Articles

Any simple steps that can be taken to avoid domestic building disputes are worthwhile – ideally to avoid a dispute or prevent it from escalating, but otherwise at least to provide you with some protection in the event of a dispute arising. In this article we list some key steps you can take to achieve these goals.

With the COVID-19 pandemic far from over, it is not a surprise that the Government is continuing to provide support to businesses and workers through JobKeeper. However, the Government has been clear that the scheme is temporary, and we are seeing a gradual winding back of the payments and a tightening of eligibility criteria.

A Charity Giving Fund is a type of charitable trust designed to provide an investment structure for philanthropic giving purposes. Simple and quick to set up, it offers tax deductions to donors and tax exemptions for income earned by the fund.

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A grant of representation is the legal document issued by the Court which enables an executor or administrator to deal with a deceased person's assets.In most circumstances, without a grant of representation, you will not be able to deal with any of the deceased person's accounts, sell or transfer their property or ensure their debts are paid. There are three main types of grants, being a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration and a Grant of Representation.

There is a general rule that executors have an 'executor's year' to complete the estate administration. This means that you should be aiming to have the estate finalised and distributed within 12 months from the date of death.

Alternative dispute resolution has proven to be popular in the commercial world, with two of the most common forms being mediation and arbitration. In this article, we will outline the key differences between mediation and arbitration.

On 22 June 2020, the Australian Government introduced new legislation to help combat illegal pheonixing activities, amending the Corporations Act 2010 and the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 by introducing Director Identification Numbers.

Along with the increase in superannuation savings comes the issue of disputes arising between family members as to superannuation funds and how decisions are made regarding superannuation monies and its distribution as part of a deceased estate, as Binay Prasad explains.

When selling your business, it is important to ensure that your documentation is in order, including the important "Statement by a Vendor of small business" colloquially known as a "Section 52".

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In response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Parliament and Fair Work Commission have made a number of unprecedented, temporary changes to employment law, to help both employers and employees adjust to the present situation. These include giving employers greater flexibility to adjust employees’ work hours, duties and work location.

The Victorian State Government has on 15 April 2020 announced some more commercial tenancy relief measures to assist Landlords and Tenants in resolving a response to COVID-19. In line with implementing National Cabinet’s Mandatory Code of Conduct the Victorian government is encouraging Landlords and Tenants to resolve the economic impacts together and vary their Lease in a manner which works for each of them.

With effect from 3 April 2020, the National Cabinet has issued its principles intended to balance the interest of landlords and tenant in a lease involving SME tenants (being those tenants with a turnover below $50 million) (referred to as ‘the Code’). The basis of the Code remains for Landlords and Tenants to negotiate mutually acceptable arrangements that work through their particular circumstances.