know exactly what you’re signing.

Every Contract Type

Residential, off-the-plan, strata, commercial, vacant land and interstate — across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA, with the right rules applied to each.

Get peace of mind before you commit to your purchase.

Book a Contract Review

Part of a Complete Property & Legal Service

A contract review is often the first step in a bigger transaction. Because we also handle the full conveyance, examine strata reports, advise on property structuring and leasing, and act on your broader property matters, we can support your purchase from the first contract through to final settlement — and beyond, if anything goes wrong.

Explore: Conveyancing · Residential Conveyancing · Commercial Conveyancing · Strata Report Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I get a contract reviewed before I sign?

Because a contract of sale is binding once it’s signed and exchanged, and its terms are heavily weighted toward the seller who prepared it. A review is the one chance to understand exactly what you’re committing to, catch clauses that shift risk onto you, and negotiate changes — before you’re locked in, not after.

How much does a contract review cost?

We work on fixed-fee pricing, so you know the cost of your review upfront with no hourly surprises. The exact fee depends on the type of contract — a standard residential contract, an off-the-plan or a commercial contract — and we confirm it clearly before we start. If you go on to engage us for the full conveyance, we’ll tell you how the review fits with that fee.

How quickly can you review my contract?

Often the same or next business day. We understand that purchases — and especially auctions — move fast, so we prioritise urgent reviews. If you’re on a tight deadline, tell us when you send the contract through and we’ll work to it.

Can you review a contract before an auction?

Yes — and you should always have the contract reviewed before you bid. There is no cooling-off period when you buy at auction, so once the hammer falls you’re bound with no way out. A pre-auction review means you bid knowing exactly what you’d be signing.

What’s the difference between a lawyer and a conveyancer reviewing my contract?

A licensed conveyancer can review a straightforward contract, but only a lawyer can advise on, draft and act if a clause needs to be litigated, or if your matter involves a company, trust or SMSF. At Corporate Legal every review is done by a qualified property lawyer for a fixed fee, so you get the extra protection without paying more.

Do you review contracts for sellers as well as buyers?

Yes. We review — or prepare — the contract of sale for vendors too, making sure your disclosure obligations are met and your special conditions, deposit and settlement terms protect your position before the contract goes out to buyers.

What do I need to send you?

The contract of sale is the main thing, along with any attached disclosure documents — the planning certificate, vendor statement or strata records, depending on the state and property type. If you don’t have everything, send what you have and we’ll tell you what else is needed.

I’ve already signed — is it too late?

Not necessarily. Depending on your state and the contract, there may still be a cooling-off period or unmet conditions we can work with. Contact us straight away — the sooner you do, the more options you’re likely to have.

Which states do you cover?

We review contracts across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA, applying the correct contract form, disclosure requirements and cooling-off rules for each state — useful whether you’re buying locally or interstate.

Still have questions before you sign?

Ask Us Directly

Don’t Sign Until a Lawyer Has Read It

Whether it’s a first home, an investment, an off-the-plan apartment, business premises or a purchase through your super, the safest first step is always the same: have a property lawyer review the contract before you sign. Corporate Legal delivers fixed-fee contract reviews — often same or next-day — across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA.

Get Your Contract Reviewed