Expert Advice

In Wooster v Morris VSC 594 (1 November 2013), the trustees tried to say that a binding death benefit nomination or BDBN did not bind them. They had to pay the death benefits and the cost of the court proceedings which came out of the remaining member's account. The family in this case was a blended family. The deceased...

Whether you are a Director, Chair, or reporting to the board of an organisation, one of the questions you may consider is how effective is your board in helping the organisation achieve its objectives. Many a discussion is had around the coffee station or water cooler about how effective the executive team is in dealing with the big strategic issues...

I hope you had a nice Christmas and enjoyed the break. In October last year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the ACT was the most 'connected' state in Australia. Given this, and the fact that internet usage and the range of devices used by people is growing at a phenomenal rate, it's important to spend time now planning...

Towards the end of 2013 we saw business confidence start to rise, which should feed through into the labour market in the first few months of 2014. Australia's economy is maintaining momentum and consumer confidence is strong heading into 2014. Consumer sentiment is being buoyed by low interest rates, rising house and share prices, and relatively stable unemployment. Whilst there...

To me, the introduction by most Lenders of a 100% linked mortgage offset account offering was the best thing since sliced bread in providing the opportunity to reduce mortgage interest charges. Other than the mortgage holder using the account nothing more need be done to gain the benefit of reduced interest charges. What could be easier? And yet, I am...

Being part of the Canberra tennis community for over 15 years I've seen a new generation of tennis players, coaches, and clubs transition into the new era. Tennis reaches new heights each year as the Australian Open treats us to a game we all feel a part of. As a professional tennis coach I feel the joy and excitement when...

As you head into the New Year and begin to reflect on all those things you have and have not achieved in 2013, consider the benefit of obtaining legal advice about your family law matter from an experienced family lawyer. Consider:- * Have you delayed your property settlement too long and what could that mean for you? * Are you...

All relationships come to an end. Personal relationships through death or divorce. Business relationships through death or retirement. So ending a business relationship may be planned (retirement) or unplanned (death or serious disability). If you are a small business owner, are you ready for these? If you were to be struck down by the proverbial truck tomorrow how would your...

We often hear people talking about 'rights in data' in the context of drafting agreements, but what rights exist in data? From a legal perspective, the key rights affecting data are intellectual property rights, subdivided into copyright and confidentiality, and privacy (a.k.a. 'data protection' in the EU). Copyright in data Many people are surprised on learning that copyright protection is...

Directors of Australia's sports boards have rated the effectiveness of their boards below the average not-for-profit (NFP), the 2013 Directors Social Impact Study, has revealed. The Director Social Impact Study (DSIS), sponsored by Commonwealth Bank and conducted by Curtin University on behalf of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, indicates that sports boards need to do more to improve their...

Whether you are contemplating a new venture, or a shakeup of your existing business, the New Year is a great time to ask - which business structure is right for me? Every business is different, but they share a raft of common concerns. The three most commonly used vehicles are sole trader, partnership and private company. Each strikes a different...

While Australian businesses can be quick to embrace new technology, many aren't as quick to adopt solid IT security measures. How secure are your IT arrangements? According to a recent study, almost a third of Australian businesses surveyed experienced cybercrime in the preceding twelve months. As advances in technology make it easier for us to do business, those same advances...

Australia spent $5.6 billion on mobile devices last year and this trend is continually growing. More than 75% of the population chose mobile devices because of the convenience factor and most people kept their mobile devices close to them throughout the day. The natural progression then is for people to buy goods and services via mobile devices, because it's accessible,...

Team meetings are a great way to get everyone on board, reach consensus, gather opinions, build the team, work on a problem and share information. However, as there are a number of people present, this makes them challenging as group dynamics and roles that individuals in the group take on may hinder communication and progress. Ask yourself the following questions:...

Australia's economy is maintaining momentum and consumer confidence is strong heading into the busy end of calendar year period, fuelling an active jobs market. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index rose 1.9 per cent to 110.3 in November, close to the previous 2013 peaks in March and September. Consumer sentiment is being buoyed by low interest rates, rising house and...

In the prefect world property investment and owner occupied mortgage holders will fix their repayments at or near the bottom of the interest rate cycle for a period of time that is sufficiently long enough to ride through the next peek. Endless articles have been published on this subject but few, if any, are reliably instructive as to actually picking...