About us
Six decades of law. A certificate by this afternoon.
We do one thing: independent legal advice certificates for personal guarantors. Behind the online booking form and the same-day appointment sits LW Williams and Associates — a New South Wales law firm established in 1960 that has advised families and businesses for generations.
Why we exist
Settlement shouldn’t wait on a solicitor’s diary.
If you’re guaranteeing someone else’s loan, your lender will almost certainly require you to get independent legal advice before it releases funds.
It makes sense. A guarantor isn’t the one borrowing the money and often isn’t the one benefiting from it — but if the borrower defaults, the lender can come after the guarantor’s house. The certificate exists so that no one signs that away without understanding it.
What doesn’t make sense is how hard it has been to get one. Parents guaranteeing a first home have been quoted open-ended hourly rates, sent across the city for an in-person appointment, and told the next opening is in a fortnight — while a settlement date sits on the calendar.
We built this service to remove that step from the critical path. Same-day video appointments, a fixed fee published up front, and a certificate issued the day we meet — advised by a lawyer whose career spans the courts, banking and private practice.
The firm behind the service
LW Williams and Associates
Independent Legal Advice is not a standalone website. It is a service of LW Williams and Associates, a New South Wales law firm established in 1960 that has served families and businesses for more than sixty years.
A long-established practice
LW Williams and Associates has been in continuous practice since 1960, built on strong values and long-standing client relationships across Sydney and beyond.
Depth across the law
The firm covers property and conveyancing, business sales and purchases, wills and estates, commercial litigation, family law and migration — a breadth that few online services sit behind.
Finance in its DNA
Guarantor advice draws on genuine banking experience: the firm handles large corporate clients, and its Managing Partner spent years inside one of Australia’s major banks before returning to private practice.
Kevin Yau, Managing Partner
Kevin Yau leads the firm today and brought its guarantor advice work online, so that independent legal advice certificates can be issued the same day, anywhere in Australia.
Who advises you
Three careers behind your advice.
Kevin Yau has worked inside the court system, inside one of Australia’s largest banks, and now in private practice — a rare combination for the person explaining a guarantee.
Kevin brings a wide range of experience across the legal, banking and finance sectors. He served as a Deputy Registrar in the Probate Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and as a Team Leader in the Court of Criminal Appeal, before moving into banking as a Partner and Specialist Franchise Banker with the National Australia Bank. Today he is Managing Partner of LW Williams and Associates, an experienced litigator who handles the firm’s large corporate clients.
For a guarantor, that history matters: the person walking you through your obligations has seen guarantees from inside a court, inside a bank, and across the desk in private practice.
- Admitted To Practice In Australia
- Admitted to the High Court of Australia
- Member, Law Society of New South Wales
- Managing Partner, LW Williams and Associates
- Former Partner & Specialist Franchise Banker, National Australia Bank
How we work
Four commitments we’ve put in writing.
The price is the price
$595 including GST, per guarantor. No hourly billing, no urgency loading, no administration fee. If a second guarantor needs advice, that’s a second fixed fee — nothing hidden.
You speak to a lawyer
Not a paralegal, not a checklist. The appointment is a real conversation about your documents, and you are welcome to stop and ask questions as often as you need.
We work to your settlement
Same-day appointments are the standard, not a premium tier. The certificate is issued the day we meet and sent wherever you direct — to you, your broker or the lender.
Advice, not a rubber stamp
Independent means independent. If we think a guarantee exposes you to a risk you haven’t understood, we will tell you plainly — including when the answer is to think harder before signing.
What to expect
The difference in practice.
| With us | A general practice firm | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $595 inc GST, fixed | Hourly rate plus disbursements |
| Wait for an appointment | Same day | Days to weeks |
| Where you meet | Video, from anywhere in Australia | In person, in their office |
| Who advises you | A banking and finance specialist | Whoever is available |
| Certificate issued | Same day as the appointment | Posted, several days later |
Comparison reflects our own fixed-fee, single-service model. Individual firms vary — always confirm your lender’s specific requirements before booking.
Ready to Book Your Independent Legal Advice?
Fixed fee. 100% online. Same-day availability.
We also offer mobile visits across greater Sydney — we come to your home, office or broker’s office at a time that suits you. Call or enquire for availability and any travel fee.
Enquire about a mobile visit