Terms of Engagement

This document is your costs disclosure and terms of engagement for the purchase of residential property in New South Wales. It is issued by Legal Easy Pty Ltd (ABN 44 699 007 700, ACN 699 007 700), trading as Settle Easy — an incorporated legal practice authorised to provide conveyancing and legal services in NSW.

These terms are provided under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) 2014 (LPUL) and the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW). By instructing us to proceed with your matter, you agree to these terms.

A senior practitioner will be allocated to your matter once you confirm you wish to proceed.

We will provide the following services for your residential property purchase in NSW:

• Review and advise on the contract for sale, including the purchase price, special conditions, inclusions and exclusions, and any vendor representations.

• Advise on your cooling-off rights under section 66W of the Conveyancing Act 1919 and, where required, arrange waiver of the cooling-off period to allow firm exchange.

• Order and review standard property searches: certificate of title, council rates, water and sewerage, land tax clearance, section 10.7 planning certificate, and any other searches appropriate for the property.

• Raise and manage pre-settlement requisitions with the vendor's solicitor.

• Liaise with your lender's legal team where you are purchasing with a mortgage.

• Prepare transfer and related settlement documentation.

• Arrange and complete electronic settlement via PEXA (Property Exchange Australia).

• Advise on settlement adjustments (council rates, water, strata levies where applicable).

• Attend to registration of the transfer of title with NSW Land Registry Services.

• Provide you with a final post-settlement letter, including copies of the relevant settlement documents and an updated title search confirming registration.

The following are outside the scope of this fixed-fee engagement:

• Transfer duty (stamp duty): a government charge assessed by Revenue NSW and payable by you. We will facilitate payment through settlement and can provide an estimate, but the final amount is set by Revenue NSW.

• Building and pest inspection: we recommend engaging an independent inspector before exchange or within the cooling-off period.

• Strata / owners corporation records: recommended before exchange for strata properties. We can order these as an additional disbursement if required.

• Title insurance: we can refer you to a provider if required.

• Tax, capital gains, financial, or investment advice — please consult your accountant or financial adviser.

• Planning, zoning, or development application advice.

• Negotiations or disputes outside standard conveyancing requisitions.

• Off-the-plan or new build contracts, which require a separate engagement due to the additional scope involved (sunset clauses, plan review, progress payments). Contact us to discuss.

Your professional fee was quoted as a range (for example, $1,900 – $2,100 ex GST). This range is our costs disclosure as required by applicable professional costs legislation.

Once we have reviewed the contract and confirmed the full property details, we will confirm your exact fee within the quoted range. In a standard matter the fee does not change after confirmation.

If your matter turns out to be more complex than standard — for example, a disputed title, multiple caveats, or a significant change in scope — we will notify you in writing before any additional fee applies.

You have the right to negotiate our professional fee.

Our professional fee is payable on settlement. If we issue an invoice at any other time, payment is due within 7 days of the date of invoice. Where a matter does not proceed to completion, fees for work performed to that point are invoiced on termination and due within 7 days.

Disbursements are third-party costs we pay on your behalf and pass on at cost with no mark-up. For an NSW residential purchase these typically include:

• NSW transfer duty (stamp duty): assessed by Revenue NSW; varies by purchase price, first home buyer eligibility, and residency status. We provide an estimate; the final amount is confirmed by Revenue NSW.

• NSW Land Registry Services registration fee: a government fee to register the transfer of title. We will advise the current amount for your specific matter.

• Property search fees: typically $150–$450 depending on the searches required and property type.

• PEXA electronic settlement platform fee: typically $145–$200 per workspace.

We will provide you with a full settlement statement before settlement so you know exactly what funds are needed and why.

Settle Easy is a fully digital practice. We communicate primarily by email and aim to respond to all enquiries within one business day.

Verification of identity (VOI) is required by law before we can proceed to settlement. You will receive simple online instructions to complete this — it takes around 10 minutes and can be done from your phone or computer.

