Two-Lawyer Model

Two lawyers often cost less than one -
because you fund one path, not both.

Published: 25 September 2025 | Last review: 1 December 2025

Trap To Avoid

Most Australians never see the structural risk in the traditional model.
One lawyer handles both settlement and trial preparation, and clients end up funding both.
That structure makes timing, scope, premature work hard to detect, and even harder to stop.

Clean Law removes this risk at the source by keeping settlement and trial in two independent lanes.
We are fully capable of trial work but deliberately bound not to do it,
so all incentives stay aligned to resolve your case early.

Three Fundamental Structural Client Protections

These are not features.
They are the mechanism that makes two lawyers often cost less than one, because you fund one path, not both.

1. Only what’s useful

(Smart Discovery Package → map and assess your legal options)

Because Clean Law cannot benefit from litigation:

• We do not earn more if you go to trial.

• We do not recommend early trial preparation unless it genuinely helps resolve your problem sooner.

• We do not influence your courtroom lawyer’s strategy.

• We prepare a case analysis, not a brief, giving you clear options, not momentum toward litigation.

Smart Discovery shows the whole landscape before trial costs begin.

2. If you save, we win

(Result Bonus → triggered only when early settlement avoids trial costs)

The alignment principle governs our conduct:

If YOU save, WE win; if your case DRAGS, we lose.

Clean Law earns a result-based bonus only when early settlement avoids the heavy costs of trial,
never from the size of damages and never from prolonging the matter.

This means:

• Delay harms us, not you.

• We gain nothing from drifting towards trial.

• We gain nothing from stretching negotiations.

This safeguard is incentive alignment in the structure, not sentiment.

3. If your case drags, we lose

(Escrow → client-controlled money, timing, and authority)

Escrow replaces lawyer-controlled trust accounts with client-controlled release gates.
Nothing moves without your written approval.

Escrow protects your:

• Money
  no scope expansion or sunk-cost drift; no lawyer can start or increase work without your approval

• Timing & Strategy
  you control how each step in your matter advances your position

• File & Freedom to switch lawyer mid-case
  reduced financial leverage and fewer lien obstacles if you change lawyers mid-case

Escrow is the structural reason you never pay for both lanes at the end.

Why This Structure Works

To provide these protections, the structure must be clean.
That means Clean Law must be fully capable of litigation, but deliberately refrains from doing any court work.
This keeps incentives aligned, so both Clean Law and your courtroom lawyer aim to resolve your case cost-effectively, not prolong it.

Two independent lanes - one funded path

Clean Law:

Settlement (negotiation, mediation), early settlement strategy, escrow oversight, timing control, cost-safety safeguards, and coordinated work with your courtroom lawyer to advance your legal position.

Courtroom lawyer:

Evidence, pleadings, hearings.

Trust, Ethics and Integrity You Can See

Clean Law’s safeguards are governed by:

• Incentive and interest alignment built into the cost agreements with both your settlement lawyer (Clean Law) and your courtroom lawyer

• Transparency through our ACNC-governed public-interest structure

• No referral fees

• No panels

• No shared profits

• No partnerships with courtroom firms

• Annual Law Society trust-account audits

Trust, ethics and integrity you can see, without relying on anyone’s words..

Summary

• Two independent lawyers often cost less than one,
  because you fund one path, not both.

• Incentive alignment protects your interests.

• Escrow protects your money, timing, strategy and freedom to change lawyers.

• Cost safety made structural. Integrity follows.

Download:

• Two-Lawyer Collaboration & Escrow Oversight Statement (PDF)

• Client Protection Principles Overview (PDF)

By Nicky Wang
Principal Solicitor
Legal Liaison Ltd (trading as Clean Law)
Prepared in accordance with public-interest governance,
annual Law Society trust-account audits, and ACNC-reported standards.

Disclaimer: This page is intended to provide general information only and is not legal advice. The contents may not reflect the most current legal developments and do not take into account your individual circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information without obtaining legal advice tailored to your situation.