Business Sale Lawyers — Melbourne
Buying or selling a Melbourne business — asset or share sale, diligence, earn-outs and completion, run by a senior lawyer on a fixed fee.
Fixed fee. Senior lawyer.
Every engagement is quoted upfront and led by a senior lawyer — never a paralegal-first pipeline.
- hello@envisionlegal.com.au
- Sydney · Melbourne · National
How we help
What we handle for you.
Concrete deliverables — not a general "advice" retainer. Each item can be scoped as a one-off fixed-fee package or bundled into a monthly counsel arrangement.
01
Sell-side: asset & share sale agreements
Sale agreements drafted to cap your exposure — warranty limits, disclosure schedules, retention and a completion mechanism that actually gets you paid.
02
Buy-side: legal due diligence
Contracts, leases, employment, IP, licences and litigation reviewed against the price you are paying — with the findings translated into price and warranty positions.
03
Heads of agreement & exclusivity
Term sheets, non-binding HOAs and exclusivity deeds that lock the commercial deal before either side spends real money on documents.
04
Earn-outs & deferred consideration
Earn-out formulas, EBITDA definitions, post-completion conduct covenants and security for deferred payments — the clauses that cause most post-deal disputes.
05
Restraints, employees & lease transfer
Vendor restraints, employee transfer and entitlement treatment, and landlord consent to lease assignment under the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic).
06
Completion & post-completion
Completion checklists, adjustments, ASIC and PPSR filings, and tidy-up of anything diligence uncovered.
Who this is for
Clients we work best with.
- Melbourne owners selling after 10+ years in the business
- Buyers acquiring a competitor or bolt-on
- Vendors handed a one-sided sale agreement by a buyer's lawyer
- Businesses preparing for sale 6–12 months out
How we work
No surprises. Ever.
Fixed fees quoted upfront. Senior lawyer on every file. Clear next steps at every stage.
01 — Brief
Send a short brief or book a 15-minute call. We'll confirm scope and what you actually need — often that's less than you think.
02 — Fixed-fee quote
You get a written scope and a fixed fee before we start. No hourly billing, no scope-creep invoices.
03 — Senior lawyer, on the tools
The lawyer you scoped with is the lawyer doing the work. We turn drafts around fast and stay reachable throughout.
FAQs
Common questions.
- Asset sale or share sale — which is better?
- Sellers usually prefer a share sale (clean exit, often better CGT outcome); buyers usually prefer an asset sale (leaves historical liabilities behind). The right answer depends on tax position, licences, leases and key contracts. We work it through with your accountant before drafting.
- What does a Melbourne business sale cost legally?
- Straightforward asset sales are typically a fixed fee of $5,000–$9,000 + GST. Share sales with diligence, earn-outs or multiple parties are scoped after a short call — always fixed, never hourly.
- How long does a sale take?
- Most SME deals run 6–12 weeks from signed heads of agreement to completion. Landlord consent to lease assignment and any licence transfers are usually the critical path, not the sale agreement itself.
- What kills deals most often?
- Undocumented customer contracts, contractor misclassification, unassigned IP, and a lease that cannot be transferred. Each is fixable months before you go to market — which is why a pre-sale legal review pays for itself.
- Can you act if the buyer or seller is interstate?
- Yes. We act nationally from Melbourne and Sydney, and routinely run deals where the parties are in different states.
Talk to us
Legal built for business sale lawyers — melbourne.
Send us a note about what you're working on. We'll respond within one business day and, if we're a fit, book a free 15-minute consultation with a senior lawyer.