Blog

Where you reside can have a huge impact on your ability to protect your "Separate Property" in the context of divorce, separation, death or the assertion of a creditor's claim! This article discusses the major difference between the family property regimes used in Australia v. California.

COVID-19 has created a lot of empty buildings - There is a solution!

This article will help you provide emergency + long-term care for your Pet/s! Do what you can to ensure your Pet/s are well looked after … ✅ Complete your Petcare Plan ✅ If you become sick or injured … ✅ If you lose capacity … ✅ If you pre-decease your Pet/s …

You have the right to remain silent … in your civil legal dispute. By the time you approach a lawyer to assist with your civil legal dispute, you may have already discussed the matter in detail or sent text messages/emails to the other party, their agent, insurance company or lawyers. Whilst you might think you are progressing the matter: ➲ This is generally a mistake!‍

When cash flow is short: One option to help pay the rent/bills/mortgage is to take in one or more flat or housemates. You may think that this is a simple matter (no legal advice required). This article is a “Cautionary Legal Tale” based on one of our real client's experiences. When flat or housemates refuse to pay rent + make living in your own home so untenable you have no choice but to leave … you have the housemates from hell! This is a scenario that could have you kicking yourself that you didn't engage a lawyer to start with!

Please take special note of this article + seek urgent legal advice if you have or are contemplating Australian Investment, Business +/or Property dealings via your Family/Discretionary/Testamentary Trusts. If your respective Trust Deeds irrevocably prohibit distributions to beneficiaries who are foreign persons you have already circumvented the legal issues & potential civil + criminal liabilities raised in this article. if not, please read on …

How confident are you that your existing or contemplated contracts will be enforceable in light of unexpected events such as the COVID-19 pandemic? This article is a timely deep dive into the history and development of the common law precedents guiding interpretation and enforceability of force majeure clauses.

Witnessing requirements for the creation of a valid Will in Australia as well as many legal documents across the board, have become a public health issue under COVID-19. It is generally not possible (on account of physical constraints) to have witnesses attest and sign a Will whilst observing social distancing. In this article we: ➲ Provide a warning about what could go wrong! ➲ Strongly recommend practical alternatives such as “Will through a window!” if witnesses can witness in a COVID-Safe manner, and ➲ Broadly outline the current Australian legislative response temporarily enabling remote AVL witnessing in some jurisdictions.

At what will hopefully be the end of a David v. Goliath battle, the NSW Court of Appeal has unanimously held that a Strata pet blanket ban by-law was ➲ “oppressive”! This judgment, as well as proposed legislative amendments (supported by the first-ever online e-petition in NSW Parliament's history), may finally signal victory for pet owners!

This article provides a summary of an original article entitled “Privacy Policies & Australian Law” written by James D. Ford, GAICD which was published in late 2018 + is hosted on iubenda's website. ‍ By way of full disclosure: Blue Ocean Law Group℠ is iubenda's Legal Network partner in Australia + New Zealand.