Erina Legal

Important information about Wills

2008-02-12T09:02:00.000+11:00

Today the ABC's law report ran a very informative story on wills. If you are thinking about udating your will, or even more importamntly, if you haven't got a will you should take the time to listen to this story.

"Wills
Wills: they tell the world how the dead want their assets carved up, but do they always get carried out in an efficient way?"

You can access the Law Report here.

This specific article is available for download for a month (after a month you can contact the ABC and they will dig it up for you.)

Property tips for buyers

2008-01-19T12:32:00.000+11:00

When buying property make sure you know what you are getting. Always arrange an independent Pest and Building report. You may also want to arrange a valuation.

Valuations

While real estate agents usually have a good understanding of the local market they are biased in their views on what a property is worth. Agents are going to be paid if and when the property is sold, so their estimation is always coloured by this incentive.

You can get a valuation from two main sources; professional valuers and database estimates. The benefits of independent provider sis that you get a complete and accurate report that has been created specifically for you, and not for a real estate agent or a vendor.

Statistical Estimates

A Google search for property statistical estimates will help you locate providers of this service. Statistical estimates have strengths and weaknesses.

I am of the belief that the statistical estimates are useful in two main ways; the first is in general research into a suburb, and the second is to help assess the value of the average house on the average street in a particular suburb or market.

Beyond these scenarios people still need to hire a valuer to go and inspect the property, along with the building and pest inspectors. The very nature of statistical estimation means that if a particular house or property is in any way unusual that uniqueness is not identified, and so the estimate could be too high or too low.

Physical inspections by qualified professionals

For a more precise estimate of the value of a property it is best to contact a qualified valuer. We recommend you use www.evaluator.com.au to arrange your valuation, but you could also search Google or the white pages for alternate providers.

Pest and Building reports

You really do want to know of there are problems with the property before you agree to buy it. The cost of repairs is often greater than $20,000 for things such as subsidence or termite damage, and the bill can often top $100,000.

The couple of hundred dollars that you spend on these reports has the potential to save you many times that amount in the long run.

We also recommend www.evaluator.com.au for you to order your pest and building reports.

Think of these reports as a cost of buying like stamp duty or insurance, or even better as an investment into avoiding costly repairs.

If you have any questions you would like to ask about buying property you are welcome to call us on 02 4365 6556 or email us.

Customer Satisfaction at Erina Legal

2007-06-04T19:01:00.000+10:00

Customer satisfaction is one of the core values of Erina Legal. We know we are here to serve our clients. As a result of this, we work hard to understand your needs and to listen to you, the client.

Our team are highly competent in their field, but these days we recognise that is not enough. You want someone who understands you and who cares about you and your legal matter.

You also want someone who clearly communicates what is going on, what the next steps in your legal matter are and what we are doing about them. So we talk to you as well as listen.

If you have any problems with our service we want to know about them so that we can address them. Any problems you may have can be discussed with Wayne Brown and if he is not able to assist, you can speak to Denise King, our principal lawyer.

Problems are often based on unfounded misunderstandings or assumptions. Usually the best results are achieved from a discussion about the issue.

We always do our best to address your issues to ensure that we can continue to work together. So far we have a good track record with our clients and we welcome you to become part of that success.

Trademark your brands and business name

2007-05-21T16:42:00.000+10:00

If you value your business and product names you should take steps to guard them through trademarking them.

Just ask Ian McDonald formerly of McDonald's hamburgers at Rosebud Victoria. Mr McDonald has had to cease trading under his own name and change the name of his hamburger shop to avoid an expensive legal battle with the global hamburger giant McDonald's.

It's not that Mr McDonald couldn't have won his case, it's just that it was going to be expensive to fight.

"I decided not to go to court because the prospect of massive legal fees was too daunting," Mr Macdonald said.

On the other hand Malcolm McBratney decided to fight McDonalds on principle. He was using the label McBrat's on his local rugby teams' shorts as part of a sponsorship arrangement.

