The Spurling Model of Costs is a modern, pragmatic approach to legal fees - designed for businesses that expect clarity, strategy, and value from their legal advisors.
In commercial litigation, cost predictability matters. Traditional time-based billing – where fees are calculated purely on hours worked – can leave clients uncertain about their financial exposure. At Spurling Legal, we’ve reimagined this approach to provide greater clarity, control, and fairness.
Our Spurling Model of Costs introduces Stage Caps: a fixed upper limit on professional fees for each phase of your matter. These caps are established upfront, giving you a clear understanding of your likely legal costs at every stage – from pleadings to hearings. You’ll never pay more than the cap for professional fees, and if the actual work costs less, you only pay the lower amount.
Please note: Stage Caps apply to professional fees only. External costs – such as court filing fees, barristers’ fees, expert reports, and other disbursements – are billed separately and are not capped.
Stage-Based Clarity
Your matter is divided into logical stages – such as pleadings, discovery, or hearing. We identify the relevant stages early on so you have clarity around the scope and expected progression of your case.
Capped Professional Fees
For each stage, we estimate our professional fees and apply a Stage Cap. This gives you cost certainty. If the work is less than the cap, you only pay what’s incurred.
Note: Disbursements (e.g. court fees, barristers’ fees, expert reports) are additional and not included in the cap.
Transparent, Fair Billing
We charge in 1-minute increments based on each team member’s experience. A loading of up to 25% may be applied to reflect skill and care – but always remains within the Stage Cap.
Designed for Commercial Clients
This model is built for business-minded clients who value cost predictability. It supports internal budgeting, reduces invoice shock, and aligns our incentives with your outcomes.
This model combines the best elements of fixed-fee certainty with the transparency and flexibility of time-based billing. Your costs are capped but supported by detailed time records that track work in 1-minute increments. These records provide a clear picture of what was done and by whom – and a granular, fully itemised account is available upon request, offering reassurance and accountability where needed. Unlike some fixed-fee models, where visibility is limited, our approach ensures transparency remains an option.
A loading of up to 25% may be applied to reflect the skill, care, and attention involved – but this remains within the agreed Stage Cap. The result is a pricing structure that is fair, commercially sound, and focused on outcomes.
For commercial clients navigating multi-stage disputes, this approach supports accurate budgeting, smoother internal approvals, and reduced risk of invoice shock. It also aligns our incentives with yours – we focus on resolving matters efficiently, not on accumulating billable time.
Costing Models Comparison – Commercial Litigation Context
Aspect
Time-Based Billing
Fixed Fee Billing
Spurling Model of Costs
Cost Certainty
Low – invoices vary based on actual time spent.
High – full matter is quoted in advance.
- High – each stage of litigation has a defined Stage Cap (maximum fee).
Flexibility
High – accommodates changes or complexity as they arise.
Low – may not adapt well to unexpected changes without variation fees.
- Moderate - Stage Caps are fixed once set, but stages are scoped only to the extent that available information allows for a reliable estimate. This means that cost certainty increases as the matter progresses, and multiple proposals may be issued across a litigation lifecycle - for example, from a letter of demand through to post-judgment enforcement.
Risk Allocation
Client bears most risk – fees grow with complexity
Law firm bears most risk – may underquote or over-service.
- Shared – caps limit client exposure while recognising firm expertise.
Incentive Alignment
Misaligned – more time spent means higher revenue.
Mixed – encourages efficiency but may lead to corner-cutting.
- Better aligned – encourages efficiency and value delivery within capped amounts.
Budget Management
Difficult – future costs
unknown and variable.
Easy – entire cost known upfront.
- Easier – clients can budget per stage, improving financial control.
Transparency
Low – invoices can be hard to interpret and feel arbitrary.
Mixed – may not show how the fee reflects actual effort or value.
- High – time recorded in 1-minute increments, linked to the Stage Cap.
Delegation Visibility
Usually unclear.
Often bundled.
- Transparent – delegated work charged at appropriate hourly rates and logged clearly.
Perceived Fairness
Often questioned – especially when outcomes don’t match effort or cost.
Can feel rigid – if scope expands, variation fees may cause dissatisfaction
- High – blends predictability with flexibility and recognition of quality and care.
Simplicity for Clients
Complex – clients may struggle to follow line items.
Simple – one invoice for the matter.
- Clear – each stage has its own cap, with time entries shown against that cap.
Suitability for Litigation
Weak – litigation is unpredictable; can lead to spiralling costs.
Risky – fixed fees in litigation may either overcharge or underprice.
- Strong – balances certainty and adaptability in a staged litigation process.
Key Contact
Dicky Abraham
Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation (Vic)