How does buying by private treaty work?

I've only bought at auction before so it was pretty simple.
What is the process for buying by private treaty? We want to settle as fast as possible. Is that something we can negotiate or is it a set period. If we can negotiate is it part of the offer we make or does our solicitor contact theirs about it? When does our solicitor get his hands on the contract? Can we ask the realtor to send him a copy before we make the offer or does he only get it after we make the offer? How long is the period between our offer being accepted and signing/exchanging the contract?

Thanks

I think it differs by state.
In Victoria you get the contract first, and you get a cooling off period unlike auctions. You also get the option of consulting a solicitor prior to making an offer and if you do then you forfeit your cooling off period
You also can negotiate the settlement period but if there are more than one party putting in offers and the vendor wants a longer settlement then you do this could come in to the decision on who to sell to esp if the offers are similarly priced

You can always ask the RE what the seller wants in terms of short/long settlement. If it's worth it, maybe chuck in another $1k for a quick settlement.
Once the offer is accepted you pay your deposit and sign the contract that should be in the office. I sweat blood until I've signed - I wish I could remember more but the whole process usually has me semi-hysterical (behind my "I'm a fricken Real Estate Guru" facade that fools everyone).

You can always ask the RE what the seller wants in terms of short/long settlement. If it's worth it, maybe chuck in another $1k for a quick settlement.
Once the offer is accepted you pay your deposit and sign the contract that should be in the office. I sweat blood until I've signed - I wish I could remember more but the whole process usually has me semi-hysterical (behind my "I'm a fricken Real Estate Guru" facade that fools everyone).