An Irish commercial tenant should compare legal quotes using the draft lease, business use and proposed commitments. A low estimate is not directly comparable with a quote including extensive negotiation or connected guarantees.

Define the legal instruction

Use an Irish transaction brief and clear written costs information. Coordinate legal scope with the premises condition and the planned fit-out.

Professional fees, scope and other expenses

Ask for written scope and a clear fee basis: fixed, hourly, staged or another agreed arrangement. Identify applicable taxes, third-party expenses and excluded specialist work. Clarify what happens if facts change or the instruction expands, and who must authorise additional work before it begins.

Comparison item Question to resolve
Lease and negotiation complexity What written costs information will be provided?
Guarantees and premises obligations Are negotiations included?
Professional fees and third-party expenses Who assesses fit-out permissions and physical condition?

Compare the deliverable and excluded stages line by line. Keep a record of the agreed estimate, revision process and approval for any additional expenses.

The decision that deserves the closest review

Ask which lease reviews, searches, amendments and completion tasks are included. Separate professional charges from third-party costs and request clear costs information. Coordinate a physical-property review where the premises condition affects the decision.

Prepare a brief the solicitor can price

Supply the complete documents, a short chronology where useful, the commercial objective and any urgent dates. Explain what outcome you need from the instruction. Clear organisation allows the adviser to distinguish initial scoping from a substantive review and later negotiation or dispute work.

Scope the Irish lease using the business’s actual plans

Provide the draft lease, heads of terms and intended use of the premises. Explain fit-out work, guarantees and funding involvement. Ask the solicitor to distinguish review, negotiation and completion, using Irish transaction requirements rather than assumptions drawn from a UK lease example.

Compare written costs, expenses and exclusions with the same instruction. Coordinate survey or technical work separately and identify the process for approving extra stages. Keep the final lease and relevant advice available to the person managing occupation so operational decisions follow the completed terms.

Use an adviser familiar with the Irish instruction and agree written scope and costs for the actual documents.

A hypothetical example

A business signs up for a premises needing adaptation. It checks legal responsibility for alterations and reinstatement alongside the fit-out budget before deciding the rent alone makes the site affordable.

A mistake to avoid

Assuming another country’s lease procedures and fee structure apply unchanged in Ireland.

Agree how the instruction will be managed

Agree the contact person, expected updates and who can approve further work. Ask how the budget changes if the other side sends new documents, negotiations expand or proceedings become necessary. Keep advice, agreed terms and the executed documents organised so operational decisions use the final position rather than an earlier draft.

Questions before choosing

Where can a business verify a solicitor?

Use the Law Society of Ireland’s firm search and discuss representation and costs directly with the chosen firm.

Should a fixed Irish lease fee be treated as unlimited negotiation?

Review its scope and assumptions. Ask how extra drafts, new issues and connected documents would be priced before relying on the headline amount.

Sources and further reading

Research date: 6 October 2026. Refer to the current linked guidance and written provider or adviser terms when making a decision.