A disbursement is a cost paid by a law firm on behalf of a client that is directly tied to progressing the matter. These are recoverable expenses that must be charged at actual cost, with no markup or profit.
Examples include:
Court filing fees
Barrister or expert invoices
Government or title search fees (e.g., property or ASIC searches)
InfoTrack or legal platform charges
Process servers or courier costs
Compliance Note: Legal profession rules across all Australian jurisdictions prohibit firms from making a profit on disbursements. Any markup or value-added component must be charged separately as a professional fee.
Jurisdiction Reminder: If you quote clients “fees plus disbursements,” internal charges such as printing or admin cannot be listed as disbursements unless they are clearly proven to be external outlays. Consult your state’s Law Society for details.
