Sydney Strata Boutique Triples OC Advice Output
A 5-lawyer Sydney strata law boutique uses Quillio for owners corporation (OC) advice under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), by-law drafting and review, NCAT Consumer and Commercial Division applications, Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) statutory duty claims, defects claims, community title under the Community Land Management Act 2021 (NSW), and building bond matters under Part 11 SSMA. The boutique now produces roughly three times the OC advice it did 12 months ago.
What they were trying to solve
Strata work in Sydney is volume-driven — a single strata manager client represents dozens of OCs, each sending questions weekly. The 2020 Design and Building Practitioners Act created a new statutory duty of care that opened a wave of defects litigation. The boutique was drowning in OC advice emails and losing traction on the bigger defects matters that were materially more valuable. Strata manager clients were threatening to move to firms that could answer within 48 hours.
Why Quillio
Quillio was configured with the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) and Regulations, Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW), Community Land Management Act 2021 (NSW), Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) including the s37 statutory duty, Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), and NCAT practice directions. OC advice runs through a templated intake that Quillio expands into a full advice with supporting statutory references.
Implementation
Pilot with three strata manager clients over six weeks, measured by SLA compliance (48-hour response). By-law review workflow added in month two. DBP Act statutory duty and major defects workflow added in month three after training on the recent decisions (including Loulach and Pafburn).
Measurable outcomes
Same 5-lawyer team, triple the weekly advice volume from strata manager clients
Previously 62% — strata manager client retention restored
Common property alteration, pet, short-term letting, and EV charging by-laws
CCD applications filed per month across levies, breaches, and orders
DBP Act 2020 (NSW) s37 statutory duty claims now the growth area, freed up by routine OC advice automation
Strata management is a 48-hour-turnaround relationship. If we can't answer an OC question that week, the strata manager finds another lawyer. Quillio gave us back the bandwidth to actually run defects litigation properly — which is where we add most value — without dropping the weekly advice cycle.
How it works in practice
Owners corporation advice under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), by-law drafting and review, common property works under Part 5 Division 3 SSMA, levy recovery, NCAT Consumer and Commercial Division applications, Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) s37 duty claims, Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) warranties, Part 11 SSMA building bond matters, and CLMA 2021 (NSW) community title.
What they avoided
Losing strata manager clients to firms with faster turnaround, or taking on junior lawyers the boutique couldn't train fast enough on the DBP Act 2020 changes.
Case study FAQs
Does Quillio handle NSW strata law?
Yes — Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016, Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW), and the CLMA 2021 (NSW), plus NCAT Consumer and Commercial Division practice.
Can it draft by-laws?
Yes — common by-law categories including pets (Cooper v The Owners), short-term letting, EV charging, cosmetic works, major renovations, and the special resolution process under s141 SSMA.
What about DBP Act statutory duty claims?
Yes — s37 Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) statutory duty of care, including recent authorities like Pafburn, Loulach, and the interaction with the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) warranty regime.
Does it cover building bonds?
Yes — Part 11 SSMA 2015 building bonds for new high-rise schemes, interim and final inspection reports, and the rectification process.
Can it handle levy recovery?
Yes — Local Court debt recovery and NCAT orders for unpaid contributions, plus the Strata Debt Recovery Fund for problematic schemes.
Run the same pilot.
Strata law boutiques should trial Quillio on a live week of OC advice — the turnaround and volume gain shows up inside a fortnight. Start a free trial.
Start your free trial