Tag: Family and Personal Relationships

Recently, Olivia Mead (19) the daughter of mining billionaire, Michael John Maynard Wright, launched a successful challenge to her deceased father’s Will.[1] Ms Mead claimed that as his dependent, she was not left with adequate provision from her late father’s estate. Under “family provision” legislation in each state, a person who is a “dependent”, may […]

According to a recent study, “an estimated four-fifths of the legal needs of the poor, and the needs of two-to three-fifths of middle-income individuals, remain unmet.“ Recent advances in technology and increased access to the Internet have made it possible for companies other than law firms to deliver document preparation services to these market segments. […]

Power of Attorney Is when an individual appoints a representative (referred to as an ‘attorney’) for financial matters. Powers of attorney are a simple and effective way to appoint someone to act on your behalf in relation to financial matters if you are unable to attend to such matters yourself. Powers of attorney can be […]

With World Resolution Day just around the corner on the 20th October, we want to promote the use of mediation to resolve disputes. One of the most emotion-filled events for which people can use mediation is property settlement during a separation. If you and your ex-partner can’t agree on how you will divide your property […]

Affidavits are a particular type of document used to record information as evidence for matters being dealt with by a court. An Affidavit is a document used to record information as evidence for matters being dealt with in Court. Completed affidavits are filed in a court of law, such as the Family Court, Small Claims […]

In the unfortunate event of a death, a Legal Will determines who the deceased’s assets are distributed to and how. An executor is a person appointed with the responsibility of distributing these assets to the beneficiaries of the Will, so it’s important to choose your executor wisely. Below, we’ve collated some of the most common […]

Have you ever considered how your finances and health affairs will be handled should you lose the capacity to take care of these issues yourself? Do you need to appoint a Power of Attorney? Life is inherently uncertain and most of us are happy to be blissfully ignorant about the real possibility that at some […]

As we have touched on in this article “Same sex couples and the Law“, the law relating to same sex relationships has finally caught up with reality.  The family law recognises same sex partnerships and grants same sex couples rights largely equivalent to those of married couples (Family Law Act). As such you can now […]

The other day we received a phone call from a Marion, a close friend of ours. She called to let us know that her elderly mother was going into hospital for a knee replacement. At 87, her mum was concerned about what might happen if something went wrong during the operation.  She wanted to make […]

If you have an elderly relative or friend coming to live with you, you might be wondering whether a formal agreement needs to be made, or if it’s easier to stick to a casual arrangement. While legal agreements might seem too formal amongst family, these important documents can help safeguard the interests of both the […]