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"Get results fast. I contacted James Ford with a time-sensitive matter, got a response fast, and a resolution to my problem. James was knowledgable, courteous and most importantly effective." [Employment Law]
"Great experience in dealing with James. He was very prompt in responding to the matter I had raised. He took the time to make sure he understood the issue and was very considered in his approach and options raised. I would definitely recommend James for legal advice." [Employment Law]
"Thorough and available." [Vic.]
Leap-frog over the minefield that is employment law in Australia with this full-form, top-tier quality employment contract!
It has been meticulously drafted to standards that meet or even exceed those of the largest Australian and international law firms and sets the “gold standard” for employment contracts in Australia.
Use this for everything from a casual assistant position to a high-level professional or executive role – it seamlessly adapts to suit full-time, part-time and casual employees at any level.
Our ingenious online questionnaire gives you full control over the employee’s duties, places and hours of work, remuneration structure, termination rights, etc and provides you with succinct but helpful guidance along the way.
You can easily add sophisticated terms like confidentiality obligations, intellectual property ownership provisions and even non-solicitation/non-compete clauses in just a few clicks.
This legal document includes the option of creating a customised letter of offer for your new employee.
The National Workplace Relations System, which was introduced in 2009 by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), sets out a range of minimum employment standards that apply generally to all private sector employees throughout Australia.
If any of your choices are less favourable to the Employee than any mandatory minimum conditions of employment that apply by law, then those mandatory minimum conditions will apply.
If you are not sure what minimum employment standards apply, please contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
Find whether the employment is covered by a modern award at www.fairwork.gov.au
Check whether your workplace has an enterprise agreement at www.fwc.gov.au/agreements
All Employers in the National Workplace Relations System are required to give every new employee a copy of the standard form Fair Work Information Statement before, or otherwise as soon as possible after, they start their job.
✅ Obtain your copy of the Fair Work Information Statement from the Fair Work Ombudsman here.
✅ The Employee must provide a completed Tax File Number Declaration Form to the Employer within 28 days of commencing employment.
❌ Otherwise the Employer will be required to withhold the highest rate of tax plus the Medicare levy from all payments made to the Employee.
If you need help with income tax withholding requirements, please contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
The Employee's leave entitlements are governed by law and not by the Employment Contract.
Accordingly, this agreement does not include a statement of the Employee's leave entitlements.
If you are unsure of what leave entitlements apply, please contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
The Employee's entitlement to workers compensation insurance is governed by law and not by the Employment Contract.
Accordingly, this agreement does not make any specific provisions in this regard.
Please contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
This agreement contemplates that salary sacrificing arrangements may be adopted if agreed to by the parties, but does not provide for any specific salary sacrificing arrangements or non-monetary benefits (eg, a company car, subsidised meals, laptop, mobile phone and/or other work-related items, etc).
To incorporate any specific salary sacrificing arrangements or non-monetary benefits into this employment contract, please contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
This agreement permits the inclusion of a discretionary bonus clause but does not contemplate that the Employee will receive other incentive entitlements such as shares, options, etc.
Such schemes can be a powerful way to incentivise employees, but the tax implications of such schemes can be tricky.
If you wish to establish an employee incentive scheme, you should contact our Legal Team to seek additional advice.
We recommend you consider our expertly drafted Employee Option Plan.
Please note that this agreement is generally an "employer-friendly" document, meaning that - although this legal document gives you a huge amount of control over the terms of the contract, and we always seek to advance commercially reasonable positions - the employment contract is otherwise drafted primarily from the perspective of the Employer.
If you are creating this legal document as the prospective Employee, you should contact our Legal Team to obtain independent legal advice regarding prospective changes to the Employment Contract before executing the agreement.
We recommend you download + study in detail our Free PDF Explainer Guide ➲ Employee or Contractor: Are you Breaking the Law? to help you determine whether or not the arrangements need to be made via an Employment Contract or an Independent Contractor Agreement.
This Employment Contract assumes that the Employee will be covered by the National Workplace Relations System.
Employers who are individuals in Western Australia are not part of the National Workplace Relations System.
