The State Government has introduced new mediation laws in Queensland to provide an alternative solution for farmers when struggling to comply with their bank’s mortgage terms. This is a great alternative from having to engage in expensive and drawn out legal battles that could lead to their fina..
Read MoreAs employment lawyers, we often advise clients about employment restraints. Very often we have to start by correcting some common urban myths… Urban myth 1 is, “Employment restraints aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.” Urban myth 2 is, “You can’t protect your business..
Read MoreAny business that leases goods, sells goods on consignment or on terms, or otherwise uses goods to secure debt, needs to be familiar with the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). On one hand, the PPSR seems easy to use – anyone can create an account and register their security..
Read MorePersonal Property Securities Amendment (PPS Leases) Act 2017 (“Amendment”) which amends the Personal Property Securities Act (“PPSA”) was assented to today so the following changes will be in effect from tomorrow. What does this mean? Since the PPSA came into effect on 30 January 2012,..
Read MoreOn Labour Day the Queensland Premier announced the introduction of a new licensing regime for labour hire operators. The stated purpose of the new laws is to “crack-down on rogue operators who are exploiting and mistreating vulnerable workers.”1 The new measures follow an inquiry by the..
Read MoreThe existence of a de facto relationship may give rights to each party in relation to an adjustment of property. We all think we know what a de facto relationship is, but how do we determine whether or not such a relationship exits?
Read MoreSuperannuation is complicated and it’s not surprising that businesses can get it “super wrong”. Your business could be paying too much super, or too little. Read on to find out more… We have advised small, medium and large businesses for many years. The two common mistakes that busin..
Read MoreDo you want half price legal and accounting services when preparing your Wills or transferring your farm onto your children? Succession and estate planning has been one of the biggest challenges faced by primary producers for generations. Passing on control of the family farming business an..
Read MoreYou probably have heard about the 2016-17 Budget and related superannuation reforms due to apply from 1 July, 2017. However, you might not have thought about estate plans and trust deed updates. In order to ensure your clients are going to be prepared, you need to read on. Two importan..
Read MoreDuring the recent weather events many businesses shut, resulting in employees being sent home and not being able to return to work for a few days. A question we are hearing from employers is; “Do we have to pay the staff?”. Similarly, we have had friends (employees) ask us, “Isn’t it si..
Read MoreYou probably have heard about the 2016-17 Budget and related superannuation reforms due to apply from 1 July, 2017. However, you might not have thought about estate plans and trust deed updates. In order to ensure your clients are going to be prepared, you need to read on.
Read MoreA recent story carried by many news outlets has put the spotlight on tattoos in the workplace. Chontelle McGoldrick, a 21 year old woman applied for a job with Qantas and Emirates. Her application was rejected because of a small tattoo about 2cm across on her ankle. She was told that if she..
Read MoreAs the sun shines on another day, we have now all had an opportunity to assess the damage left behind by our unwelcome friend, Debbie! The crop damage is certainly one thing that is being felt hard by farmers. Another thing is those farmers that have also lost livestock, or found livestock ..
Read MoreHollywood loves a “pre-nup” and often spruiks the idea that when one party has an affair, the pre-nup is declared void or provides for the other party to be compensated. However, pre-nups in the Australian legal context are not exactly like those in Hollywood.
Read MoreDid you know that the reinstatement of the ABCC has dramatically changed contractual obligations and tendering requirements for Commonwealth funded projects? Did you also know that it impacts on security of payment issues? To date, there has been a great deal of attention placed upon t..
Read MoreThe ABCC has released new guidance material dealing with various (typical) enterprise agreement clauses used in the construction industry, and identifying whether those clauses will comply with the 2016 Construction Code (Code). Employers in the construction industry that are covered..
Read MoreThis article highlights how important it is to correctly register your rights over your own property when hiring out equipment on the Personal Properties Security Register (PPSR). Near enough is not good enough and ownership is no longer King under the Personal Properties Securities Act 2009 (Cth) (PPSA).
Read MoreThe Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works is currently considering changes to the building certification regime. Under Queensland’s current model, customers can seek certification services from a range of licensed and accredited private building certifiers or from their loca..
Read MoreThere has been a further extension on the transfer duty (more commonly called ‘stamp duty’) concession for the transfer of family businesses of primary production that was released on 23 December, 2016. The great news is that this concession now covers Water Allocations! Before expl..
Read MoreYou recognise the value in the name of your business as well as your logo, client list, etc. What have you done to protect it? We have had a number of clients recently who have not paid enough attention to their intellectual property (“IP”) and this has landed them in some sticky situation..
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