Every matter overseen personally, first call to resolution
The range of claim values Archer has been involved in across its practice areas
Response to enquiries received before 3pm
Offices in Parramatta and Sydney, matters handled across the state
Archer Lawyers acts for people who bought a home, or were part-way through building one, when the company on the other side of the contract failed.
That includes off-the-plan purchasers whose lot was never registered, owners whose build was left unfinished, and people who settled and then found defects with no one left to fix them.
Building, strata and property work is the core of this practice rather than an occasional file — which matters here, because a claim of this kind runs across all three at once: an insurance policy, a contract, a warranty, and a duty of care owed by people who may still be solvent.
We are a lean, hands-on firm. The person advising you is the person running your matter, from first instruction through to resolution.
By being honest about where the money actually is. It is rarely in the company — a builder in liquidation is in liquidation precisely because it cannot pay, and an unsecured creditor ranks behind the secured lenders and the employees. So we look elsewhere first: at the insurance, at where your deposit was held, at the warranties that run with your property, and at the individuals and professionals who owed you a duty and may still be insured. Then we tell you which of those is worth running.
A short phone or video conversation with our principal. We listen to what has happened, look at any key documents you send through — your contract, any notice from an administrator or liquidator, your insurance certificate if you have one — and give you a clear view of your options and the deadlines that apply. Free, and with no obligation to proceed.
Because this sits at the intersection of three areas we work in every day: building and construction, strata, and property. We act for owners and we act for builders and developers, which is how we read what the other side is likely to do. You also deal directly with the principal running your file — not a rotating team — and because we are selective about what we take on, the matters we do take get senior attention from first call to resolution.
Matthew personally oversees every matter Archer takes on, from the first call through to resolution. His practice spans building and construction, strata and property, acting both for owners pursuing claims and for builders and developers defending them — which shapes how he reads a file where a company has failed and the question is who else is left to answer for the work.
A fixed-price home was left unfinished when the building company went into liquidation.
An off-the-plan purchaser had paid a deposit on a lot that was never brought into existence.
Owners found defects after handover, by which time the building company had been wound up.
— Home building compensation claims where the contractor has become insolvent, died, disappeared or lost their licence
— Incomplete work: what the cover extends to, and how notification timing works once work stops
— Off-the-plan deposits, sunset clauses, and rights arising from an inaccurate or missing disclosure statement
— Statutory warranty claims under the Home Building Act 1989, including for subsequent owners
— Duty of care claims against the individuals and professionals who carried out or controlled the work
— Proofs of debt, creditors' meetings, and applications for leave to continue a claim
— An insurance claim properly prepared, evidenced and lodged inside the time limits — made against the insurer rather than a company with nothing in it
— A deposit recovered, or a contract validly brought to an end, where the terms and the way the money was held allow it
— Rectification costs pursued against a party that is still solvent, or against the insurer standing behind one
— An early, honest answer on whether a claim is worth running at all, so you are not spending money chasing a company that cannot pay
Where your deposit was required to be held, what a sunset clause does and does not let the vendor do, and whether you can end the contract and get your money back.
What the insurance covers when work stops, what it is capped at for incomplete work, and why the date the site went quiet matters — notification timing is strict and depends on your policy.
Statutory warranties, defect claims, and who remains liable for the work once the company that did it has been wound up.
Home building compensation cover is generally not required where a building has a rise in storeys of more than three (broadly, four storeys or more) and contains two or more dwellings — so many apartment owners have none. We look at what stands in its place.
Free to start, and you'll know quickly whether there is something worth running.
A few details on the form below — we get back to you personally, the same day if we receive it before 3pm.
Free Case ReviewA plain-English conversation about your options. Free, no obligation, and if we don't think you have a case, we'll say so.
If we take the matter on, our principal runs it personally through to resolution — not handed off to someone else.
Offices in Parramatta and Sydney — available for a conversation in person.
Phone and video consultations available at a time that works for you.
Tell us briefly what has happened. If you know the date of your contract, the date work stopped, or the date the building was completed, include it — nearly every claim of this kind turns on a date. Our principal will personally review it and respond the same day if we receive it before 3pm.
We respond personally — no call centre, no automated queue.