Accordingly, you can use this document as a first draft only, however you must contact our Legal Team to seek legal advice about the minimum conditions of employment that will apply under the state workplace relations laws in Western Australia.
Enter the code WHen you pay full price to Purchase one of the following Self Service documents:
Re-Enter the code at checkout each time you buy the following documents to get a discount:
Whilst it is acknowledged that the legal document templates provided by the majority of [non law-firm] Australian legal document providers will generally have been prepared by lawyers and that the templates they sell are updated from time to time as required by legislative changes.
This does not change the fact that you are not dealing directly with a law firm.
🧩 If and when you have a legal question?
🧩 If the other party wants to negotiate amendments to the legal document?
🧩 If the legal document does not meet all of the requirements of your specific facts and circumstances?
🧩 If there is a mistake in the legal document?
Lastly, what happens if you are not directly involved in the creation of the legal document?
🧩 What if your accountant, tax agent or financial advisor uses a [non-law firm] online legal document service on your behalf?
To help you answer this question, please read our FAQ: If I create a legal document for my client on your law firm’s website am I giving legal advice or am I a "mere scribe"?
A general answer is that online [non-law firm] Australian Legal Document providers are unable to assist clients directly, as they are unable to provide legal advice.
Certain [non-law firm] providers have adopted a business model whereby they earn a substantial ongoing 12 months+ plus referral fee for directing a client to a large directory of law firms who can assist.
This referral fee is charged to the law firm, who may decide to expense it as a marketing cost.
We submit that one way or another, it is ultimately the client who pays for the cost of the referral fee as it increases the cost of doing business for the law firm providing the service to them.
The valuable feedback we have obtained is that:
❌ The quality of the online legal documents are basic, non-adaptive templates; such that
❌ The client is more often than not, required to seek assistance from a law firm in order to ensure their legal requirements are met.
As lawyers are required to undertake client interviews and make manual amendments to the legal documents, the final cost ends up much higher than the client could have anticipated, especially when the original online legal document was given away for free or at a nominal cost.
These kinds of business models may not rise to the level of bait & switch, however they may be found to constitute misleading and deceptive conduct.
In our submission, clients appear to be lead to believe that in the majority of cases they will be able to use the standard online documents without the need to engage a law firm to assist, when in actual fact this is not the case.
When you purchase online legal documents directly from us, we have every incentive to ensure the quality of the online legal documents provided are as high as possible, and that you have all your questions answered.
List of Benefits:
✅ Our law firm already has a copy of your online responses so we can assist quickly and cost effectively.
✅ 1-stop shop. There is no need to wade through a directory of different law firms each time.
✅ Professional Indemnity Insurance (when you engage us for legal advice);
✅ Higher quality automatically tailored legal documents using Embedded Lawyer-Logic™;
✅ Deal directly with a law firm, no need for middlemen;
✅ No referral fees built into the business model;
✅ Lower overall legal costs;
✅ Legal document delivered directly from our .law web domain so you know we created the legal document;
✅ Legal Professional Privilege; and
✅ Enhanced Confidentiality.
Credits:
This FAQ was created by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
Our Legal Health Check is a process that helps you identify + prioritise your individual + business (if relevant) legal needs.
1️⃣ Complete our Intelligent Questionnaire:
You will be asked to provide information about your personal and/or business circumstances;
2️⃣ Automated Report:
The process uses inbuilt Embedded Lawyer-Logic™ to help you identify key legal risks + concerns and prioritise solutions.
A customised (jargon-free) report is generated in plain english with actionable recommendations.
3️⃣ Deliver Solutions:
You can then consider the information in your own time, and when convenient, select the most appropriate self-service legal documents from our online 24/7 portal or reach out to our legal team to discuss your options in more detail.
🧩 Estate planning;
🧩 Marriage and de facto relationships;
🧩 Tax structuring;
🧩 Dispute avoidance/resolution;
🧩 Investment properties;
🧩 Business sale/purchase;
🧩 Business financing;
🧩 Co-ownership arrangements;
🧩 Managing staff;
🧩 Commercial terms;
🧩 Websites and intellectual property;
🧩 Regulatory compliance.
