Plain-language legal insights
Plain-language guidance for Manly and Northern Beaches individuals and businesses. Our articles contain general information only; please speak with us about your circumstances.
Binding financial agreements (prenups) explained
What a binding financial agreement does, the strict requirements including independent legal advice, and the grounds a court can set one aside.
Read article → Dispute ResolutionMediation and resolving business disputes without court
Many commercial disputes settle before a hearing. This overview explains what mediation is and when it is commonly considered.
Read article → Family LawProperty settlement after separation: how it works
The four-step approach to dividing property after separation, the time limits, and the ways to finalise a settlement.
Read article → TradespeopleSecurity of Payment Act NSW: how tradies get paid
How tradespeople use the NSW Security of Payment Act to get paid, including payment claims and the key timeframes.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingTransfer duty (stamp duty) in NSW: who pays and how much
What transfer duty is, who pays it and when, the current rate brackets, and the first home buyer concessions.
Read article → Traffic & LicensingDrink driving (PCA) offences in NSW: ranges and penalties
The PCA ranges in NSW and the first-offence penalties, including fines, disqualification and the interlock program.
Read article → Business Sales & AcquisitionsAsset sale vs share sale: which is better?
How asset sales and share sales differ, the advantages and risks of each for buyers and sellers, and how to choose.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingBuying a home in NSW: the conveyancing process explained
A detailed step-by-step guide to the NSW conveyancing process for home buyers, covering the contract, cooling-off, searches, duty and settlement.
Read article → Wills & EstatesWhat happens if you die without a will in NSW?
How the NSW intestacy rules decide who inherits when there is no valid will, and why a will matters.
Read article → Family LawSeparation and divorce in Australia: the first steps
The practical first steps after separation, how divorce differs from property and parenting, and how to apply.
Read article → Dispute ResolutionLetter of demand: when and how to send one
When to send a letter of demand, what it should contain, the limitation period, and the Local Court process if it is ignored.
Read article → Wills & EstatesWhat is probate and how do you apply in NSW?
What probate is, when it is needed, and the steps an executor takes to apply for a grant in NSW.
Read article → Business Sales & AcquisitionsBuying a business: the basics of due diligence
Due diligence is how a buyer checks that a business is what it appears to be. Here is a general outline of what is usually looked at.
Read article → Commercial LeasingWhat to check before signing a commercial lease
The key things to check before signing a commercial or retail lease in NSW, from disclosure to make good.
Read article → Business Sales & AcquisitionsBuying a business: a legal due diligence checklist
What to investigate before buying a business, the key legal risks, and how due diligence protects the buyer.
Read article → Commercial LeasingRetail Leases Act NSW: a tenant's guide
What protections the Retail Leases Act 1994 gives NSW retail tenants, and the key terms to understand before you sign.
Read article → Business Structures & Start-upsWhy your start-up needs a shareholders agreement
What a shareholders agreement covers, why it matters for any company with more than one owner, and the terms to include.
Read article → Traffic & LicensingAppealing a licence suspension in NSW
How to appeal a police-issued licence suspension in NSW, the strict 28-day deadline, and what the Local Court can do.
Read article → TradespeopleClient won't pay? Your options as a tradesperson in NSW
The practical options for a tradesperson chasing unpaid work in NSW, from a demand to Security of Payment and court.
Read article → Dispute ResolutionSuing for an unpaid debt in NSW: the Local Court process
The NSW Local Court process for recovering an unpaid debt, the court limits, time limits, and how to enforce a judgment.
Read article → Corporate & Commercial LawUnfair contract term changes: what they mean for small business
What the November 2023 unfair contract terms reforms changed, the penalties, and what businesses should do about their standard contracts.
Read article → TradespeopleHow to make a payment claim under the Security of Payment Act
The steps to make a valid payment claim under the NSW Security of Payment Act, the deadlines, and how adjudication works.
Read article → Business Structures & Start-upsHow to set up a company in Australia: step by step
The steps to register a company in Australia, what decisions you need to make, and the traps to avoid.
