birman & ride

What birman & ride does

birman's entity is a Perth-based private law firm operating under the registered name Curae Law Pty Ltd (ABN 79 640 502 307), founded when current Legal Practitioner Director Michael Hodgkins joined as an articled clerk in 1996 and admitted in 1997. The firm delivers consumer-facing legal services across wills and estate planning, probate and deceased estate administration, property settlements and conveyancing, dispute resolution and litigation, and fixed-price debt collection, serving individuals, families, executors, property buyers and sellers, borrowers/guarantors, and small-business creditors primarily in Western Australia. Service is delivered through a single CBD office at Level 4, 1008 Hay Street, Perth, with phone, online booking, and walk-in channels.

The firm's product architecture is organized as a multi-brand NewLaw model introduced in 2011: Curae Law is the core brand, with specialized sub-brands Flat Rate Settlements (conveyancing), Perth Wills Centre (estate planning), Perth Probate Centre (probate administration), and Get Paid Debt Collection (recovery). Underlying these branded storefronts is ContactsLaw, a legal practice management platform developed in-house jointly with the vendor, providing document registration, cataloguing, searching, editing, duplication, printing, and forwarding, and enabling on-the-spot service delivery in a single consultation.

The commercial model is fixed advertised pricing across all major service lines — for example $990 inc GST for a Solicitor's Guarantee Certificate, $198/$385 for legal consultations, and fixed fees for probate and letters of administration — differentiating from traditional time-billed Western Australian firms. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, transaction-based conveyancing fees, and ancillary Controlled Money Account trust-handling fees (A$440 opening, A$55 monthly, A$330 closing) administered via an ANZ Bank partnership. The firm maintains ~5 named practitioners and has been externally recognized via Lucy Dickens' 2020 Lawyer of the Year award from the Law Society of Western Australia, supported by a 4.9 rating across 2,800+ client reviews.

Name

birman & ride

Legal name

Curae Law Pty Ltd

Website

https://birmanride.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Curae Law is a Perth-based private law firm offering fixed-price wills, estate planning, probate, conveyancing, dispute resolution, and debt collection services to Western Australian individuals, families, and small-business creditors via a multi-brand NewLaw model and in-house ContactsLaw practice management platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE), Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Wills and estates
• Property conveyancing
• Debt collection
• Dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Wills and Estate Planning: Fixed-price legal services for wills, enduring power of attorney, and estate planning documents delivered in single consultations.
2. Probate and Estate Administration: Fixed-price services for probate applications, letters of administration, and deceased estate administration.
3. Property Settlements: Flat rate conveyancing and settlement services for property buyers and sellers in Western Australia.
4. Dispute Resolution and Litigation: Legal representation in civil litigation, estate disputes, family provision claims, and commercial disputes.
5. Debt Collection: Fixed-price debt collection service with no commissions, targeted at WA-based clients.
6. Solicitor's Guarantee Certificates: Independent legal advice and certification for guarantors and borrowers on loan documents, priced at $990 inc GST.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

birman & ride, operating as Curae Law Pty Ltd, is a Perth law firm delivering legal services across wills and estate planning, probate and deceased estate administration, property conveyancing and settlements, dispute resolution and litigation, debt collection, and independent legal advice for loan guarantees. Services are offered through multiple specialised sub-brands with fixed advertised pricing and on-the-spot consultation delivery, supported by an in-house ContactsLaw practice management system.

Product overview

Curae Law operates as a unified law firm with multiple sub-brands offering distinct legal services. The core brand provides wills, estates, dispute resolution and debt collection, while Flat Rate Settlements handles property settlements, Perth Wills Centre focuses on estate planning, Perth Probate Centre manages probate administration, and Get Paid Debt Collection handles debt recovery. All services are offered with advertised fixed prices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wills and Estate Planning (Perth Wills Centre) Strategy-led wills, enduring powers of attorney and estate planning services for individuals and families in Western Australia, delivered through single consultations with structured, legally sound document preparation to preserve wealth and protect legacy.
• Probate and Deceased Estate Administration (Perth Probate Centre) Fixed-price probate applications, letters of administration and full estate administration services for executors and administrators in WA, handling court paperwork, timelines and compliance so families can administer estates without added stress.
• Property Settlements and Conveyancing (Flat Rate Settlements) Flat-rate conveyancing and settlement services for property buyers and sellers in Western Australia, with instant online quotes, over 40 years of combined legal expertise, and independent representation separate from real estate agent referrals.
• Dispute Resolution and Litigation Legal representation and practical, objective advice for civil litigation, deceased estate disputes, family provision claims, and commercial disputes in Western Australia, aimed at resolving matters quickly and efficiently.
• Debt Collection (Get Paid Debt Collection) One-stop fixed-price debt collection service for WA-based creditors and businesses, including demand letters and statutory demands, with no commissions and no hidden fees.
• Solicitor's Guarantee Certificate Certificate of Independent Advice for guarantors and borrowers on loan and security documentation, including document review, in-person meeting and advice, and certificate signing, at $990 inc GST.
• Controlled Money Account (CMA) Trust Account Handling Trust account handling for funds held on behalf of clients pending distribution, via an ANZ Bank interest-bearing account with rates close to the RBA cash rate; opening $440, monthly maintenance $55, closing $330.
• Legal Consultation