Once you confirm you are happy to proceed with the quote and these terms, a senior practitioner will be allocated to your matter. Their name and direct contact details will be provided to you promptly.

We will keep you updated at each key stage of the transaction. Our aim is plain-English communication throughout — no legal jargon, no surprises.

This document, together with your quote, constitutes our costs disclosure under section 174 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) 2014.

You have the right to negotiate our professional fee. You are entitled to receive a tax invoice on completion and may request an itemised bill within 30 days of receiving it.

If you have a dispute about our costs, you may apply to a costs assessor. The Law Society of NSW (lawsociety.com.au) can provide information on this process.

You may terminate this engagement at any time by notifying us in writing. If you do, we will invoice for work completed to that point, which will not exceed your quoted fee.

Legal Easy Pty Ltd holds professional indemnity insurance as required by applicable law and regulatory requirements.

To the extent permitted by law, our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with this engagement is limited to the professional fees paid by you for this specific matter.

These terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales. They are available at settleeasy.com.au/terms-of-engagement and may be updated from time to time; the version current at the date of your engagement applies.

Questions about these terms? Contact us at info@settleeasy.com.au or call 1800 886 688.

Our fixed fee is based on the information available to us when we quote, and on the assumption that your matter proceeds as a standard residential conveyance. You confirm that the information you give us is, to the best of your knowledge, complete, accurate and up to date, and that you will tell us promptly if anything changes.

We also assume you will respond promptly to our requests for information, documents, and instructions. If delays on your side, or a material change in the transaction (for example, a change in the parties, the contract, or the property), mean extra work beyond the quoted scope, that work is outside the fixed fee.

We will never simply charge you more without warning: if we consider work falls outside the quoted scope, we will tell you in writing, explain why, and agree the additional cost with you before that work is done. If you do not accept a proposed variation, you may end the engagement and pay only for work completed to that point.

We issue invoices electronically. Unless stated otherwise on the invoice, payment is due within 7 days of the invoice date. Our professional fee for a standard matter is payable at settlement. You remain responsible for our fees even if you expect another person to pay or reimburse you.

If an amount remains unpaid more than 7 days after it falls due, we may: (a) charge interest on the unpaid amount, accruing daily from the due date until payment, at the Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate plus 2% per annum; (b) suspend work on your matter until payment is made, after giving you notice; and (c) retain your documents and files until all outstanding amounts are paid (a solicitor's lien), to the extent permitted by law.

If we suspend work or exercise a lien, we are not responsible for consequences of the resulting delay. We will always contact you about an unpaid invoice before taking any of these steps — if you are having difficulty paying, talk to us early.

Property transactions are a major target for email fraud in Australia. Criminals impersonate law firms, conveyancers, agents, and clients by intercepting or spoofing emails and changing bank account details. People have lost entire deposits and settlement funds this way.

Settle Easy will never change bank account or payment details by email. Treat any message that provides new or updated bank details — even one that appears to come from us — as fraudulent until you have confirmed it with us by phone.

Before transferring any funds in connection with your matter, you must verify the account name, BSB, and account number with us by phone, using a phone number you have obtained independently (for example, from our website — not from the email containing the payment details). Read the details out and have them read back to you.

We will apply the same discipline: we will not transfer funds based on emailed instructions without verbally verifying the payment details with you first. Please make sure we can reach you by phone when funds are due to move.

Please pass these warnings on to anyone else involved in transferring or receiving funds for your matter — family members, agents, brokers, or accountants. Be cautious with unexpected attachments and links, and contact us immediately if you receive any communication about your matter that seems unusual.

You acknowledge that if you transfer funds without verifying the payment details by phone as set out above, we are not responsible for any resulting loss.

We keep your information confidential. We will not disclose it except as required by law, with your consent, or to our service providers, regulators, insurers, and professional advisers where necessary for the conduct of your matter or our practice — each bound by confidentiality obligations.