Read article → Corporate & Commercial LawKey clauses every commercial contract should include
The clauses that carry the most weight in a commercial contract and the ones businesses most often get wrong.
Read article → Wills & EstatesContesting a will: family provision claims in NSW
How family provision claims work in NSW, who can contest a will, the strict time limit, and what the court weighs.
Read article → Dispute ResolutionResponding to a statutory demand: what to do and the deadline
What a creditor's statutory demand is, the strict 21-day deadline, and a company's options to comply or set it aside.
Read article → Business Structures & Start-upsSole trader, company or trust: which structure is right?
How the main business structures compare on liability, tax, cost and asset protection, and how to choose between them.
Read article → Corporate & Commercial LawThe proposed ban on non-compete clauses: what employers should know
What the proposed ban on non-compete clauses would do, who it would cover, its status, and what employers should do to prepare.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingNSW rental law changes: what landlords need to know
What the recent NSW rental reforms mean for landlords, from ending a tenancy with a valid reason to rent increases, fees and pets.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingNSW rental law changes: what tenants need to know
What the recent NSW rental reforms mean for tenants, from protection against no-grounds eviction to rent increases, fees and pets.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingThe contract for sale of land: what to check before you sign
What is in a NSW contract for sale of land, the vendor disclosure rules, and the terms to check before you sign.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingNSW strata reforms 2025 to 2026: what owners and buyers need to know
The staged NSW strata reforms through 2025 and 2026, and what they mean for owners, prospective buyers and owners corporations.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingHow to avoid losing your deposit to a settlement scam
How payment redirection scams target home buyers at settlement, the warning signs, and practical steps to protect your money.
Read article → Corporate & Commercial LawThe right to disconnect now covers small business
What the right to disconnect means now that it covers small business, when a refusal is unreasonable, and how employers should respond.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingCooling-off periods when buying property in NSW
How the NSW cooling-off period works, its length, the cost of withdrawing, waiving it, and when there is no cooling-off.
Read article → Trusts & PlanningFamily trusts and asset protection: a plain-language overview
What a family trust is, why families use one, and the questions worth asking before setting one up or reviewing an existing one.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingFirst home buyer grants and concessions in NSW
The grants and duty concessions available to first home buyers in NSW, the thresholds, and the eligibility basics.
Read article → Criminal LawGoing to Local Court for the first time: what to expect
A plain-English guide to attending a NSW Local Court for the first time, covering the process, pleas, and how to prepare.
Read article → Wills & EstatesHow to make a valid will in NSW
The legal requirements for a valid will in NSW, what to include, and the common mistakes that make a will fail.
Read article → Family LawParenting arrangements and the best interests of the child
How parenting arrangements are decided after separation, the best interests test, and the effect of the 2024 family law changes.
Read article → Wills & EstatesPowers of attorney and enduring guardianship explained
What a power of attorney and an enduring guardian do in NSW, the difference between them, and why they matter alongside a will.
Read article → Property & ConveyancingBuying off the plan: the risks and what to watch for
The real risks of buying off the plan in NSW, the buyer protections that now apply, and what to check before you sign.
Read article → Criminal LawSection 10 dismissals and conditional release orders in NSW
What a section 10 dismissal and a conditional release order are, and how a NSW court can avoid recording a conviction.
Read article → Family Trusts & Asset ProtectionWhat is a family trust and how does it protect assets?
How a family trust works, its asset protection and tax flexibility, and the costs and obligations of running one.
Read article → Criminal LawWhat is an AVO and how do they work in NSW?
A plain-English explanation of AVOs in NSW, the two types, how they are made, and what they mean for both sides.
Read article → Corporate & Commercial LawDirector duties under the Corporations Act, in plain English
The core duties of a company director in Australia, what they mean day to day, and the personal consequences of breaching them.
Read article → Wills & EstatesExecutor duties: what an executor actually has to do
A detailed guide to what an executor must do in NSW, the personal risks of the role, and how to carry it out properly.
Read article → Wills & EstatesTestamentary trusts: what they are and when to use one
What a testamentary trust is, how it works, its asset protection and tax advantages, and who should consider one.
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