Options to renew in commercial leases – don’t get caught out!

An option clause is a term in a commercial lease that allows a tenant to renew their lease at the end of the original lease period, if they meet certain conditions. Landlords are not obliged to offer a renewal option. However, it is often in the interests of both...

What you need to know about AVOs

An Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) is an order made by a Court against somebody in circumstances where a person in need of protection can show that he or she has reasonable grounds to fear that somebody may engage in personal violence, intimidating or stalking...

What a Will Kit doesn’t do

There are various ‘Will Kits’ available online – most are cheap or ‘free’ and all you need to do is download them and fill in the blanks. Many websites boast that you can prepare your Will ‘without spending hundreds of dollars on legal fees’. Simple, right? Not...

The benefits of mediation in a commercial dispute

Lawyers are often stereotyped as being interested in prolonging an expensive Court action. More often the opposite is true. Lawyers know that Court cases are expensive and that clients are fearful that legal costs could escalate to an intolerable level. Lawyers...