"Graham Legal" Policy
Our company policy is to work on all client files as a team.
We delegate individual tasks to the person who will best get the client’s work done having regard to the nature of the task to be performed, the skills of our respective team members and to maximise cost efficiency for our client.
Our Mission
Our ongoing mission is to do better today what we did well yesterday.
We will continue to utilise a specialised document production and file management system known as "SimplyLaw". Phillip Graham played a significant role in the development of SimplyLaw for use by its lawyers and para-legals in conjunction with Microsoft® Windows XP and Office 2003.
Graham Legal also utilises Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the latest in voice recognition technology.
Whilst client instructions are still fresh in the mind, Graham Legal lawyers are able to dictate comprehensive file notes of their clients’ instructions making it unnecessary for clients to repeat those instructions over and over again particularly during protracted litigation.
Graham Legal lawyers are able to get their work done without being dependent upon the availability of their assistants.
Advantage for Clients
Our clients find that their legal advisors are able to act immediately upon their instructions. Our lawyers do not have to wait for the typing pool to refer work back for checking.
The role of the Legal Assistant at Graham Legal has also changed dramatically. Repetitive typing is a thing of the past and more time is now devoted to providing direct personal and telephone assistance to clients.
Graham Legal’s para-legals develop file and practice management skills that time did not permit in the past.
The result is a much higher level of familiarity with client files, closer personal attention, improved office efficiency and greater client satisfaction.
Information Technology
The sophistication of the SimplyLaw and NaturallySpeaking tools makes for a unique client experience that begins the very moment our lawyers receive instructions to act.
The specialist experiences of our lawyers (and former partners) as accumulated over the years have been encoded into electronic Instruction Sheets that are designed to make the initial client interview a complete yet concise and entirely professional experience.
Graham Legal also has its own electronic library of more than 1650 precedents that have been meticulously drafted, formatted and encoded.
The Graham Legal precedents are constantly revised to ensure that they are accurate, up-to-date, informative and, in the case of correspondence with clients, expressed in terms that are readily understood.
Graham Legal has used SimplyLaw (and its earlier versions) since 1987. Having client data for every file opened since 1988 makes the opening of new matters for existing clients a non-tedious task.
Give us a Challenge!
Selling your property and need a "Section 32 Vendor’s Statement" in a hurry?
If Graham Legal acted for you on the purchase, our lawyers have electronic access to all data retained from that transaction and relating to you and your property, including title particulars and the name and contact details of your lender.
Even if we did not previously act for our client, Graham Legal lawyers have on-line and immediate access to the Land Titles Office, ASIC and the World Wide Web.
We are working hard to keep pace with technology in its many and various intrusions into legal life. This is both an exciting and challenging era and Graham Legal is in a number of significant respects up there with the leaders of the pack.
Traditional Complaint
Traditionally lawyers have been accused of being too slow and too expensive.
Whilst Graham Legal is not successful because it offers "bargain basement prices", Graham Legal clients do benefit from reasonably priced and efficient legal work.
Our Solution
Our clients enjoy the company’s higher accuracy in document production, greater efficiency in file management, faster file turnaround, centralised control and audit ability.
We do not have to advertise.
Most of our clients have been here before or have been referred to us by relatives or friends who have been here before.
The Graham Legal waiting room proudly displays many of the letters and cards received from our appreciative clients.
We take this opportunity to thank all our clients for their past patronage.
We also extend an invitation for clients and their friends and relatives to ring or email for an appointment with one of our lawyers whenever legal assistance is required.
Mention that you have visitied this web site, and the first half-hour of an initial consultation for a new client is free of charge.
Privacy Policy
Graham Legal is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of information it collects from clients, service providers and contractors. In acting for clients, the firm adheres to its fiduciary duties, duty of confidentiality and legal professional privilege in all actions taken on our clients' behalf. Further, in the conduct of this practice, Graham Legal commits to protecting the privacy of personal information regarding individual clients.
In most circumstances we collect information directly from you, our client. This may be through correspondence, e-mail, in person and by telephone. Indicative information we may collect includes your name, contact details, date of birth and any fact or opinion you provide that is related to the matter you are seeking advice or representation on. Where reasonable and necessary for the purposes of acting on your behalf, we may also obtain information from a third party such a past or present employer, your medical practitioners, your bank, etc.
Where applicable, this information is collected to provide you with legal services, advice and representation. In the provision of such services, we may provide information to agents to take actions or make enquires in relation to the conduct of your matter. For example, at your instruction, a barrister may be briefed, expert advice sort, or a search firm may be engaged to conduct a title search in relation to your matter. We may also access your information to send you information concerning the firms' activities or developments in law that we believe will be of interest to you.
We use and disclose your information for the primary purpose for which you have provided the information. In addition to the use and disclosure of information outlined above, we also use and disclose information for purposes ancillary and consequential to the primary purpose of collection such as invoicing, related correspondence and accurate file management. To this end the firm may use the services of agents, service providers or contractors. All such third parties must comply with fiduciary and confidentiality duties and the Privacy Act in their handling and management of information.
At your instruction or according to the requirements of law, we may disclose your information to organisations such as regulatory authorities, government departments, courts, or other parties or advisers.
The information you provide us is stored on computer and paper based files as appropriate. The secure storage and use of information is of paramount importance to us so that all reasonable steps are taken to protect the information from misuse or loss, or unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by means such as password and network protection, and secure storage of paper based and other records. In addition, all staff with access to your personal information are bound by duties of confidentiality.
We take all reasonable steps to ensure that the information we collect is accurate, complete and up to date at the time of collection. If your circumstances change or you have reason to believe our records are not accurate, complete or up to date, please contact us immediately and we will take all reasonable steps to amend the information in accordance with the above criteria or an alternative may be discussed with you. | 
Conveyancing
