Insights
Stay informed with the latest legal updates, expert commentary and practical advice from the team at Miller Harris Lawyers.
Choosing a Conveyancing Lawyer: Cairns
Choosing a Conveyancing Lawyer: Cairns If you are looking at buying or selling property, you have probably heard the term ‘conveyancing’ quite a bit. But what exactly is conveyancing? In essence, conveyancing is the process that transfers the ownership of a property...
Stepchildren – Can they contest my will?
In today’s world where second marriages and blended families are increasingly common, it is not unusual for clients to ask whether or not their stepchildren can contest their will. Current Queensland legislation allows for wills to be “contested” on the basis that a...
Cairns Conveyancing and Property Law: Building Inspections – Importance of Contract Conditions
When purchasing a property, particularly in Cairns, it is important to have the conveyancing contract made subject to a building and pest inspection condition to ensure that as a buyer you are protected if there is something wrong with the property. The Queensland...
Conveyancing over Christmas
It’s that time of year again, the holiday season is upon us and the rush in finalising conveyancing contracts prior to the Cairns Christmas closures is ever present. The trend in Cairns, and indeed elsewhere in Australia, is for conveyancing matters to increase...
Queensland’s building and construction industry is set for major reform
The Queensland Government has released a “Queensland Building Plan” Discussion Paper on 30 November 2016, and is seeking public feedback on reforms to nine areas: security of payment scheme; the home warranty scheme; Plumbing and Drainage Act review; Queensland...
Miller Harris Lawyers recognised in the ‘Doyles List’ of Leading Lawyers for 2017
The family law team at Miller Harris Lawyers has been recognised in the prestigious Doyles List of Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers - North Queensland for 2017. Michael Keogh (Partner) and Julie Hodge (Senior Associate), both senior lawyers practicing exclusively...
Miller Harris Lawyers would like to acknowledge the appointment of Australia’s first female High Court Chief Justice
Yesterday it was announced that Justice Susan Kiefel AC will be the next Chief Justice replacing retiring Chief Justice Robert French AC. Justice Kiefel began her career as a secretary and after working for a group of barristers in Brisbane she took steps to study...
Partner Michael Keogh is now an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner!
The family law system encourages parties to attempt to resolve disputes before instigating court proceedings, through dispute resolution processes. Mediation is a process in which parties willingly participate in a meeting, facilitated by a neutral person, to...
Changes to the unfair contract laws for small businesses
The small business unfair contract laws are here. From 12 November 2016, the existing unfair contract laws will be extended to protect small business. The changes aim to assist small business with further rights for contract terms that are unfair. Particularly as...
Airbnb and your tenancy agreement
A recent decision of the Supreme Court of Victoria has found in favour of a landlord who sought to terminate a residential tenancy because her tenants had been letting out the property on Airbnb without her consent. At first instance, the application of the landlord...
10 Things Every Landlord and Tenant Needs To Know About The Retail Shop Lease Act Amendments
The long awaited amendments to the Retail Shop Leases Act (“the Act”) are here. The commencement date for the Retail Shop Leases Amendment Act 2016 has recently been announced with the amendments coming into effect on 25 November 2016. The amendments come as a result...
A little bit of soap… please!
Partner Melissa Nielsen recently spoke to Murray Jones at 4CA radio about our Send Hope Not Flowers charity lunch and soap drive. Click here to listen to the radio interview Last call for soap donations! We will be sending these off to Papua New Guinea shortly. If...
Trading Trusts: 556 Priorities and Remuneration Issues
Tim McGrath, Partner in our litigation department, has recently penned an article discussing the liquidation of trading trusts. An excerpt from the article is featured below. "Considerable disquiet has arisen as a result of a series of recent authorities arising in...
Disentitling Conduct
A son’s actions leaves him rightfully excluded from his mother’s estate It is not uncommon to receive instructions from a client that they wish to leave a spouse, child or a dependent out of their will, usually because of a family disagreement or argument. In these...
Email Negotiations Creating a Binding Agreement to Lease
Agreements to lease are frequently used in commercial leasing to bind parties to obligations for a future lease. In the recent case of Vantage Systems Pty Ltd v Priolo Corporation Pty Ltd [2015] WASCA 21 (“Vantage v Priolo”) the parties engaged in preliminary...