Latest publications
Spouse Maintenance — FAQs
In Brief- What is Spouse Maintenance? Spouse maintenance is money paid by one spouse or de facto partner to the other spouse or de facto partner, usually on a weekly or monthly basis, to meet his or her reasonable living expenses. How can I apply for maintenance? You are not automatically entitled to…
Divorce — FAQs
Am I eligible to apply for divorce in Australia? If you want to apply for a divorce in Australia either you or your spouse need to have some connection with Australia. Usually this means that at least one of you: regards Australia as your home and intends to live here indefinitely; or is an Australian…
My bags are packed, I’m ready to go. Should I stay or can I go?
In Brief After separation, it is not unusual for one party to want to move from the city or town in which the family resided, to another city or state – often to return to the parent’s own family of origin. This is called relocation in family law. In almost all…
Halo, it’s Rumi and Sir Carter — Beyonce’s babies set to run the world
What more could a famous celebrity with an impressive fortune want – a trade mark registration for their newborn children! Welcome to the world US Trade Mark Application Numbers 87506186 and 87506188 (that’s Rumi and Sir Carter to you and me). On 26 June, fans reportedly uncovered the names of Beyonce’s baby twins…
Make your mark in China
Protecting your trade mark in China Australian businesses are increasingly recognising the growing importance of China both as a market for their goods and services and as a source of manufactured products. The protection of trade marks in China should be of critical importance for such businesses. Recent public discussion highlights how well-known…
Smart developers ride the slipstream of NSW’s $73 billion infrastructure investment
I work near Wynyard, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. Like everyone else in the city I rarely need reminding that the State Government is investing heavily in infrastructure — though I do sometimes need reminding how to get across George Street while it’s being dug up for light rail. There are frustrations…
Post separation financial contributions
The period between separation and the finalisation of a financial matter can be a matter of days (if both parties agree) or years (in the Family Law Courts, it is currently estimated that parties will have to wait 3 years before a defended final hearing). Generally speaking, the values of all assets and liabilities of…
Developers play critical role building world-class Smart Cities across Australia
Any of us who has sat in gridlocked traffic on our way to the airport, faced a long train commute between home and work, and regularly struggles to find innovative young talent to employ, is unlikely to question the need for smarter cities. Australia needs cities – both metropolitan and regional –…
Redundancy — Defending Claims for Unfair Dismissal
Circumstances will sometimes arise in a business where an employer needs to shed staff. The business may be subject to a takeover or amalgamation, or its revenue may contract, for example where the market paradigm changes or perhaps as a result of losing key clients. It is in circumstances such as these, that an…
Can you stand down your employees?
A common question for employers is whether and in what circumstances can they stand down an employee. At common law there is no general right to stand down or suspend an employee without pay absent an express contractual term (see discussion of cases at [65] to [73] of Coal & Allied Mining…