News and resources

A case heard in the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Western Australia concerned a dispute between a landlord and a tenant of commercial premises in Perth over whether their email exchange constituted a binding contract.

The tenant had occupied the premises for six years and its lease was due to expire on 30 June 2009. In May 2009, the parties began negotiations for a new lease.

Successfully contesting a will can lead to a fairer distribution of assets from a deceased estate and provide protection for vulnerable family members. However, the experience can be fraught with turmoil and financial strain. Emotions can run high and relationships within the family can deteriorate. Contesting a will is a complex legal process that requires […]

There is good news for neighbours of rowdy, poorly managed short-term rental accommodation in NSW, with a new Exclusion Register to prevent guests and hosts with two serious breaches of the Code of Conduct in a two-year period, from participating in the industry. What is the Exclusion Register? Since August 2022, bad renters and bad […]

The greenery in my neighbour’s yard keeps getting bigger and bigger – now there are trees blocking the sun from reaching my garden and patio. My flowers are suffering and I can’t enjoy sitting in the sun at home any more. On top of that, the neighbour’s hedge has grown so high it blocks the […]

“I was close to someone who died without leaving a valid will, which meant an administrator had to be appointed to handle the intestate estate. Through this process, the estate was passed to someone who I felt wasn’t deserving of it. I believe the deceased person would have wanted me included in the distribution of […]

Working out who has to pay for repairs on a property may not always be straightforward. There are legal obligations on both parties – the tenant and the landlord – regarding the upkeep and repair of a property. However, it can still sometimes be ambiguous. Residential leases vs commercial leases Responsibility for paying for repairs […]

This case concerned a property in south-western Sydney. The property was landlocked by three neighbouring houses to the south/east and by a council reserve to the north/west. Behind the council reserve was a footpath that ran along a river and was used by the public as a walking track.

For many years, the property had been owned by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), which had plans to build a road along the river. However, the road was never built and the RTA eventually sold the land to a private buyer.

The NSW Retail Leases Amendment (Review) Bill 2016 was introduced into the parliament in November 2016 and received assent on 1 March 2017. The commencement date is yet to be proclaimed, but we could expect it at any time now. The amendments to the Retail Leases Act 1994 are the most wide-ranging amendments made in […]