McDonald's had registerred the trademark McKids a few years ago in preparation for a McDonald's kids clothing line, and according to them the McBrat's logo was too similar and could cause confusion in the market.

The Federal Court ruled this week that McBratney could register and have his nickname appear as a registered trademark on his team’s shorts.

I have provided these two topical examples as an illustration of the complexity of the issues. Basically if you are in business you need to take active steps to manage your business, brand and product names. You can help manage the risks to your business name and brands by registering the appropriate trademarks.

In the current environment of competition for brands and intellectual property you shouldn’t hesitate to take this step. The costs of re-branding can be very expensive, not to mention customers losing you with the change of name.

You can read more about registering trademarks yourself at IP Australia or if you want to get professional assistance you can contact us at Erina Legal to discuss your needs on 02 4365 6556.

How to find the right lawyer for you

2007-05-03T11:17:00.000+10:00

When choosing a lawyer you need to consider what is most important to you. Most people don't buy services from lawyers every week and so are a little unsure about what is most important. This guide describes the three most important attributes you should look for.

Expertise - Choose a lawyer who has expertise in the area you need.
Working together - Choose a lawyer you can best work with.
Quality of Service - Find a lawyer who can deliver a good service.

Expertise
There are many areas of law and there are continuing changes in legislation, case law and procedures in each area of law. No one lawyer can keep up with all of the changes to all areas of law. It is important that you choose a lawyer who has relevant updated qualifications and experience in the area of law that you need.

Lawyers advertise what their specialities are in the yellow pages and other advertisements. You can also call the firm before your first meeting and ask about relevant experience for your particular need if you are unsure from their advertisements.

Sometimes the lawyer may not be an expert in the particular area of law you need, but may have enough experience together with briefing a barrister with expertise in that area to provide the service you need. Ask about this.

All Australian lawyers have at least a university degree of three to six years and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice as well as a certificate of admission to the relevant Courts before they are allowed to practice as a lawyer. They are then required to have two years of supervised work experience before being given an unrestricted practice certificate and must complete at least ten hours of continuing legal education each year to maintain their practice certificate.

Many lawyers do further post graduate studies such as Specialist Accreditation with the Law Society, Post Graduate Diplomas, Master of Laws and Doctorate of Laws at university and some also in other disciplines related to their law specialisation. When phoning to arrange an interview feel free to ask what areas they have training and experience in.

Working together
Your lawyer will be working with you intimately, and possibly over a sustained period of time. Like relationships with people in general, there are some people you can get on well with and others that you can't. When you meet your lawyer for the first time the first interview is for both of you to decide if you can work together.

Can you sit comfortably with this person and tell them about your aspirations and how you see your future? Do you trust them to work for your best interests, and to work hard? Will the work be between just the two of you or will there be others involved? If other lawyers will be supporting the work you might like to also meet them.

You should discuss how you will communicate. Will this be mostly by email, phone or face to face meetings. Do you understand each other when you speak or do you constantly need to clarify meanings?

You and your lawyer will be working together as a team and as a team you need to be able to effectively communicate and work together. You need to be comfortable working as part of that team. Your lawyer has the expertise and experience to help you achieve your goals. You have the relevant information about your particular circumstances that will assist your lawyer to do so.

Quality of service
As the customer you also have an expectation of a certain level of service. How quickly will your calls be returned, how long will you have to wait for an appointment, will you be kept appraised of updates in your case? Again, this is a topic for your first meeting.

Of course the team at Erina Legal are confident we can deliver high quality and reliable results in all the areas of law we provide. You are welcome to call us (02 4365 6556) and book your first appointment today. An initial consultation only costs $180 for up to one hour. After that if you want us to commence working for you, we will provide you with a Costs Agreement and some estimates of costs and what may need to happen.

