Client guides

We can assist you with a wide range of legal services for you, your family or your business. This brochure will show our full range of services.

Looking after the administration of an estate may be difficult and at times traumatic and you will be confronted with some complex legal issues.

Asset protection is about reviewing the way you carry on your business, trade or profession, how you own your private and business assets and how to ensure that if the worst occurs, you do not lose everything you have worked so hard to create.

A business sale transaction can be quite complex that involves a broad range of issues such as employee entitlements, council requirements and obtaining the Landlord's consent for either a new lease or assignment of an existing lease. This guide has been prepared to give you some general knowledge and discuss, in plain English, key legal issues to consider in a business sale transaction. Regardless of whether you are a Seller or a Buyer, this Guide will assist you in understanding the sales process and how crucial a properly drafted contract is to protecting your interests. It is an extensive guide but if you do not have the time to read the entire Guide, headings have been used to make it easier to skim read to the areas that are of importance to you.

Before signing any contract relating to the sale of commercial or industrial property, it is very important that you understand some of the fundamental issues relating to the transaction. There is no cooling off periods applicable to these contracts so proper advice should be obtained from your lawyer and preferably your accountant, before a contract is signed, to ensure the contract protects your interests. The amount of ‘red tape’ associated with transactions seems to be increasing and you are now far more exposed to a contract dispute with the other party, if the contract is not prepared correctly. This guide has been prepared to highlight the key legal principles, so you can achieve a far better understanding of what the transaction entails and protect your own interests. There are also plenty of practical examples to demonstrate the legal principles in real life scenarios.

If more than one family is involved in any business enterprise it is advisable to plan for what is to occur on the death or incapacity of the key stakeholders involved in the business. This should form part of your business succession plan. Some of the issues normally dealt with in a Critical Event Agreement are listed in this checklist.

These booklets contain the general terms and conditions of the disclosure notice we are required to give you and the general terms of our costs agreement - the basis upon which we carry out work for you. They also include some explanations which may help you understand how legal fees and costs are calculated. They must be read in conjunction with a specific Work Schedule that we will give you for each matter where we are asked to act for you.

Employment Law issues can pose risks to any business. Innovative solutions are now required to minimise these risks from problems arising in the workplace. McKays' Employer's Survival Kit provides practical advice and recommendations for your business and gives you the opportunity to receive training sessions, telephone advice, reviewing and maintaining of employment contracts and much more.

An Executors Dossier enables your executor to have easy access to your personal information in order to administer your will. It minimises the difficulties, delays and costs which may occur if the information must be located after your death.

Learning how to use the Payment Claim system can dramatically help you improve your cash flow. And, if you don't know how it works, you could end up having to pay Payment Claims which are sent to you even though you should not have to pay the bill.

Every company owns or uses some form of intellectual property. An intellectual property audit is a systematic review of intellectual property owned, used or acquired by a company to enable a company to keep track of and protect the extent, quality and use of its intellectual capital.

A company's business or brand name is often one of its largest assets and promotional tools and should therefore be carefully and diligently protected.

Have the legal structures for your business and personal affairs reviewed by an experienced commercial lawyer for a fixed fee.

Attached is a copy of a paper Ian Heathwood delivered 6 July 2011 about the damage unfair contract terms are causing in the construction industry and suggesting some legislative reforms. Any comments or feedback would be appreciated as industry groups led by AMCA and NFIAQ will be campaigning for change.

Total & Temporary Disablement (TTD) and Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) are insurance benefits available from many Superannuation Funds in addition to the accumulated superannuation contributions your employer makes to your nominated fund. To be eligible for a claim, you must have ceased your employment as a result of illness or injury and cannot return to work.

This brochure raises some important issues with regards to protection of trade names.

A couple needs to carefully plan for some important legal issues. Practical issues like: How do I change my surname? Do I need to change my passport? Life changing issues like: I had a house before we met, can I keep that if we separate? Is a pre-nuptial agreement binding? What happens to my assets if I am seriously injured? What about my children if I die? This guide will help give you peace of mind about what will happen if you separate and what will happen if you die or are seriously injured. It will also help in avoiding unnecessary legal expenses.

A Will is the cornerstone of an effective transfer of assets on death - it puts you in charge of important decisions now about what you want to happen to your affairs after you die. Our client guide will help you understand everything you need to know about making a Will or a Power of Attorney.