We are a digital practice: your data, including confidential information, may be stored with reputable third-party technology providers (including cloud providers) that we assess against industry-standard security frameworks. We may also use technology tools, including AI-assisted tools, to deliver our services efficiently — always subject to our confidentiality and professional obligations, with appropriate security and data controls.

Email and other electronic communications are not perfectly secure. We take reasonable precautions to protect information in transit and at rest, but we cannot guarantee that communications will never be intercepted by third parties. If you prefer a particular communication channel, or want us to avoid one, let us know.

A notice or communication under these terms may be given by email to the email address you have provided, and is generally taken to be received 24 hours after sending unless the sender has reason to believe it was not delivered.

After your matter is completed, we retain an electronic copy of your file for at least 7 years, held securely. After that period the file may be destroyed, unless the law requires longer retention.

You may request copies of your documents at any time during that period. Once any outstanding fees are paid, we will provide your documents in electronic form — within two weeks of completion at no charge; after that, we may charge the reasonable cost of retrieving and providing them.

Important original documents (if any are held) are stored securely and dealt with in accordance with your instructions.

You may end this engagement at any time, for any reason, by written notice. We will invoice only for work completed to that point — not exceeding your quoted fee plus any additional fees you have agreed to in writing under Section 9 — together with any disbursements already incurred.

We may end the engagement, on reasonable notice to you, if: an invoice remains unpaid after we have warned you we intend to stop acting; you do not provide us with adequate instructions or the information we need to progress your matter (including identity verification and customer due diligence); you give us instructions that are false or misleading; a conflict of interest arises that cannot be resolved; you ask us to act in a way that is contrary to our professional duties; or for other just cause. We will never end an engagement in a way that breaches our professional obligations to you.

If the engagement ends before settlement — whether ended by you or by us — you must pay for the work done and disbursements incurred up to that date. On request, we will provide reasonable assistance to help you transition to a new representative.

The Australian Consumer Law gives consumers statutory guarantees that cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified. Nothing in these terms excludes those guarantees or any other right you have at law that cannot be excluded.

Where the law permits us to limit our liability for a failure to comply with a consumer guarantee, our liability is limited, at our option, to supplying the services again or paying the cost of having the services supplied again. This limitation does not apply where the law says it cannot — including for services of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic, or household use, or where it would not be fair or reasonable for us to rely on it.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law or professional conduct rules, including liability for fraud, death, or personal injury. If any other provision of these terms — including the general liability limit in Section 8 — is inconsistent with this section or with your non-excludable rights at law, this section and those rights prevail.

By paying funds to us or through us in connection with your matter, you warrant that: the funds are lawfully yours or you are legally authorised to transfer them; they are not the proceeds of crime, money laundering, fraud, or any other unlawful activity; they are paid solely for the purposes of your matter; and you will provide any documents we reasonably require to meet our obligations under the AML/CTF Act.

From 1 July 2026, Settle Easy is a reporting entity under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (Cth) (AML/CTF Act), as amended by the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Act 2024 (Cth). These reforms extend Australia's AML/CTF framework to legal practitioners and conveyancers, consistent with international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations. Property transactions are internationally recognised as a significant avenue for money laundering, the concealment of proceeds of crime, and terrorism financing. Our obligations as a reporting entity reflect the critical role conveyancers play in protecting the integrity of the Australian property market.

We maintain an AML/CTF program that sets out how we identify, assess, and manage the risk of our services being used for money laundering or terrorism financing. The program covers customer due diligence, ongoing transaction monitoring, staff training, reporting, and record-keeping. AUSTRAC — the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre — is the government agency responsible for overseeing our compliance with the AML/CTF Act.