Our main areas of expertise include;

Family Law
Financial Agreements
Conveyancing and Property Law
Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship, Probate
Small Business Law
Mediation
Employment Law
Civil Litigation

For more information about our service phone 02 4365 6556 to discuss your needs.

Child Support Scheme has changed from 1 January 2007

2007-03-05T18:59:00.000+11:00

The Australian Government is changing the Child Support Scheme to ensure it meets the best interests of the children, better balances the interests of parents and reflects today’s community. The new Scheme also aims to better reflect the costs of children.

The reforms adopt recommendations made in The Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support report, In the Best Interests of Children – Reforming the Child Support Scheme. They are being introduced in three stages over two years.

Child Support Agency investigates delinquent payers

2007-02-19T22:48:00.000+11:00

PARENTS who minimise their income to cheat their way out of paying child support will come under increased scrutiny.

The Child Support Agency has employed an extra 120 financial investigators so it can investigate 2400 separated parents across Australia each year, four times the previous amount.

General manager Matt Miller said the agency was focusing on parents who lived in "affluent suburbs" but have reported low incomes to pay the minimum child support, which is about $6 a week.

"These parents are not only cheating the child support system, they're cheating their children," Mr Miller said.

The move comes after increased concerns that parents were hiding their income illegally, working for cash-in-hand payments or minimising their income through salary sacrificing for tax purposes.

But parents paying child support are not the only ones under investigation. Those on the receiving end will also be scrutinised.

Mr Miller said the agency had already uncovered cheats through data matches from a variety of sources, including bank statements and tax records.

An extra $3.6 million had been uncovered by the agency this financial year and the additional funding from the Federal Government was expected to deliver $460 million more for children.

Source: www.news.com.au

Beware of the pitfalls of Reverse Mortgages

2007-02-12T15:38:00.000+11:00

A report from SEQUAL, a lending association targeting seniors, has highlighted the dangers of Reverse Mortgages. Reverse mortgages have become popular in recent years as retirees seek to maximise their income. It's a product that is gaining more popularity with financial planners. They have been particularly popular with people who have benefited from the property boom of a few years ago.

Be aware that financial planners are often paid commissions when the sell loans and other third party financial services to you. Just because reverse mortgages are popular with the lending industry does not mean they are right for you. For a start reverse mortgages will reduce your total equity in your home meaning there is less money there for your kids inheritance and in case of unexpected expenses later in life.

You can learn more about reverse mortgages at ASIC's website here.

SEQUAL is an industry association that has drafted a code of conduct designed to ensure high quality financial advise for seniors. They warn all consumers of financial advise that they should get legal advice on any financial agreements that they are party to.

"It's very important that they have a lawyer look over the contract, explain the obligations to them, and make sure they're doing it for the right reasons."

You can call Erina Legal anytime to have financial agreements reviewed on 02 4365 6556.

Erina Legal - a family business serving families

2007-02-04T01:01:00.000+11:00

Denise King is the solicitor/director at Erina Legal. She is also the mother of Craig and Wayne Brown from her previous marriage to Walter Brown.

Denise was born and grew up in Sydney, and moved to the Central Coast when her parents retired at the time of her divorce in 1977. She raised Craig and Wayne while studying a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology and Education followed by post gradute studies in psychology, counselling and conflict resolution then a Bachlor of Laws and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and working in various positions in education, health, teaching and law then counselling and mediation in her own business and finally in her own legal practice. She is presently completing a Master of Laws by research on Family Law and aims to one day retire and write books and articles on her experiences in law.

Some past memberships were in the Central Coast Talented Children's Association while working for the Education Department, the Gosford Philharmonia Choir and Christ Church choir, secretary of the Central Coast branch of the Australian Federation of University Women and an inaugural member of the Erina Club of Rotary. She has been a member of the Liberal Party for nineteen years, currently a member of the Terrigal branch.

Craig (left) and Wayne (right) Brown in the back office at Erina Legal. Craig and Wayne grew up and went to school, college and university on the Central Coast.

