Tax Stings
Watch out for farms
Your good client and friend Fergus rings and asks you to act for him on a sale. Fergus is a solo accountant and a bit of a wheeler and dealer. You do a fair bit of work for him. He says that he has...
Take Care if you Declare
It is first thing on Tuesday morning when you receive a call from your client Lachlan who wants you to review an auction contract for a farm that has come up for sale next to his. The auction is...
Can Text Messages or Video Recordings Constitute a Valid Will?
We are living and breathing in a digital age where pen and paper is becoming something of the past. A recent decision handed down by the Queensland Supreme Court in 2017 proved that an unsent text...
Quit Horsing About
You act for Bill and Jo Smith on the sale of their 20 acre property in Bourke known as "Racecourse Road" which is well known in the town for breeding and selling race horses. It also holds local...
Why your initial choice of entity is so important
It all began when Fred saw you about buying the farm next door. His existing farm was held by a family company set up years ago. Fred wanted to buy the new farm in the family company to keep things...
Foreign trusts and duty – it’s just not cricket…
You lay back in your hammock and take in the glittering ocean and warm, white sand. You are on a husband and kid-free holiday with your sister and have seven days of relaxation ahead of you. You are...
Advising on the purchase of land? Beware the sting of GST withholding
You are acting for Charlie and Chloe, new clients who left their former solicitor because, they say, he ‘stuffed up badly about GST’ on previous transactions. Chloe is clearly the spokesperson. Now...
A Broken Marriage and a Hefty Tax Bill
You’ve been acting for your sister Ana in relation to the breakdown of her marriage to Chris. Ana has been cheating on Chris pretty much since they were married. You suspect Chris knew about it...
Marriage Breakdown Problems
This article was published in this month's edition of the Law Society Journal of NSW. You are acting for Jeremy in relation to the breakdown of his marriage with Chloe. Jeremy tells you that he and...
Not a Good Option
You’ve acted for an old friend Shirley for a very long time. You are aware that she has two sons, Bob and Barry and a daughter Billy whom you have never met or know much about. Bob had a horse...