Business interests often form part of the asset pool available for division in a family law property settlement. It may be a business that has been built by one or both of the parties to the family law matter, such as a family business, or a business owned by way of a partnership or a company with third parties.

Mental Health considerations and responses have been a major government initiative for some time and this has only been amplified since the onset of COVID-19.

Harwood Andrews is delighted to have been identified by clients and peers for expertise and abilities in the 2022 Doyles Guide, Victoria.

Not so long ago, the possessions that people left to their estate after passing away were physical and tangible like cars, cash or jewellery. These days however people produce a significant digital footprint consisting of accounts, profiles, and digital assets. New assets and investments such as cryptocurrencies, NFTs, loyalty program accounts and social media accounts are all changing the succession planning process. Existing tools like Wills and trusts remain effective to deal with these digital assets.

A DAO creates an ‘organisation’ by establishing relationships between people software that operates on the blockchain. A DAO uses the capabilities of smart contracts and decentralised technology to streamline and enhance its decision-making processes.

Receiving an offer from a publisher is an exciting moment. Nothing quite compares to the thrill of knowing that one day your work may be seen in print.

Purchasing or building a new home is often said to be the largest financial commitment an individual or a couple will make in their lifetime. People will take on substantial mortgages in order to build their dream homes or investment properties. Therefore, it is extremely important that you ensure the legal goalposts are set from the beginning and understood by all parties, before signing on the dotted line.

A trust structure is often recommended to individuals and family business owners by their accounting and legal advisors to distribute income tax effectively and safeguard assets.

In a competitive rental market, opportunity exists for residential landlords (‘rental providers’) to maximise their investment by way of rental return or by selling their rental property to realise its capital growth.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) recently engaged prominent Sydney barristers Gerald Ng and Bret Walker AO SC to examine and analyse the current interpretation of directors’ best interest duty by the Australian Courts.

In another chapter in the recent series of decisions regarding the employment status of gig workers as either independent contractors or employees, the Fair Work Commission Full Bench in Deliveroo Australia Pty Ltd v Diego Franco [2022] FWCFB 156 has overruled a previous decision that a Deliveroo driver was an employee.

The National Construction Code 2022 (NCC 2022) is undergoing some significant changes by introducing new requirements that will alter the construction of most houses and apartments. This will likely result in additional costs to home owners.

The Applicant, Mrs Eileen Owens was employed by I-Med Radiology Ltd, the Respondent as a radiographer for more than 13 years until her dismissal in December 2021. In October 2021, the Respondent implemented a policy requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which applied to the Applicant as well as the Queensland Public Health Orders relating to workers in healthcare settings being required to have two doses of the vaccine by 15 December.

The recent case of Kristen Gordon v Sens Catering Group Pty Ltd [2022] FWC 1790, considers the issue of what an employer must not do when an employee asks questions.

Relationship breakdowns and separations can be a stressful time as people navigate their parenting matters, property settlements and establish their ‘new normal’. Being involved in the family law system for the first time often means being exposed to a range of new terminology and legal jargon.

What is an NFT?

A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a type of digital asset or token of a small piece of data linked to an object, such as a unique image, cartoon or animation.

Reminder – what is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment refers to an unwelcome sexual advance, an unwelcome request for sexual favours, or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances where a reasonable person would consider that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.

Employers should note that the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down the 2022 Annual Wages Review Decision on 15 June 2022.

In the recent decision of Pierce Field v Department Of Finance [2022] FWC 1619 (24 June 2022), the Fair Work Commission (FWC) found that procedural deficiencies (including termination via email) and denial of natural justice outweigh and overrule instances a termination could otherwise be considered valid.

Harwood Andrews has commenced the 2022/23 financial year by announcing promotions across three areas of practice.