Craig completed a Bachelor of Business at Central Coast Campus of Newcastle University and has since completed a Graduate Diploma in Project Management and is presently studying a Masters degree in Project Management. He has had a number of years experience in project management. He was initially a director of Erina Legal but resigned because of living in Melbourne and pursuing other interests. He is presently the manager of Erina Consulting. Craig is expecting his first baby in September, 2007.

Wayne completed a Diploma in Business Management and a real estate license at Gosford College of TAFE. After a number of years experience in business management, real estate sales and manager of Erina Legal since 2004, he is presently studying an Associate Law degree in conveyancing while continuing his role as manager and conveyancer at Erina Legal

Wayne married Kelly O'Connell in September 2003 in idylic Vanuatu and they are expecting their first baby in August, 2007.

Kelly grew up on the Central Coast and completed her qualifications as an architect at Newcastle University where she was awarded the University Medal and a number of other prizes having graduated with first class honours.

Buddy the loved family half blue cattle and half border collie dog.

Divorce has significant impacts on Home Ownership

2007-02-01T16:13:00.000+11:00

A paper from the Australian Institute of Family Studies highlights that divorce can have long term impacts on your economic wellbeing.

This report is one of the first to look at the long term financial effects of divorce on the family. It involved a study of people aged 55-74 and compared divorced to never divorced people’s economic circumstances. The findings were from a limited sample size, and are only averages, so you may well be an exception to the rule.

The key findings were; if you divorced you are likely to be worse off financially than people who don’t divorce, however, if you remarry most of this negative impact will be reduced. The short term financial impacts are clear to many, however the long term effects of shouldering all financial burdens should not be ignored.

Home ownership was one of the most significant indicators in the study of economic wellbeing. Married (and never divorced) people’s outright home ownership rates are almost doubles that of divorced people.

The best way to deal with this when going through separation is to get sound financial advice, and in our opinion that advice should include buying property as soon as you can. When you come to the end of a property settlement you should look for a financial planner and arrange a meeting to discuss your options. Careful planning will avoid many long term financial problems.

Erina Legal does not provide financial advice but we can assist you in reviewing contracts and terms for loans and investments.

Erina Legal can assist you in purchasing and selling property. Call us now to discuss how on 02 4365 6556.

Wills, Power of Attorney and Enduring Guadianships

2007-01-21T14:29:00.000+11:00

Here are our prices for wills, powers of attorney and enduring guardianships. If you would like to know more about our services you can call us on 02 4365 6556.

Wills

Pensioner Standard: Single - $120.00 Couple: $180.00
Non-Pensioner half hour: Single - $150.00 Couple: $225.00
Non-Standard (over half hour): $220.00 p.h.

Power of Attorney

(Fee half price if obtained with a Will or Enduring Guardianship)
Pensioner: Single - $80.00 Couple: $120.00
Non-Pensioner: Single - $120.00 Couple: $180.00
Registration fee: $71.00

Enduring Guardianship

(Fee half price if obtained with a Will or Power of Attorney)
Pensioner: Single - $120.00 Couple: $180.00
Non-Pensioner: Single - $150.00 Couple: $225.00

Divorce: The impact on the Kids

2007-01-13T20:19:00.000+11:00

The Melbourne Age published an article today on the fact that there is a huge spike in divorce and separation matters at this time of year. Hypotheses about why abound; It’s because Christmas crystallizes people’s opinions, because it’s a New Year and time to get things done, or because people just plain ran out of time in the previous year.

The bottom line is that people are going to be seeing their lawyers to discuss their options this month.

Erina Legal manages family law matters for client and has a range of options available to help including mediation, negotiation and litigation where differences can’t be resolved outside the courts.

The source of the article is a UK information website about divorce called Inside Divorce. The rules around divorce are different in the UK to Australia but there is some interesting information on the site including this article on the impact of divorce on children.

