Ferguson Cannon Lawyers: Blog

Business Legislation Update 2012

ash — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:37:40 +0000

I recently was invited to the Sunshine Coast Business Expo as a speaker across the two days of this yearly event. One of the presentations I gave was a Business Legislation Update for the year ahead in 2012.

I have uploaded a Power Point presentation for you to read through which contains these topics including:

Carbon Pricing Mechanism
OHS Harmonisation
Personal Properties Securities Act (PPSA)
ATO and Direct Responsibilities and
Warranties against Defects.

These issues are very important for all businesses. Please read through the Power Point slides and contact me if you have any questions.

Business Legislation Update – May 2012

View more PowerPoint from fclawyers

New Visa Pricing Changes for Australian Visas

ash — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:08:23 +0000

A Department of Immigration and Citizenship client reference group has released a report on new visa pricing to be implemented on 1 July 2012 and 1 July 2013. There are various main points to highlight throughtout the report.

Read the rest of Owen Small’s blog entry here.

Should Reserve Beneficiaries Be Listed In a Will

ash — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:34:29 +0000

When people prepare a Will, they sometimes may not consider what will happen to their Estate if all of the beneficiaries listed in the Will are no longer alive to benefit from the Will.

In this situation, the balance of the Will maker’s Estate, known as the residuary Estate, will be given to the reserve beneficiaries. If a Will maker decides not to list reserve beneficiaries, the Will maker’s Estate may pass to family members who the Will maker would never have imagined could benefit from their Will.

Read the rest of Byron’s blog article here.

The National Business Names Register

ash — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:58:12 +0000

The new National Business Names Register will commence on 28 May 2012 under the administration of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (“ASIC”).

This new National Business Names Register will affect majority of business in some way. Read the rest of Byron’s blog entry to find out how here.

Notice Period for Terminating Employment

ash — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:23:34 +0000

Ever wondered how much notice you are required to give when terminating employment? Other than looking to the employment contract itself, the first point of reference is always section 117 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

Read more on Byron Cannon’s article here.

Business Succession Planning

ash — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:13:08 +0000

Business Succession Planning can be a difficult and long process, however the rewards of a properly documented Business Succession Plan far outweigh the time and effort spent in preparing the plan. Too often have I seen clients attend my office after an event such as death or retirement where a business is suffering. Often problems could have been avoided with a properly documented Business Succession Plan.

What is Business Succession Planning?

In simple terms, Business Succession Planning is developing a strategy to transfer the ownership, management and financial responsibility of a business.

Read more of Byron Cannon’s blog entry here.

Who said public servants do not enjoy their job?

ash — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:06:57 +0000

Online news and media outlets have been awash recently with the story of a Commonwealth public servant who has been awarded workers compensation after a light fitting fell on her during an energetic night of sexual activity on an employer-funded trip to a country town.

Read more from Glenn Ferguson’s blog entry here.

Estranged Children Seeking a Fairer Portion of a Small Estate

ash — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:15:36 +0000

Given the ever changing nature of the family unit, there are increasing numbers of children who, for various reasons, have lost contact with their parents. For children in this situation, being estranged from a parent doesn’t necessarily reduce their prospects of success when lodging a family provision application to dispute a will.

Read the rest of Byron Cannon’s article here.

Conveyancing for beginners

ash — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:05:43 +0000

“Conveyancing” is a rather old-fashioned word which simply means the process of transferring property. The term is still widely used, probably because it is the only way to describe the subject in a single word, and it sounds pretty official!

The two main types of conveyancing are residential conveyancing (which includes vacant land, houses and units, both existing and off the plan), and commercial conveyancing, which includes industrial, commercial and retail properties.

Read more of Tom Wood’s article in My Weekly Preview here.

Dealing with frequent sickies

ash — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:26:25 +0000

Ever wondered how to deal with that one employee who’s always taking a sick day? We all know the type. Either we’ve worked with them or they’ve worked for us. One thing’s for sure, they can cost your business not only money but also create an idle culture amongst staff.

Thankfully, case law tells us that we shouldn’t be afraid to dismiss such employees provided we have a valid reason.

I recently read the case of Anderson v Crown Melbourne. Here, the employer discovered from other staff members that the employee was intending to fly interstate to attend a football game.

Read the rest of Byron Cannon’s article here.