Odd Christmas Laws

It has frequently been observed that some laws don’t seem to make a great deal of sense. With Christmas around the corner it is timely to have a look at some current and past laws that seem to confirm this idea. We acknowledge the College Of Law for these examples. In Western Australia it is illegal by statute to ... More

Director Identification Number – Are you a Company Director?

Company Directors will soon need to have a Director Identification Number (Director ID). This is being introduced to reduce the possibility of Directors having multiple registrations under different combinations of their given name, date of birth and/or place of birth. Every company in which a Director has been ... More

How can I tell if my beneficiaries will argue about my estate when I am gone?

Families will react to the loss of a parent in different ways but, having practised in estate law for almost 40 years I can identify a number of factors which are common to most families who argue about inheritances following the death of a parent. The following is not intended as an exhaustive analysis of all the ... More

What is an advance care directive?

An advance care directive is a written statement of your wishes for your future health care. It comes into effect only if you are incapable of making health care decisions for yourself or you are unable to communicate your health care wishes. Why make an advance care directive? You may have already appointed an ... More

Dealing with online misconduct by an employee

Assume that you have a long serving full time employee who is off work and receiving worker’s compensation. More

COVID-19 and the Law

This Christmas has thankfully seen an easing Australia wide of restrictions imposed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. More

The dangers of not making testamentary plans clear and in writing during your lifetime

A very recent case of Moore v Aubusson [2020] NSWSC 1446 illustrates the dangers of not making your testamentary plans clear and in writing during your lifetime. More

What happens to my children if I die? – Appointing a testamentary guardian

A testamentary guardian is someone who is appointed to provide daily care and responsibility for your children and to make decisions about your children’s long term care, welfare and development in the event that one or both of the child’s parents pass away. More

Resolving Family Law matters without court proceedings

This year the Family Law Courts announced that 2,000 cases nationally have been in the court system for over 18 months. The current time from filing documents in the Federal Circuit Court or Family Court of Australia (the Family Law Courts) to attending an interim hearing can be as long as 6 months or more - even for ... More

Changes in modern awards effective 1 March 2020

Due to many recent cases of systematic underpayment of employees, the Fair Work Commission has decided to implement changes to modern awards. These changes will provide greater protections for employees and place further obligations on employers. Often employment agreements are structured to offer an employee an ... More