This is an amazing way to quickly + proactively identify legal risks + opportunities to get your legal affairs in order!
Our Buccaneer Package is designed for individuals + includes our constantly expanding library of [Self-Service] personal legal documents.
It is compelling value with pricing at less than $1 per day which entitles you to access heavily discounted [members only] prices.
You could save thousands $$$ on your legal bills!
Our Yachtsman Package designed for business owners includes our constantly expanding library of [Self-Service] personal + business legal documents.
It is compelling value with pricing at circa $3.50 per day [equivalent to the price of a cup of tea or coffee!] which entitles you to access heavily discounted [members only] prices.
You could save thousands $$$ on your personal + business legal spend!
Credits:
This FAQ was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Our intelligent online questionnaire adapts to your answers and only asks relevant questions.
Simply follow the guidance and enter the requested information about your matter.
The information is then sent to our back-end legal document generation engine, which follows a matrix of algorithms to make decisions about what should be in your legal document, just as an expert human lawyer would do.
The engine then draws from an enormous body of content to assemble a top-tier quality legal document that’s tailored to your situation + requirements.
Our Embedded Lawyer-Logic™ technology includes numerous quality control checks + automatic error-correction, massively reducing the risk of human error.
The finished document is then emailed to you in PDF format, ready to print and sign.
Your answers to the online questionnaire and a copy of the finished document in both Word + PDF formats are automatically forwarded to our legal team.
If we notice anything out of-the-ordinary we will contact you to discuss.
If you are a subscribed member or opt for paid Lawyer-Assistance, we will use the allocated time to assist to clarify and resolve any questions you may have.
If your matter is complex, high risk or you have never been involved in legal matters before, we highly recommend you opt for our Full Service.
Our legal team will contact you and assist you throughout the entire process.
If you are a subscribed member the cost for the time spent by our legal team to assist you is heavily discounted.
Credits:
This FAQ was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Our [Self-Service] legal documents are designed to be completed "without the intervention of a lawyer".
This approach will be appropriate for the majority of routine legal matters, where you are experienced and have learnt what needs to be considered and have gained experience in using our 24/7 online document portal to generate your legal documents instantly.
Some routine matters maybe totally new to you (meaning that you will have questions and we recommend you select our [Lawyer-Assisted] service).
Other matters maybe unusually complex, or of such high-value or risk that involving our legal team is the prudent course to take.
For these matters we recommend you select our [Full Service] option.
Credits:
This FAQ was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
It was once said:
It would take the combined processing power of every computer in the world thousands of years to crack 4096-bit encryption.
In a more general context (outside of encrypted secure website traffic/data) it has also been said:
Data with 4096-bit encryption (only protected by a password) could still be compromised within seconds.
How? Human error.
Easy pass-phrase, written down password, re-used password... etc. basically, always be on the lookout for the weakest link.
Trust the technology, but never trust the weak link - the user!
Credits:
This FAQ was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
⚖️ Professional Indemnity (Limited Liability) by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation;
⚖️ Access to Professional Fee Funding* / Disbursement Fee Funding / Family Law Funding (subject to approval by QuickFee our external legal finance provider);
✅ Allocated Time included to understand your circumstances + objectives, answer your queries + provide legal advice & make recommendations regarding alternative/additional options; and
✅ Create your standardised Legal Document based on your instructions.
⚖️ Use of proprietary fonts to maximise fraud prevention;
⚖️ Use of our Law Firm Letterhead;
➲ Send your Legal Document for electronic signature/s using AdobeSign; and/or
🔒 Application of TraxPrint Legal Document Security Technology for Fraud + Litigation Prevention.
* More Information about Professional Fee Funding:
Credits:
This FAQ was written by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
⚖️ *.law is a top-level-domain (TLD) that aims to:
Promote trust in the professional legal community by creating a:
✅ Verified;
✅ Exclusive; and
✅ Reserved online space in which only accredited lawyers and law firms can establish a comprehensive digital brand.
✅ Website users can have confidence they are dealing with an authorised and licensed lawyer/law firm.
✅ *.law offers effective branding to those in the legal community, with the ability to secure a domain name that clearly communicates who you are + the legal resources you provide.
