Agreeing to act as guarantor for someone is a significant responsibility, and one that should not be entered into without a thorough understanding of the implications and risks associated with signing on the dotted line. Essentially, when a person is acting as guarantor, they have contractually agreed to pay the borrowers loan repayments (and ultimately,...
If you believe you have beneficial ownership of a house (or part of a house), or you are contemplating providing funds to a family member for the purchase of a house (without becoming a registered owner on title) it is a good idea to obtain legal advice in respect of your position and to ensure...
Separation from a husband/wife or long term de facto partner can be one of the most stressful and traumatic events in a person’s life, and this stress and trauma can be compounded or amplified if there are children involved. When there are children involved, it is extremely important that parties remain child focused and do...
Employees covered by the national system are generally entitled to take public holidays off work in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). The eight recognised public holidays for 2015 are: New Years Day – 1 January 2015; Australia Day – 26 January 2015; Good Friday – 3 April 2015; Easter Monday – 6...
The use of Self managed super funds (SMSF’s) in Australia has been growing in popularity over the past several years due to the many potential tax benefits associated with an SMSF. In early 2014, there were approximately 528,701 SMSF’s in existence, and according to the latest statistics released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO),...
We have previously canvassed the importance of having a Financial Agreement drafted correctly to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Family Law Act 1975 and is thus binding on the parties. However, in light of the 2014 case of Parker v Parker, we thought it prudent to highlight that the timing for...
The start of the year is often a very busy and stressful time for separated families as children are returning to the primary caretaker, usually after spending significant time with the other parent over the holidays, and young children are often due to be enrolled in school for the first time. At Affinity Lawyers, we...
The start of a new year is the perfect time to sit down and take stock of your present circumstances. Are you happy with your job, relationship and current living arrangements? Do you have a dream of undertaking further study, starting a new sport or hobby or simply taking more time out to relax? More...
The Gold Coast is abuzz with start of year auction activity, launching this weekend. While there will be many bargains to be had, it is important that common sense and caution are still applied to purchases at auction. While purchasing residential property at an auction is a common way for property to be purchased in...
After much speculation about a commencement date, it has now been announced that the Property Occupations Act 2014 will come into force on the 1st December 2014. The introduction of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (‘POA’) is an effort to simplify the often complicated process of residential conveyancing and attempt to reduce the red-tape associated...
