3 conveyancing & property lawyers with offices in Cairns are listed below, including Farrellys Lawyers Cairns, MacDonnells Law Cairns, Marino Lawyers Cairns. Listings are compiled from public information; practices marked Claimed have confirmed their details with us. Before engaging anyone, confirm their current practising status with the Queensland Law Society.
Farrellys Lawyers Cairns
- Level 1, 120 Grafton Street, Cairns QLD 4870
- (07) 4051 4766
- 16 October 2026
MacDonnells Law Cairns
- Corner Grafton & Shields Streets, Cairns City, Cairns QLD 4870
- (07) 4030 0600
- 13 October 2026
Marino Lawyers Cairns
- Level 1, 67 Sheridan Street, Cairns QLD 4870
- (07) 4042 4700
- 16 October 2026
What a conveyancing lawyer in Cairns can help with
Property lawyers and conveyancers handle the legal side of buying, selling, leasing and developing real estate: reviewing and negotiating the contract, searches and disclosure, finance and settlement conditions, transfer duty and electronic settlement. Property law is State-based, so contracts, cooling-off rights and disclosure duties in Queensland differ from other States.
- Contract review before you sign or bid at auction
- Residential purchases and sales, off-the-plan contracts
- Commercial and retail leases
- Transfer (stamp) duty and first home buyer concessions
- Strata, community title and body corporate issues
- Boundary, easement and caveat disputes
- Subdivisions and small developments
Conveyancing & Property Law in Queensland: what is different
Residential buyers generally have a 5-business-day cooling-off period (0.25% penalty if you terminate). A statutory seller disclosure regime under the Property Law Act 2023 applies to contracts from 1 August 2025. Only solicitors, not licensed conveyancers, can carry out conveyancing in Queensland.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- Is the quoted fee fixed, and what disbursements and searches are extra?
- Who will handle settlement day and how will you keep me updated?
- Have you acted on properties in this building or estate before?
- What happens if finance or the building inspection falls through?
- Can you review the contract before auction, and how quickly?
Costs and funding
Conveyancing is usually quoted as a fixed professional fee plus searches, certificates and settlement fees. Transfer duty is paid to the Queensland revenue office and is often the largest cost in a purchase; concessions for first home buyers change frequently, so get current figures. Lawyers must give you costs disclosure under the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) before or as soon as practicable after starting work.
Other practice areas in Cairns
Conveyancing & Property Lawyers elsewhere in Queensland
- Conveyancing & Property Lawyers in Brisbane
- Conveyancing & Property Lawyers in Gold Coast
- Conveyancing & Property Lawyers in Sunshine Coast
Browse all Conveyancing & Property Law practices or every practice in Cairns.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer or a conveyancer?
In Queensland conveyancing must be done by a solicitor; licensed conveyancers do not operate here.
When should I get the contract reviewed?
Before you sign or bid. At auction there is no cooling-off period and the contract is binding on the fall of the hammer, so any changes have to be negotiated beforehand.
What is transfer duty?
A State tax on the transfer of property, paid by the buyer to the Queensland revenue office, usually at or before settlement. Rates are tiered and concessions apply to some first home buyers and off-the-plan purchases.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and inclusion in the directory is not a recommendation. See our disclaimer and how listings are compiled.