Source: join.law - Why *.law?
If your role is merely that of a "scribe or scrivener" as outlined below it is unlikely you would be deemed to be providing legal advice or engaging in the practice of law.
Unfortunately this is not as easy as it once was … when online legal document templates were all static "fill in the blanks" one-size-fits-all templates.
Increasingly, the capabilities + complexities of legal document automation have evolved to cater to an ever widening range of facts and conditions.
Using the complex design + incorporation of what we call Embedded-Lawyer Logic™ it is no longer possible to avoid the automated tailoring of the online legal document to suit the client's circumstances + legal needs.
They are designed to produce a quality bespoke legal document just like a lawyer does.
The use of Embedded-Lawyer-Logic™ in the online process:
✅ Is now very similar to a client being interviewed by a lawyer;
✅ It drills down to ask the same questions and provide the same options a highly experienced + competent lawyer is required to do.
As a result the draft legal document created now has the potential to vary significantly based on the responses provided by the client.
We have now progressed to the point that the new normal online process is designed to cause your role to fall outside of the role of a "scribe or scrivener" alluded to below.
In the leading case on this issue Legal Practice Board v Computer Accounting and Tax Pty Ltd [2007] WASC 184; 35 WAR 59 (Simmonds J) noted at para. [152] that Brinsden J in Barristers Board v Palm Management Pty Ltd [1984] WAR 101 referred to Re Matthews (1938) 79 P 2d 535, apparently with approval, as follows at para. [108]*:
The court went on to say that where an instrument is to be shaped from a mass of facts and conditions, the legal effect of which must be carefully determined by a mind trained in the existing law in order to ensure a specific result and to guard against others, more than the knowledge of the layman is required and a charge for such services brings it definitely within the term 'practice of the law' [emphasis added].
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you advise your client to either:
✅ Create the draft legal document themselves + ensure independent legal advice is sought from our legal team prior to negotiation and execution; or
✅ Instruct you to create the legal documents using our Lawyer-Assisted option.
Doing this ensures your role is clearly limited to that of a "scribe or scrivener".
Our legal team will then take the responsibility for reviewing your client's individual circumstances together with the draft legal document in order to provide your client with the relevant legal advice, ensure your client understands their legal position and options, and to propose and make any required amendments to the legal document based on your client's instructions.
In Legal Practice Board v Computer Accounting and Tax Pty Ltd [supra]*:
… the court held that work of the mere clerical kind, such as filling out of skeletal blanks or drawing instruments of generally recognised and stereotype forms effectuating the conveyance or encumbrance of property, such as a simple deed or mortgage not involving the determination of the legal effect of special facts and conditions, should be generally regarded as the legitimate right of any layman because it involves nothing more or less than the clerical operations of the now almost obsolete scrivener (emphasis added).
(The scrivener was eliminated in England by the 1804 Act.).
The 2007 case of the Legal Practice Board v. Computer Accounting and Tax Pty Ltd* serves as a timely reminder to members that there are legislative provisions in each state and territory which prohibit a person who is not a legal practitioner from engaging in legal practice.
This prohibition is mirrored in the Institute’s regulations relating to public practice (regulation 1207).
However, there are differences between the jurisdictions as to how the prohibition is framed.
Even so, members who use the services of document providers are urged, as a minimum, to:
✅ Use only reputable document providers whose services are backed by competent legal practitioners;
✅ Ensure that they abide by the terms and conditions of the document providers as to the use of the documents and their supply to clients; and
✅ Avoid redrafting of documents to suit the circumstances of individual clients, unless appropriate legal advice is obtained by the relevant parties.
The Institute believes that the recent WA case does not require any change to a member's legitimate use of this type of service in accordance with their terms and conditions.
However, if you have any concerns or queries about the use of document providers, you should seek legal advice.
Sources:
* Legal Practice Board v Computer Accounting and Tax Pty Ltd [2007] WASC 184;
^ Extracted from the article: Court case raises issues about preparation of legal documents.
Credits:
This FAQ was created by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
Note: You can find the TraxPrint QR Code on the bottom of the first, last or every page, depending upon the preference set by the author of the document.