Naturally, as a parent your main concern when separating is the effect on the kids’ happiness. The good news is that Children are mostly okay with their parents’ divorce. Kids also say they want their parents to not argue about them. This suggests that parents, where possible should negotiate an amicable arrangement.

Mediation is generally regarded as the best medium to achieve amicable settlements in stressful disputes. So, where possible, ask your lawyer about the opportunity for mediating your arrangements regarding the kids.

You can read more about this here.

Erina Legal has an Ebay Store!

2006-11-27T21:56:00.000+11:00

In what may be a world first Erina Legal, a law firm on NSW’s Central Coast has launched an e-bay store for legal services.

On Monday 27th November the store was set-up offering fixed price legal services include drafting Wills, Property Conveyancing and Consultations.

It is here: http://stores.ebay.com.au/ErinaLegal

Erina Legal is trialing the online Auction site as a sales channel to complement its local marketing activities.

E-bay is a behemoth in the online marketing world, and in the last year they have been developing the online e-bay store product.

Most stores are geared towards physical products. Erina Legal has signed up with e-bay to create an online store for professional legal services.

We have offered a range of fixed price services via e-bay, including Conveyancing, Wills and Legal Consultations and hope people use the site to book services. We see the greatest long term benefit of the e-bay sales channel as the customer feedback mechanism.

If customers give positive feedback (which we are confident of) we will be able to display independent feedback on the quality of our service to other customers.

Our next step is to promote the e-bay store and see if people adopt it as readily for legal services as they do for other products – and then continue this experiment in online marketing by gathering feedback from customers.

Erina Legal is a small legal practice on the NSW Central Coast specializing in Family Law, Conveyancing and Wills and Estate Planning. We are keen users of technology and are fascinated by the internet and it’s opportunities for small businesses.

http://stores.ebay.com.au/ErinaLegal

The Central Coast Property Market

2006-11-14T08:55:00.000+11:00

As a manager of a local Law Firm on the Central Coast and a former Licensed Real Estate Agent, I have had a keen eye on how the market and how it has reacted to the volatile conditions in the area and beyond.

As expected there has been the usual increase in activity in these warmer months of the year leading up to Christmas but what wasn’t expected was the confidence buyers have had that the market conditions will improve. The media publications have gone hot and cold on the subject for quite some time and there is a general optimistic trend among sellers who have been patient over winter and are now achieving some favorable results.

That said there will always be activity in the property market by owner occupiers but the real trigger for newfound activity in the market are investors and while the stock market in making god returns for the small time investors there is no real incentive to get back into the staple property market.

Recently there was a report released in the media stating that rental prices will be up by 40% in the next 10 years or so; and this news, while not so great to renters, is confidence boosting for those in the property game.

An increase in rental prices will put many potential property buyers who have been on the border of renting verses buying for some time further into the buying camp. This injection of new players in the market will increase demand and see another spike in property values and push more people into the suburbs.

What does this mean for the Central Coasts property market? The average house price in the area is between $300,000 to $400,000 and unit price between $300,000 & $350,000 making it a relatively affordable option compared to the western suburbs of Sydney. This has already been experienced in the northern part of the Coast where massive new housing development has been extremely popular with ex-pat Sydney-siders due to it’s ease of access to the freeway, often being a quicker alternative to Western Sydney and traffic chaos.

It is difficult to say what will happen here on the Central Coast over the next 12 months with an additional rate rise looming and a 6% increase in new building approvals in the last Quarter.

Interest rates have played a big part in slowing the property market down here on the Coast but it surely hasn’t stopped it in its tracks. Summer vacancy rates in rentals, speculation of increased rental incomes and an ever volatile share market will all surely play a big part on the current and future market conditions.

Wayne Brown
Practice Manager

Are you buying or selling property in NSW?

2006-09-19T12:29:00.000+10:00

Erina Legal can work with you over emails, phone and fax to facilitate your conveyancing anywhere in NSW.

