To purchase a property “off the plan” is to purchase that property before construction has commenced. Off the plan purchases have numerous advantages and disadvantages. It is important to understand these differences when deciding whether or not to purchase off the plan. Benefits By purchasing off the plan you secure and determine the value of […]
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Are you looking to establish a start-up business, or invest in an existing business?  If so, an ownership agreement is an important initial step which is required to formalise the deal. This two-part series will outline the most important matters you should consider when entering into an ownership agreement. An ownership agreement determines the rights […]
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On 18 June 2019, the State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2019 (Vic) (“Amendment Bill”) was given Royal Assent.  The Amendment Bill made a number of significant changes to Victoria’s state taxes, including new stamp duty concessions. The Amendment Bill amends the Duties Act 2000 (Vic) (“Duties Act”) to include Division 5A which, from 1 July […]
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This week, we congratulate Jeremy Hallett on his promotion to Principal Lawyer at Coulter Roache. Jeremy is consistently recognised as a leading commercial litigator and regularly advises clients in complex multi-party litigation across all jurisdictions and at both trial and appellate level. While Jeremy specialises in building and property related disputes his expertise includes complex […]
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This month we welcomed Bonnie Phillips as Special Counsel in the Family Law team. Bonnie is an Accredited Family Law Specialist with the Law Institute of Victoria and acts for clients in all aspects of family law, ranging from divorce and intricate parenting disputes, through to complex and multifaceted financial matters. Welcome Bonnie!
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For people under the age of 30, what happens to assets when they die is probably one of the last things on their minds.  Life is busy with moving out of home, embarking on a career, travelling the world and entering long term relationships.  Whilst it is a common assumption that young people need not […]

The post Estate planning for millennials: controlling today to create your tomorrows appeared first on Coulter Roache.

A common misconception in the commercial world is that registering a business name (as required by law) grants you the right to its exclusive use. From a legal perspective this is far from the case. Whilst registration of your business name with ASIC prevents other parties from registering an identical business name, it does not […]

The post That’s my Name! appeared first on Coulter Roache.

There are many who consider a gift card / voucher to be a more thoughtful present than “cash in a card”.  However, most gift recipients would agree that using that beauty treatment voucher requires greater thought and organisation than spending the money that grandma enclosed with the birthday card.  Too often we thank someone for […]

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There are a number of considerations when preparing your Will: you must consider who to appoint as your Executor, the beneficiaries of your estate and the Guardians of your infant children. You may also wish to make specific gifts to family, friends or charities. Whether it be your wedding ring to your eldest daughter, an […]

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We recently welcomed Nikketa Anderson as a Lawyer in the Corporate & Commercial department. Years of practice in a range of corporate and commercial matters has provided Nikketa with particular insight into the complexities of rural and regional transactions. Welcome to the team Nikketa.

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From December 1, a new model award term will be inserted into all modern awards, requiring employers to make a genuine attempt to reach agreement on requests for flexible work arrangements from employees. The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission this month finalised the wording of the model term, following its September 2018 decision […]

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The purchase or establishment of a business can be an exciting opportunity, however the wrong decision at the outset can have drastic consequences, both financial and personal.  Whilst buying a new or established business will usually involve significant financial cost and personal commitment, undertaking a thorough due diligence and ensuring expert advice is obtained can […]

The post Importance of advice when buying a franchise appeared first on Coulter Roache.

A redundancy typically occurs when an employer has made a definite decision that the employer no longer wishes the job the employee has done to be done by anyone.  It is the job that becomes redundant, not the incumbent employee. When a permanent employee’s job is made redundant their employer is required to provide them […]

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Selling a business can be both an exciting and daunting experience.  Contractual and legislative obligations can (understandably) cause potential sellers to feel overwhelmed or out of their depth.  As practitioners, we frequently see vendors overlook their legal obligations in an effort to reach settlement as simply and expeditiously as possible.  Unfortunately, this can have the […]

The post Selling your business? Our top tips to avoid common mistakes appeared first on Coulter Roache.

The warmer months usually see an increased participation in outdoor recreational activities. Now is the time to surf that wave, climb that cliff face, take that jump, paddle down the water rapids, and be sued (if you are the activity operator) when any of it goes wrong.  Whilst we have all heard about the grandma […]

The post Recreational services: Wa(i)ving liability goodbye under the Australian Consumer Law appeared first on Coulter Roache.

Holiday periods should be a time to relax, have fun and enjoy a break. However, for separated families the holiday period can be stressful. Tensions can run high if discussions about arrangements for the time children spend with each parent do not result in agreement being reached. If agreement is not reached, children may not […]

The post I did not see my children over the holiday period, what do I do? appeared first on Coulter Roache.