✅ By way of example, Double-Click on the below sample TraxPrint QR Code within the PDF document:
➲ You will be taken to the TraxPrint.com website and a message similar to the following will appear:
✅ Send an email with the PDF document attached to check@traxprint.com
❌ If there is no response the PDF document is not authentic.
➲ If the PDF document is authentic, you will receive (within approx. 2 minutes or less) a reply email with a Certificate of Authenticity and the Original PDF both attached.
✅ Download the free TraxPrint App from the iOS AppStore or Android GooglePlay
➲ Register + Sign-in to the App then ✅ Scan the TraxPrint QR Code to Verify.
✅ Drag n' Drop the PDF Document File into the designated area.
➲ You will receive an instant response regarding the authenticity of the document.
💡 This feature is coming soon and will be available on a dedicated page on our website.
Credits:
This FAQ was created by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
The below iPhone 12 screen shoots demonstrate what we mean by "^anywhere (even from your mobile phone, if necessary)".
Credits:
This FAQ was created by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
We recommend you download + study in detail our Free PDF Explainer Guide
➲ Employee or Contractor: Are you Breaking the Law?
To help you determine whether or not the arrangements need to be made via an:
➲ Employment Contract; or an
A force majeure clause is a method of allocating the risk of a disruptive event. It is a broad catch-all provision whereby the parties list categories or specific instances of otherwise frustrating events, together with the party or parties to bear the risk of the event occurring.
The clause can also grant options to vary, suspend or terminate the contract to one or more of the parties. [1]
Force majeure clauses form part of a contract’s express terms, subject to the conventional methods of construction.
Absent a force majeure clause, it is unlikely a contract’s commercial purpose would suggest that such a provision is so apparent that it goes without saying [2], meaning a court is likely to refuse to imply it.
Further Reading:
For a more detailed discussion please refer to our blog article “Force Majeure Clauses & Frustration: Why the COVID-19 Pandemic is a Wake-Up Call" by Shakvaan Wijetunga | Virtual Intern at Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Footnotes:
[1] Eg., Yara Nipro P/L v Interfert Australia P/L [2010] QCA 128, [26].
[2] BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Hastings Shire Council (1977) 180 CLR 266, 283.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
Blue Ocean Law Group℠ has partnered with Globalization Partners to provide Employer of Record services for our clients.
Globalization Partners hire employees against their own legal entities on your behalf.
They provide a full employee HR service including Payroll, Employee Benefits, Employee Tax & HR Compliance Services for up to 187 Countries globally.
This is ideal for clients who need to hire employees without first establishing a local branch office in the Country.
See how easy it is to compliantly onboard, pay, and manage your global team – all in one place.
Take a tour of their technology platform here.
Globalization Partners have deliberately taken the ‘high road’ building a quality, highly compliant business.
The businesses they serve are serious about their reputations.
They have delivered:
✅ In-country HR experts to support our hired professionals and interact with clients;
✅ In-country account executives dedicated to supporting clients;
✅ A workplace legal team second to none in size and capability located in-region;
✅ A technology platform that is GDPR compliant to protect the data privacy of professionals and clients alike; and a
✅ 97% positive Net Promoter Score (NPS) scores for both Professionals and Clients consistently showing the care they provide.
Globalization Partners has certification from the United States government under the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks.
Having this certification is crucial for United States-based companies doing business in the European Economic Area (EEA), and absolutely necessary to protect clients in operating around the globe.
Globalization Partners is the first, and currently the only, Global Employer of Record with Privacy Shield Framework certification for Human Resources data.
If and when the time arrives to establish a local branch office in Australia, Blue Ocean Law Group℠ have got you covered.
Please also let us know if you need assistance with immigration matters, or if the matter is urgent, you can contact our hand-picked Australian Immigration Lawyer, Nilesh Nandan and his team at MyVisa®.
Important Note: If you advise Globalization Partners that you have been referred by us, or simply let us know you are interested, you can qualify for a 10% discount.
Credits:
This FAQ was created by James D. Ford GAICD | Principal Solicitor, Blue Ocean Law Group℠.
Important Notice:
This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.
It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.
We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.
