While blood may be thicker than water, this is not always enough when it comes to preventing families from bickering over the estate of a loved one. While it doesn’t happen all the time, it does happen and, and it would seem that having a Will in place, does not necessarily make this less likely to occur. Typically, the larger the estate, the more likely it is for disputes to arise between the … [Read more...]
The Plain English Top 10 Questions About Wills
1)What is a Will? A Will is a legal document that outlines how you want your estate to be distributed when you die. Wills are not just for people who own property or have lots of money. We all need a will. Having one allows you to: appoint a person you trust to carry out the instructions in your will (your executor) provide for the people you care about leave particular items to … [Read more...]
The Loss of a Loved One: Where to Next?
The loss of a loved one is a profound and overwhelming experience. Not only do you need to deal with your personal grief and the roller-coaster of emotions, but you may also be responsible for finalising the financial affairs of the deceased. The most common question we hear from our clients when they have lost their loved one is, “What do I need to do now?” Such a question, tinged with … [Read more...]
Conveyancer versus Solicitor: What is best for the sale of my property?
Maddalena Romano, an experienced solicitor skilled in all facets of property conveyancing, discusses the process for selling a home and advocates for the role of a knowledgeable solicitor in this. There are different reasons homes are sold. For example, you might be up-grading to a bigger home, down-sizing to a smaller one, or finalising a property settlement. Regardless of your reasons, … [Read more...]
Police (SA): Understanding Your Rights
Maddalena Romano has more than a decade experience working in all aspects of Criminal Law within South Australia. She writes frankly about your rights as a citizen should you be approached or questioned by a police officer in SA. We have all been taught to respect Police officers as they are people of authority but we have been seeing increasing incidents where police have used excessive force … [Read more...]
Shared Property Ownership: Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common?
The purchase of real estate is nearly always a significant event in a person’s life. During this time, the buyer will be asking some very serious practical questions such a; can I afford a mortgage? What will the repayments be? How is my life about to change? As lawyers, we find that there is one very important question which often gets overlooked by prospective buyers: How do I own the real … [Read more...]
Welden & Coluccio Lawyers: Finalists in Australian Small Business Champions Awards
Welden & Coluccio Lawyers are thrilled to announce that they are finalists in the Australian Small Business Champions Awards. The prestigious event, held annually in Sydney, is described as the ‘Oscars event for small businesses’. Greg Welden and his wife Tanya will represent the firm tomorrow night, 1st April 2017, at a gala presentation dinner held at the Westin in Sydney. “While we … [Read more...]
Greg Welden, Guest Presenter at National Legal Conferences
In line with our mission to become the most respected, innovative and distinguished estate planning firm in Adelaide, we dedicate considerable time to both extending our knowledge and presenting this information, as leaders, to the broader legal community. Greg Welden was in Melbourne last week delivering a paper via ‘Live-video-Webinar’ in conjunction with the Television Education Network. … [Read more...]
Who Will Look After My Children if I Die?
From the moment our children are conceived the worrying starts. Perhaps there is no greater fear than the one of, who will look after my children if I should die unexpectedly and prematurely? When a spouse dies during a marriage or committed relationship, the surviving spouse will ordinarily assume the sole parenting role. While occurring today with less frequency, what happens if the greatest … [Read more...]
Selling an Investment Property: Know Your Legal Obligations
While property has the capacity to generate an income for the investor, there may come a time when you, the investor, wish to cash the investment in and move on. What happens then, if the property you wish to sell is currently tenanted? More specifically, what are your legal obligations to the tenant in these circumstances? Section 71A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA) requires that the … [Read more...]
