We are physically located in south-east Queensland, Australia. The reach of our firm is determined by the areas of law in which we practice rather than the physical geography. In charity and not-for-profit law our clients are located in the US, the UK, throughout Europe, Asia and the Pacific, as well is in Australia. In family law our clients come from all over Australia but less frequently from overseas. In conveyancing and property law, and other areas where state taxes apply we focus on serving clients Queensland. If you are unsure as to whether to approach us, please feel free to contact us. If we do not help we are often able to refer you to another firm with whom we may work in a different jurisdiction as part of the Southern Cross Legal Alliance and Global Cross Legal.

We have accredited specialists in family law and business law. We also have specialists in charity law and not-for-profit law with postgraduate qualifications, but these are not recognised areas of specialist accreditation.

Ask us. Most of our work comes from referrals from people who know our expertise, but not always. If you do not know someone who uses our services and can recommend us, please feel free to call a Director and ask us about our expertise. We can also provide referees if required.

While every matter is different, we are often able to provide quite precise estimates of costs to help you decide what you would like to do. We do not charge for providing you with an estimate of costs. The first consultation is not usually free because we endeavour to provide you with as much information as possible to help you manage your matter from the outset. There can be exceptions to this general situation, particularly for family law clients. Please contact us if you think we might be able to be helpful.

No.

Yes. But we do not recommend that you contact us seeking pro bono assistance. We select a very limited number of cases that we will take on well and we do this well in advance. The prospect of a new client disconnected from the networks in which directors serve in the community becoming a pro bono client is remote. If you are based in south-east Queensland, we suggest you contact one of the community legal centres such as  Caxton Street legal service in the first instance. If you are elsewhere in Queensland or Australia, we suggest you contact Legal Aid or other community legal services to see if they can be of assistance.

It is possible for some people to appear in some matters in court without a lawyer. The best person to make that judgement is usually a lawyer because they are familiar with the court processes. We can assist you with advice on the benefits and disadvantages of representing yourself so that you can make an informed choice. We can also provide you with an estimate of our likely costs to make the choice.

It is usual for a person buying or selling a business to retain a lawyer to assist them with this process. Usually the tax, stamp duty issues, transfer of liabilities, assignment of employee rights and obligations and protection and divestments of intellectual property requires legal assistance. It is also not uncommon for there to be disputes regarding the scope of warranties to be given by the seller to the buyer which require legal negotiation. We are familiar with these processes. We provide an estimate of costs for different stages of a proposed transaction.

In the first instance you should look at the family law page on this site. If the information you are looking for is not there, then you can call us and ask for more information.

In the first instance you should look at the  charities and NFP page on this site. The ACNC has useful guidance and tools to help. Justice Connect also provides useful information. We often meet with charities and Not-for-profits for 1.5 hrs to talk through issues. Often that is enough time to impart the needed information or develop a more comprehensive strategy. So, if you cannot get the information you need, please call us.