Blog
Domestic building dispute resolution
25/08/2021
Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) is an independent government agency that provides free services to help resolve domestic (residential) building disputes. This service was established to resolve domestic building disputes without the cost and time often associated with courts and tribunals. If you experience an issue during a residential […]
You could go to jail for building without a building permit.
03/08/2021
Prior to 24 May 2017, if you build or make renovations to a property without the required building permits, you could be fined or asked to replace/demolish the building/addition, or both. From 24 May 2017, section 16B of the Building Act (1993) has been amended to include new penalties. Now, […]
Beware of a S6Q Notice.
27/07/2021
What is an S6Q Notice? It is a default notice that is sent in accordance with section 6Q of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If you owe a creditor an amount that is more than $150, that creditor can do the following: Issue you with a first S6Q Notice as […]
Do you have a valid will?
12/05/2021
A Will is a document that states how you would like your assets to be distributed when you die. It also identifies people or organisations you would like to be responsible for carrying out your wishes. It is a legal document, and to be valid, there are a number of […]
Are you still owed money?
03/04/2021
When you have outstanding payments owed to you by a client, and your attempt to contact them to finalise payment(s) have not finalised the matter, we have a low cost step that you can take before calling (and paying for) a debt collection service. We’ve included a “Letter of Demand” […]
Have you made a Binding Nomination with your Superannuation Fund?
06/03/2021
Check your last superannuation statement to see if you have made a nomination as to who is going to benefit from your superannuation entitlements after you die. There are 2 types of nominations one may make: A binding nomination and a non-binding nomination. What is a Non-Binding Nomination? A […]
New cost provisions and you!
16/02/2021
New legislation, known as the “Legal Profession Uniform Law 2014” (LPUL) will help ensure all clients make informed choices about the legal services they access and the costs involved. In our experience, clients want to know three things: How much will it cost? What are they going to get for their […]
Is it a gift or a loan? How gifts and loans are treated in family law matters
29/01/2021
It is not uncommon for parents of a child to give their child a gift of money to purchase a property with their spouse/de facto partner, only to have their children separate after the purchase of the property. How does the Family Court/Federal Circuit Court treat gifts and loans in […]
Statutory Demands: Another way to collect your debts!
16/05/2017
Not many people are aware of what a Statutory Demand is and how it can help them. If your debtor is a company and you have supplied goods to them, you can issue the debtor with a Statutory Demand. Instead of issuing proceedings in Court, you can serve a Statutory […]
Expert evidence – in building disputes
14/05/2017
The following is the link to the VCAT Practice Note which sets out the requirements for expert evidence. file:///C:/Users/RJH/Downloads/practice_note_vcat_2_expert_evidence-effective_1_october_2014_0.pdf We recommend that every Owner undertaking building works (unless they are a qualified experienced builder or similar) engage someone with experience to act as “certifier” or “building consultant” to assure them, […]