How do we work with you?
Conveyancing does not require face to face meetings. The only times you are usually required in your solicitor’s office is to review and sign your contract. Erina Legal can provide these services to you using phone and email to manage most day to day communications.

In fact we manage communications with many of our existing clients this way. The only additional feature an “out of area” customer needs is the ability to receive and send key documents by registered mail or courier.

Why Erina Legal
Erina Legal is a modern and reliable legal firm on the Central Coast of NSW. Our team is very experienced in conveyancing. Among the team we have an ex real-estate agent who can provide advice and recommendations on the pre-conveyancing part of the selling or purchasing process. Additionally we have a technically savvy team who have automated back office systems and can work with you via phone and email.

We are a customer focused business and believe the best way to work with our clients is to communicate with you; telling you about the process and keeping you informed as we go.

Erina Legal is ideally suited to meet the conveyancing needs of people investing in property on the Central Coast or the North Coast of NSW. Additionally we can work with people buying and selling property in Sydney and Newcastle (or anywhere else in NSW.)

See our rates here, or contact us today on 02 4365 6556.

Erina Legal

2006-08-23T12:27:00.000+10:00

About Wills, Power of Attorney and Guardianships

2006-08-22T17:28:00.000+10:00

Learn more about wills, POA and Guardianships here:

Wills
Most people know what a will is and why it is useful. Having your will prepared by a solicitor will provide you with a will that is less able to be contented as it will take into consideration the relevant legislation and case law.

An additional benefit is that the will is able to be stored in a safe and reliable location. When you are gone, people will be able to find the latest version of your will with no confusion.

Power of Attorney
An "Enduring Power of Attorney" is one that specifically provides that it will continue to be effective even if the giver becomes incapacitated. A Power of Attorney can be revoked at any time and ceases to be valid on your death.

Your Attorney is the person you nominate to conduct your business and financial affairs on your behalf if you are unable to do so because of incapacity or if you travel away from home. You should only appoint someone you trust. Your Attorney's powers can be unlimited or restricted depending on your requirements.

Enduring Guardians
An "Enduring Power of Guardianship" only comes into effect upon your loss of capacity and will continue to be effective during the period of your incapacitation.

Your Guardian is the person you nominate to make decisions about your medical and dental treatment, where you should live and what other services you should receive if you become unable through incapacity to make those decisions for yourself. Your Guardian has no power to deal with your assets.

See our rates here.

Prices for Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship

2006-08-22T17:07:00.000+10:00

Our current fees for Wills, Power of Attorney and Guardianships are as follows:

Wills
Pensioner Standard: Single - $120.00, Couple: $180.00
Non-Pensioner half hour: Single - $150.00, Couple: $225.00
Non-Standard (over half hour): $330 p.h.

Most wills fit into the standard timeframes. If yours is an exceptional case you will tend to know before you arrive. We can discuss your needs in our first meeting.

Power of Attorney
Pensioner: Single - $80.00, Couple: $120.00
Non-Pensioner: Single - $120.00, Couple: $180.00
Registration fee: $71.00

POA Fees are half price if obtained with a Will or Enduring Guardianship.

Enduring Guardianship
Pensioner: Single - $120.00, Couple: $180.00

Non-Pensioner: Single - $150.00, Couple: $225.00

Enduring Guardianship Fees are half price if obtained with a Will or POA.

Call us now and discuss your needs, or read more about why these tools are useful.

Conveyancing Rates

2006-08-22T16:33:00.000+10:00

Erina Legal standard conveyancing rates are as follows:

Sale of residential property - $850
Purchase of residential property - $1200

There are additional costs (disbursements) which are the fees involved with the transfer of land, certain searches for information from local and other government bodies, and so forth. We can discuss these on a case by case basis as the nature of the purchase will drive what activities are required.

