Expertise

Property & conveyancing lawyers in Richmond & Melbourne.

Buying, selling, transferring or developing property in Victoria, contracts reviewed, settlements run and risks explained in plain English. CMK Legal advises buyers, sellers, investors and developers in Richmond, Melbourne and across Victoria.

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Fixed-fee conveyancing

Written quote before any work starts, no surprises at settlement.

Contract & Section 32 review

Legal review before you sign or bid, not after.

PEXA electronic settlements

Digital settlement and same-day registration across Victoria.

Buyers, sellers & developers

From first home buyers to multi-lot subdivisions.

Our property services.

Buying property

Contract reviews, auction advice, due diligence and settlement support from offer to keys.

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Selling property

Vendor statements, contracts of sale and settlement guidance so your sale completes on time.

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Contract & Section 32 review

Pre-signing legal review for buyers and sellers, with special conditions negotiated where needed.

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Off-the-plan purchases

Review of developer contracts, sunset clauses, variations and the protections that matter.

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Transfers & related party transfers

Spouse, family, trust and company transfers, including duty and land tax consequences.

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Subdivisions & developments

Plan registration, staged releases and individual lot sales for developers and investors.

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First home buyers

Grants, duty concessions and plain-English guidance from contract review to settlement.

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Commercial conveyancing

Commercial, industrial and retail purchases and sales, with GST, tenancies and due diligence handled.

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Auction contract review

Contract and section 32 reviewed before you bid, auction purchases are unconditional.

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Owners corporation & strata

OC certificates, rules, levies, defects and VCAT disputes for lot owners and committees.

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Easements & covenants

What is registered on your title, what it restricts, and whether it can be varied or removed.

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Boundary & title disputes

Fences, encroachments, adverse possession, caveats and co-ownership disputes.

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Compulsory acquisition

Government acquisition of your land, and the compensation you are entitled to claim.

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How we help.

Review before you commit

We review the contract and section 32 and tell you what you are actually agreeing to, before auction day or before you sign.

Negotiate the terms

Special conditions, settlement dates, deposit releases and finance clauses negotiated with the other side's lawyer.

Run the transaction

Searches, duty, adjustments, lender coordination and PEXA settlement handled end to end, with clear updates.

Sort out the complications

Late settlements, defaults, caveats, owners corporation issues and disputes, handled by lawyers, not referred out.

Every property matter is quoted as a fixed fee in writing, so you know the cost before we start.

The conveyancing process, step by step.

  1. 01

    Initial consultation

    We understand the property, the timeline and your position as buyer, seller or developer.

  2. 02

    Contract review

    The contract and section 32 are reviewed and any risks explained in plain English.

  3. 03

    Due diligence

    Title, planning, owners corporation and permit checks, plus searches relevant to the property.

  4. 04

    Exchange or signing

    Terms finalised, deposit arrangements confirmed and the contract executed correctly.

  5. 05

    Settlement

    Adjustments, duty and lender coordination through PEXA on the settlement date.

  6. 06

    Registration & completion

    Title transfer registered, notices sent and your file closed with everything documented.

Transparent property law fees.

Fees depend on whether you are buying, selling, transferring or developing, and on the complexity of the contract. We quote a fixed fee in writing before any work starts, with disbursements listed separately.

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FAQs

Property & conveyancing FAQs.

Still unsure? Call us on (03) 9008 7224 and speak to a lawyer, not a call centre.

Do I need a lawyer for conveyancing in Victoria?
A licensed conveyancer can transfer title, but only a lawyer can advise you on the legal consequences of the contract, negotiate special conditions, or act if the transaction turns into a dispute. Because our fees are fixed and comparable to conveyancing rates, most clients in Richmond and Melbourne choose to have a property lawyer from the outset.
What is a Section 32?
A section 32 vendor statement is the disclosure document a Victorian seller must give a buyer before the contract is signed. It sets out title details, easements, covenants, planning and zoning information, rates, owners corporation details and any building permits from the past seven years. Errors or omissions can give a buyer the right to walk away.
How long does settlement take?
Most Victorian settlements occur 30, 60 or 90 days after the contract date, with 60 days the most common. Off-the-plan purchases settle after the plan of subdivision registers, which can be years. We work to the date in your contract and confirm readiness with your lender well before the day.
Can you review a contract before auction?
Yes, and you should. Buying at auction is unconditional, there is no cooling-off period. Send us the contract and section 32 as soon as they are available and we will review them, raise anything of concern with the vendor's lawyer and brief you before you bid.
What are PEXA settlements?
PEXA is the national electronic conveyancing platform used for almost all Victorian settlements. Funds and title transfer digitally on the settlement day, so nobody attends in person, keys are released faster and registration happens the same day.
What are the costs of conveyancing?
We quote a fixed professional fee before any work starts, with disbursements such as title searches, certificates, PEXA and duty listed separately so you can see the whole picture. Where we review a contract and then act on the purchase, the review fee is credited against the conveyancing fee.
Can you assist with related party transfers?
Yes. We handle transfers between spouses and partners, family transfers, transfers into or out of trusts and companies, and transfers following a separation, including the duty and land tax consequences and any available exemptions.
Do you act for developers and investors?
Yes. We act on subdivisions and multi-lot developments from planning and plan registration through to individual lot sales and settlements, and we advise investors on structuring, land tax, leasing and portfolio acquisitions.

Related services.

Commercial leasing

Retail and commercial leases reviewed, negotiated and drafted for landlords and tenants.

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Business structuring

Hold property in the right entity from the start, trusts, companies and partnerships.

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Testamentary trusts

Protect property passing to your family through a trust built into your will.

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Talk to a Richmond property lawyer.

Send us your contract and section 32, or book a consultation to talk through your purchase, sale or development.

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Conveyancing across inner Melbourne.

We act for buyers and sellers across the inner north and east.

RichmondEast MelbourneCremorneBurnleyAbbotsfordHawthornHawthorn EastKewKew EastFairfieldCollingwoodFitzroyFitzroy NorthCarltonCarlton NorthPrinces HillNorth MelbourneParkvilleBrunswickBrunswick EastBrunswick WestClifton HillNorthcoteThornbury