When a relationship ends, one of the most important issues is how property, liabilities, superannuation and financial resources will be divided. In Australia, property settlement is not based on an automatic 50/50 split. The Court does not apply a fixed formula. Instead, it considers what outcome is just and equitable in the circumstances of each …
Property Settlement After Separation: 2026 Family Law Changes Read More »
Earlier in 2026, a letter sent by an AFL club to a 78-year-old supporter attracted widespread media coverage and public criticism. The practice of bequest solicitation, while common across both charitable and commercial organisations, drew sharp reaction in this instance. Critics questioned whether a sporting club soliciting testamentary gifts from elderly supporters crossed a line …
Insistent Charitable Bequests: Beneficial or Bad Taste? Read More »
You have signed the contract, chosen your conveyancer and are waiting for the next step. Instead of a costs disclosure, you receive a questionnaire asking where your deposit is coming from, whether you hold or have ever held a prominent public office in any country, and whether you are acting on behalf of someone else. …
AML Conveyancing Rules: What NSW Buyers Need to Know Read More »
From 1 July 2026, the way employers across Australia pay superannuation changes fundamentally. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Act 2025 ends the quarterly payment model. It requires employers to pay superannuation guarantee contributions on each payday. Funds must reach the employee’s super fund within seven business days. For most businesses, this means superannuation becomes …
Payday Super is Here – And the ATO Has a Seven Day Countdown Read More »
A Field-by-Field Guide to Company Extracts The Search Before the Handshake Before a law firm does anything for a client involving a company or trust structure, it pulls the ASIC search. An ASIC Organisation Extract is a snapshot of everything the public register knows about a company at the moment the search is run. It …
A Due Diligence Primer for Clients and Practitioners What Is a Company? A company is a legal fiction. The law says: we will treat this thing as though it were a person. It can own land, sue and be sued, enter contracts and owe money. Not All Companies Are the Same The type of company …
A Plain-English Guide to Company and Trust Structures Read More »
The Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Act 2026 (NSW) passed Parliament on 12 February 2026, making New South Wales the first Australian jurisdiction to impose specific work health and safety duties in relation to digital work systems. Background The reforms respond to recommendations from the 2022 NSW Legislative Council Select Committee on the Future …
NSW regulates AI and digital work systems under WHS laws Read More »
A recent Federal Court decision has set aside a visa cancellation character test ruling because the Tribunal failed to engage with handwritten letters from three children. A reminder that decision-makers cannot treat children’s voices as mere character references. The Case at a Glance In Sumeo v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2026] FCA …
Visa Cancellation & the Character Test: How Children’s Evidence Can Change the Outcome Read More »
By the time most families notice financial abuse of elderly parents, it has been going on for months. Money is gone. Documents have been signed. The person responsible has positioned themselves as indispensable, and your parent may not even see a problem. Financial abuse of older people rarely begins with theft. It begins with help. …
Financial Abuse of Elderly Parents: How to Recognise It and What to Do Read More »
Background The 2026-27 Federal Budget was delivered on 12 May 2026. It introduced three reforms affecting trust properties. These apply to both testamentary and discretionary trusts. The reforms cover abolition of the 50% CGT discount, restrictions on negative gearing, and a 30% minimum tax on discretionary trust income. Each reform has a different commencement date. …
2026-27 Federal Budget Trust Properties: What You Need to Know Read More »