Individuals charged with criminal offences heard in the Local Court of NSW may make an application, in appropriate circumstances, for the charges to be dismissed due to mental health and/or a cognitive impairment. On 29 March 2021 the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 will commence, which provides new legislation for the […]
More
If you died, would you be happy for a judge to decide who gets your things? Yeah….I didn’t think so. Who needs Estate Planning? You do. Bottom line: If you’re over 18 years of age, you should have an estate plan. It’s even more essential if you’re married or in a relationship, have children, or […]
More
When thinking of purchasing property, it is important to do your homework before entering into a contract. This will usually include detailed reports from pest and building inspectors, and reviewing information about the zoning of the property. These planning certificates issued by local councils are required by law to be included a contract for the […]
More
Weather is a topic that often forms part of our daily conversations and in particular the ability (or inability) of the weather bureau to give accurate predictions of the weather. Many of the decisions that we make in our day to day lives are reliant upon what the weather prediction is for that day. In […]
More
Victims of domestic violence will be granted greater safeguards when they appear in court while the meaning of intimidation will be expanded to include harm or threatened harm to animals under domestic violence law reforms passed in NSW late last year. NSW Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman said […]
More
Separation and its effect on estate planning is not always the first thought on the mind of former partners as they attempt to navigate the breakdown of a relationship. Notwithstanding, the end of a relationship may have significant impacts on what happens in the event of one party’s death. In NSW, a divorce […]
More
Contract for Sale This is the first requirement for selling a house. Before marketing of your property can commence, a real estate agent will request a Contract for Sale of Land so that marketing can commence. Even if you decide to list the property for sale without the help of an agent, you must have […]
More
The Federal Housing Minister and the Treasury have been in the media in recent weeks discussing the Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme, with recent figures showing that the demand for the scheme is nearly double that predicted by the Treasury, anticipated to cost the Government around $2 billion. What is the HomeBuilder Grant? The […]
More
As more and more people are starting to live in strata residences, it is important to remember that the strata by-laws govern what the owner of the unit is allowed to do in their own place of residence. The NSW Court of Appeal recently made a finding in the case of Cooper v The Owners […]
More
When couples decide to end their relationship, the inevitable question arises in relation to their assets, what am I entitled to and in relation to the debts, who is responsible to pay them off? There is a common misconception that simply by being in a defacto relationship for 2 years or more or being legally married, […]
More