Quantifiable outcome

• Identity verification completed in a few minutes via secure InfoTrack service
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ContactsLawcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for legal practice management. ContactsLaw is the state of the art legal practice management software developed in-house for Curae Law. Nigel Siegwart works closely with ContactsLaw to develop systems that enable the firm to dramatically reduce costs and improve service quality.
• Flat Rate SettlementscoreTechnology or IntegrationFounded in 2011 as part of Curae Law's NewLaw model transition. Flat Rate Settlements offers instant online quotes and transparent pricing, revolutionizing conveyancing in Western Australia through technology-enabled efficiency.
• Perth Wills CentrecoreTechnology or IntegrationEstablished as part of Curae Law's NewLaw model in 2011. Provides wills and estate planning services with practical solutions and innovative service delivery.
• Perth Probate CentrecoreTechnology or IntegrationEstablished as part of Curae Law's NewLaw model in 2011. Specializes in probate and deceased estate administration services.
• Get Paid Debt CollectioncoreTechnology or IntegrationFounded by Nigel Siegwart as Curae Law's innovative debt collection service. Offers cost-effective demand letters and debt recovery at competitive fixed prices with no commissions.
• Adobe Creative TypeminorOthersLucy Dickens is identified as 'The Producer' in Adobe Creative Type, showcasing her creative and analytical thinking approach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LegalVision: Australian NewLaw firm offering fixed-fee legal services across commercial, employment, property, and dispute matters with technology-enabled delivery. Directly comparable as a NewLaw competitor with similar fixed-price, multi-practice model, though larger and nationally distributed.

Emerging players

• Lawpath: Australian online legal platform offering fixed-price legal documents, lawyer consultations and subscription services. Comparable as a technology-enabled, fixed-fee legal services disruptor targeting small businesses and consumers with wills, contracts and conveyancing.

Broad incumbents

• Slater and Gordon: Large Australian plaintiff law firm with diversified practice areas including wills and estates. Comparable as a national legal services provider with established brands, though operating at much larger scale and on traditional billing alongside NewLaw offerings.
• Maurice Blackburn: Major Australian plaintiff and general practice law firm with national presence. Comparable as a multi-practice legal services provider with dispute resolution and estate litigation capabilities, though serving a broader market at larger scale.
• Shine Lawyers: Australian plaintiff law firm with national network handling personal injury, estate disputes, and class actions. Comparable in dispute resolution and contentious estates services, though focused primarily on plaintiff litigation work.
• Spruson & Ferguson: Australian intellectual property law firm with broader commercial practice. Comparable as an Australian professional legal services firm, though specializing in IP rather than Curae's consumer-facing practice areas.

Regional players

• Armstrong Legal: Perth-based family law and estate planning firm serving Western Australia. Comparable as a Perth-based legal practice focused on family, wills and estate matters, though smaller and concentrated in family law rather than Curae's diversified practice mix.
• Kott Gunning: Perth-based full-service law firm with practice areas including property, commercial, and dispute resolution. Comparable as a Western Australian legal services competitor in conveyancing and commercial matters, though operating on traditional billing model.
• Lavan: Perth-based commercial law firm with strong property and commercial practice. Comparable as a WA-headquartered legal services provider competing in property settlements and commercial disputes, but oriented toward larger commercial clients.
• Hicksons Lawyers: Australian mid-tier commercial law firm with property and succession practice areas. Comparable as a multi-practice law firm serving individuals and businesses in property and estate matters, though with a more commercial client focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/curaelaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curae-law
• Instagraminstagram.com/curaelaw

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about birman & ride