Dear Graduate, So you have your Law degree but are yet to secure a position in a law firm? Join the club; it seems that you are in good company. Since I graduated from Law in 1998 the number of students graduating from Australian universities in this discipline has more than doubled. Such an increase in graduates (while not in line with population growth) reflects the situation facing … [Read more...]
Top 8 Reasons Why Legal Advice is Expensive
There is a universal assumption that lawyers charge too much for their services. To some extent this is a misnomer. I mean, some lawyers most certainly charge ‘too much’ for their services, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all lawyers operate with an unscrupulous intent to part their clients unfairly from their hard-earned cash. Here are my top 8 reasons for why legal advice can be … [Read more...]
Celebrity Wills Blog Series (4) – Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman was an American actor, director and a regular presence in films from the early 1990s until his death at age 46. He commenced his acting career in a 1991 in an episode of Law & Order. He went on to play leading roles, and for his portrayal of the author Truman Capote in Capote (2005), won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received three more Oscar nominations for … [Read more...]
Crossing the Road? Put Your iPhone Down
I’m pretty certain that my kids are on the fast track to becoming nomophobes. I’ll admit that I’m probably one too and, if my wife is correct, about 98% of the students she works with in her role as a secondary teacher, are self-proclaimed nomophobes (even though they may not use the actual word). What on earth am I talking about, and what is this namophobia? Nomophobia, put simply is an … [Read more...]
Will Kits Strike Again!
I love Will Kits! Strange for a lawyer to say that isn’t it? I love them because no matter how many I see there are always problems with them, not necessarily by the form itself but by the way people complete them (or sometimes don’t complete them). And in my world, problems equals profits. The most innocuous of issues can lead to big expense as a recent example examined by the Supreme … [Read more...]
Death Tax Implemented in UK Spells Warning for the Future of Probate Fees in South Australia
For a long time now I have been an outspoken critic of the trend for governments to move towards heavy taxes being imposed on Australians for probate services. Last April (2016) I responded to the latest Probate fee increase implemented by the South Australian Government. The fee increase, was, as I went on to explain, “…so exorbitant there can be no other way to classify it other than the … [Read more...]
Celebrity Wills Blog Series: (3) John Lennon
Arguably the most successful songwriter of all time, John Winston Lennon, was tragically murdered in 1980. With such a sudden death, taking place during what was possibly the peak of his solo career, one must wonder about the specifics of his estate? After all, even by today’s standards, he was what we would consider to be complicated. Lennon, who had divorced his first wife Cynthia in 1967 … [Read more...]
Real Estate Contracts: New Rulings Spell Warnings For Those Signing Contracts
A recent Revenue Ruling by the Commissioner of State Taxation has now made clear that the use and implementation of including the phrase 'and or nominee' in a contract, most likely for the purchase of land, is no longer required. A word of warning. If you think it is now safe to begin executing contracts for the purchase of land on behalf of family and friends and so on, think again. Signing a … [Read more...]
Access Your Super Early: Top 7 Strategies
For many Australians times are financially tough. It is quite a source of frustration to know that you have a stash of money growing in a super fund, yet are struggling with mortgage repayments and the rising costs of living. Add to this an unexpected illness or significant misfortune and you may find yourself asking the question, “Can I get my hands on my Super early?”. In most cases, you … [Read more...]
Can I Gift My Inheritance to Someone Else?
At times, as Estate Specialists, we are asked questions relating to the implications for gifting their inheritance to other family members. One such elderly couple came to us asking if they could gift their share of an inheritance to their daughter. Obviously this couple had no need for the inheritance and wanted to provide the benefit to someone who would genuinely needs it. The amount involved … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 9
- Next Page »