Before we commence substantive legal work on your matter, we are required by law to complete a customer due diligence (CDD) process. CDD is the process by which we collect, verify, and record information about you and, where relevant, any entity (such as a company or trust) giving us instructions or that will be a party to the transaction. Standard CDD for individuals involves verifying:

• Your full legal name, date of birth, and residential address.

• Your identity using an acceptable primary photographic document — such as a current Australian passport or Australian driver licence — or a combination of secondary documents, in accordance with the verification standards required by the AML/CTF Act.

• The nature and purpose of your conveyancing matter and, where required, the source of funds involved in the transaction.

For companies, trusts, or other entities that are a party to or giving instructions in relation to a transaction, CDD also includes: verifying the entity's legal name, ABN or ACN, and registered address; identifying the directors, trustees, or other persons who control the entity; and identifying and verifying the beneficial owners — the individuals who ultimately own or control 25% or more of the entity.

In certain circumstances we are required to conduct enhanced customer due diligence (ECDD). ECDD applies where, among other things: you or a related party is a politically exposed person (PEP) — that is, a person who holds or has held a prominent public function such as a government minister, senior public official, judge, senior military officer, or senior executive of a state-owned enterprise, or an immediate family member or close associate of such a person; the transaction involves a higher-risk country or jurisdiction identified by FATF; the source of funds or the structure of the transaction raises risk indicators; or we otherwise identify a heightened risk profile. ECDD requires additional information and scrutiny before and during the matter.

You are required to complete the CDD process — including providing all documents and information we request — within 5 business days of our request. We cannot commence or continue substantive legal work on your matter while CDD is incomplete. This is a legal obligation we cannot waive. We will make every effort to make the process straightforward; in most cases it can be completed online in under 15 minutes.

If you do not provide the required information and documents within 5 business days of our request, we may suspend work on your matter immediately and without further notice. Suspension means we will cease all steps to progress your matter — including reviewing or exchanging contracts, conducting searches, responding to requisitions, or proceeding to settlement — until CDD is satisfactorily completed.

If CDD remains incomplete or unsatisfactory for a further 5 business days after suspension, or if at any time we are unable to complete CDD to our satisfaction — including because required information or documents are withheld, are inaccurate or inconsistent, or because we cannot verify your identity to the standard required by the AML/CTF Act — we may terminate this engagement immediately by written notice. Termination does not affect our right to recover fees for work already performed, which remain payable in full. We are not liable for any loss, delay, or adverse consequence arising from a suspension or termination under this section.

Our CDD obligations continue throughout the matter. We are required to monitor transactions for consistency with our understanding of your circumstances and the purpose of the engagement, and to update CDD information if your circumstances change or if we identify any inconsistency or emerging risk. If there is a material change — such as a change in the parties, the source of funds, or the structure of the deal — you must notify us promptly, and we may be required to conduct further CDD.

We may be legally required to submit a Suspicious Matter Report (SMR) or other report to AUSTRAC without informing you. This is a mandatory tipping-off prohibition under section 123 of the AML/CTF Act, which applies without exception regardless of the circumstances or outcome of any assessment. Breach of the tipping-off prohibition is a criminal offence. We may also be required by law to decline, delay, or freeze a transaction or instruction without being able to provide you with a full explanation. We are not liable for any loss or delay arising in those circumstances.

We are required to retain CDD records and related transaction records for a minimum of 7 years from the end of the engagement, as required by the AML/CTF Act. These records may be accessed by or disclosed to AUSTRAC or other government authorities under applicable law. For full details of how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information — including for AML/CTF purposes — see our Privacy Policy and our AML/CTF Notice at settleeasy.com.au/aml2026.

By engaging Settle Easy, you acknowledge that: (a) we are required by law to complete CDD before and during your matter and cannot commence or continue without it; (b) you will provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information and documents promptly on request; (c) you understand the consequences of failing to complete CDD within the required timeframe, including suspension and termination of the engagement; and (d) you consent to us collecting, verifying, and where required by law disclosing your personal information to meet our AML/CTF obligations.