Expert Advice

Separation and divorce can be ugly, devastating and expensive. But there's a movement of Canberra lawyers and professionals who are out to make the point that it doesn't have to be that way. The Kind Lawyers isn’t a law firm. It's a multidisciplinary movement of lawyers, mediators, therapists and academics who simply want to change the conversation about divorce in...

Human resources (HR) is one of the elements of work that most of us don't think about until it becomes unavoidable not to. One Indigenous-owned HR and cultural training firm, Capital Workplace, is proving that HR doesn't deserve its bad rap. Instead, co-founders Jo Kamira and Craig Sams say HR is something that, when done well, makes life easier for...

It's tax time! But that doesn't mean it's time to stress. In fact, according to Aero Accounting director and PAQ Group founder Justin Wong, the most important part of your money is how you actually spend your income. How you manage and pay your tax should simply complement this. Justin says the first thing he does when he takes a...

The hailstorm that left a trail of devastation in its wake as it tore through Canberra in January 2020 might have been over in just 15 minutes, but many major commercial property insurance claims have yet to be dealt with. According to Allinsure managing director Peter Chamberlain, there are still clients out there who are unaware their building's roof was...

Like most of us, the Australian Taxation Office faced a year of change in 2020, and their focus was on stimulus measures and supporting businesses rather than debt recovery. But, as the economy wakes, the giant is stirring once again and it's looking for its tax dollars. "The reality is, during 2020, the ATO was much more lenient," says RSM...

When it comes to residential, commercial and business property transactions, up-and-coming lawyer Rohail Azhar is getting plenty of runs on the board. Born in Canberra, Rohail spent his early childhood with his grandparents in Pakistan before returning to Australia where he finished his schooling and attended the University of Canberra, graduating with a Bachelor of Politics and International Relations and...

After a year of disruption and hard slog, most Canberra businesses are slowly beginning to see the light of day. But after everything businesses have been through, lawyers and financial advisors are reporting more owners are thinking beyond this year or next and considering their life beyond business ownership. Snedden Hall & Gallop's senior associate and succession planning specialist, Emily...

With a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon and Canberra businesses finding their feet, a post-pandemic ‘new normal’ is finally becoming a reality. Financial advisers say the new business landscape will require some adjustments, including developing strategies for managing cashflow and profitability – especially businesses that have been supported by JobKeeper, which is due to end in March. RSM in Canberra...

Small businesses struggling with debt have been offered a lifeline through reforms to small business insolvency rules. The changes to Australia's insolvency rules were designed to assist with restructuring and relieving the debt burden of small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes, including a new debt restructuring process and a simplified liquidation process, will apply to incorporated small...

Much has been reported about the benefits of working from home, but for some people, home is not a safe place. Those who work from home are more exposed to people who are responsible for domestic or family violence, and one woman a week is murdered during domestic violence incidents in Australia. The issue raises some interesting points about policy...

Changes in migration patterns are seeing an increase in the number of skilled professionals migrating to Australia and then exploring the options available to get their parents to join them. While current COVID-19 restrictions have put many migration plans on hold, the broader trends look likely to continue when pandemic conditions ease. Regardless, recent directions in migration are a far...

Complaints, and those making them, can be hard to deal with at the best of times, from tiresome retirees with nothing better to do except wage a personal war against their local government, to customers whose level of entitlement and expectations exceeds any business' ability to deliver. But when it comes to workplace complaints, managers need to be particularly savvy...

We often go into relationships with all the best intentions in mind and with no expectation we will be left with a life-changing debt. Sexually transmitted debt (STD) occurs when one partner takes responsibility, wholly or partly, for the debts of their partner, either unknowingly or unwillingly. STD is emerging as a big issue and, in some cases, causing a...

It's a question often asked by parents and children – how are you supposed to save a deposit when you're looking for your first home? Saving enough money for a home deposit is recognised as a difficult thing to do, which is why governments are offering first home buyers both grants and tax breaks to help get a deposit together....

Experts have been sounding the siren for months, warning about a sharp increase in the number of business insolvencies and bankruptcies when Federal Government support and subsidies end. JobKeeper has been a lifeline for many businesses but RSM partner Jon Colbran says the decrease in rates on 28 September will take businesses one step closer towards the precipice. Mr Colbran...

Haydn Marsh arrived at Snedden Hall & Gallop with exceptional experience when he re-established the specialist field of family law to the prominent Canberra practice. Not too long before Haydn’s entry into the legal industry, Snedden Hall & Gallop had decided, for various reasons, to cease its family law practice. By the time he arrived at the firm, a number...