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Sham contracting – are your independent contractors really employees? And entitled to be paid as such? business employee rights employment law sham contracting Nov 13, 2018

Section 357(1) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) states that an employer must not represent that a contract of employment is a contract for services under which the individual performs work as an independent contractor, otherwise the employer is at risk of the employee seeking Court orders for the pay...

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When can (and can’t) a retail landlord withhold consent to a proposed lease assignment? business commercial lease lease property retail lease Oct 03, 2018

Commercial and retail leases typically contain a provision allowing the tenant to transfer (assign) the lease to another tenant. The need or desire to transfer the lease can arise in a number of different circumstances – most usually where the incoming tenant is purchasing from the outgoing tenant t...

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"Crisp orders" - more than just a life interest estate planning estates family provision wills Sep 06, 2018

The term "Crisp order" refers to the principal established by the 1979 Supreme Court of New South Wales decision, Crisp v Burns Philp Trustee Company Ltd.  The principle relates to family provision cases, where a person who satisfies the definition of "eligible person" makes a claim against the esta...

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The importance of having a co-ownership agreement co-ownership property purchasing property Aug 22, 2018

If you have purchased a property with someone else, it is likely that you’ve at least had an initial chat about sharing the costs of owning the property – but have you discussed what happens if one of the co-owners wants to sell their interest in the property?  Or worse still, if one of the co-owner...

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Be clear about which contract is on foot business contract law litigation Jul 30, 2018

Sometimes the parties to a contract (which has already been signed and dated) will, for whatever reason, enter into another contract later on for exactly the same subject matter, but perhaps with slightly different terms – the question then becomes whether or not they intend the subsequent contract ...

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Be careful when you use the word ANZAC business intellectual property trade marks Apr 24, 2018

On this eve of Anzac Day, we thought it was appropriate to look at the word ANZAC and the legal implications of using the word when naming a product, event or even your boat.

A quick history lesson

We all get taught about the importance and history of the Anzac landing on the shores of Gallipoli o...

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"I leave everything to my children" - does this include adopted children? contested will estate planning estates wills Apr 16, 2018

CASE UPDATE

Last week, the New South Wales Supreme Court considered the issue whether the words "my children", when used in the context of the deceased's Will, included a child that the deceased adopted out shortly after he was born (see John Hamilton Condon v Simon Anthony Tonkinn [2018] NSWSC 449...

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Know your rights as a beneficiary beneficiaries estate planning estates trusts wills Apr 05, 2018

If you are the beneficiary of a Will it is important to know what your rights are in regards to obtaining and protecting your entitlement.

  1. Right to Information

You have the right to be kept informed of factors concerning probate and distribution of your entitlement under the Will.  This does n...

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Sham contracting - are you a contractor or an employee? business contracting employee rights employment law sham contracting Mar 23, 2018

There are significant financial and managerial benefits for businesses relying on a workforce which consists of independent contractors (who can be engaged as required depending on the workload), rather than employees (who are engaged on a more permanent basis, irrespective of the workload). Unfortu...

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What's the parking situation like? Important lessons for property purchasers and agents easements property purchasing property supreme court Dec 04, 2017

Property purchasers and especially real estate agents should take note of a Supreme Court decision handed down last week in relation to representations made regarding a property’s right of way (aka “easement for carriageway”), and whether the property owners had the right to park on the right of way...

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Getting out of a partnership - the importance of the partnership agreement business business agreements partnership agreements Nov 15, 2017

A recent Supreme Court decision (Cole v Lee [2017] NSWSC 1011) has highlighted the importance of having a Partnership Agreement and following the provisions of said Agreement when looking to terminate or retire from the partnership.

Background to the matter

The plaintiff (Ms Cole) operated a pharm...

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Why you need to know about outgoings business lease outgoings property Nov 01, 2017

What are outgoings?

Outgoings are expenses incurred by the landlord arising out of its ownership of the premises.

Typical outgoings include:

  • Taxes fees and charges – e.g. Council rates, water rates, land tax
  • Day to day costs – e.g. cleaning, garbage collection
  • Maintenance and repair services
  • ...
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This blog provides general information and should not be construed as legal advice. Laws may have changed since the publication of this content. We recommend consulting with a qualified legal professional to ensure compliance with current legislation and to address specific circumstances.