If you are selling, or thinking of selling you can call us now to prepare your contract (real estate agents will require a contract prior to listing the house for sale.)

If you are buying you should contact us prior to signing the contract so we can advise you of the processes in detail and any major risks based on the contents of and attachments to the contract.

Call now with no obligation to discuss your needs on 02 43656556, or read more about conveyancing here.

Business Law @ Erina Legal

2006-08-22T16:23:00.000+10:00

Did you know that NSW is said to be the 4th most litigious state in the world.

People sue for a number of reasons including failing to deliver on promises, on different interpretations on terms in contracts, and when circumstances change and accidents occur.

Erina Legal can help you manage risk by giving you advice on matters you are less experienced at. We can help you avoid problems in the future by making sure contracts and agreements you have with suppliers, customers and employees are clear and comprehensive.

Many of our business law clients come to us when they already have a dispute. Often that dispute is the result of contracts written without consideration of the range of future possibilities.

Business law is about managing risk and maximising your power at the negotiating table. Lawyers are trained to consider all possibilities when drawing up or reviewing contracts. We can help you avoid problems, to reduce the impact of problems when they do occur, and to provide some certainty about how problems can be resolved.

Come and see us to avoid disputes or deal with them when they occur.

Our Erina office

2006-08-02T17:48:00.000+10:00

Brothers Craig and Wayne Brown (left to right) in the back office of Erina Legal.

Craig is an associate consultant with Erina Legal and manager of Erina Consulting. Wayne is the General Manager of Erina Legal.

The office entrance of Erina Legal.

Website

Smoke Alarms and Conveyancing

2006-07-19T13:13:00.000+10:00

144 people have died in house fires in NSW in the past five years, 60% during sleeping hours.

From November 1 this year many NSW property sales will require a statement about Smoke Alarms. If you have a property for sale and a contract waiting you should check with your lawyer whether your contract needs updating.

Anyone that has a contract with Erina Legal will automatically have their contract updated as needed.

The conveyancing law is being updated to help save lives. It supports the Smoke Alarms legislation enacted earlier this year requiring most residential properties to have a smoke alarm fitted.

An estimated 670, 000 dwellings in NSW still do not have smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are an effective early-warning device to alert people to the presence of fire so they have more time to escape.

The conveyancing regulation applies to property sold on and from 1 November 2006.

The gazetted Conveyancing law change is here.
Learn more about the Smoke Alarm laws here.

Conveyancing Agents

2006-05-03T18:28:00.000+10:00

Situated in the heart of the Central Coast and able to service the whole region, Erina Legal can act as your Conveyancing Agent and can represent you at property settlements across the Central Coast.

Our Settlement Agents are experienced in conveyancing. This means that they know what they are doing, and if there are problems at settlement, they may be able to be resolved on the spot rather than have to reschedule the settlement.

Files can be picked up or deliverred by courrier, depending on the circumstances of the job and your needs. We aim to be flexible and deliver a positive experience to both you and your client.

Of course, once settlements are completed you will immediately receive a courtesy call to advise you.

Call now on 02 4365 6556 or email us to discuss your needs.

Central Coast Business Expo 2006

2006-03-16T18:56:00.000+11:00

It seems all we have been doing recently is keeping our heads down and doing our work. Things are busy in the office and outside. And there are plenty of opportunities coming up to promote our business, not the least of which is the 2006 Central Coast Business Expo.

We are signing up for a booth again this year. We had plenty of fun and found many interesting people to talk to and learn from (as well as promoting our business.) A particular hello to our neighbours from the expo last year - Central Coast Uniforms and Rams Home Loans. Rams gave us sheep slippers last year. What can we score this year I wonder?

If you are a business person on the Central Coast (or even from nearby) I recommend you get along. Public invitations are probably a few months away, but if you want a stall get in touch now.

Central Coast Business Expo website

Mediation

2006-03-08T15:59:00.000+11:00

Don't let your situation get out of hand. Contact Erina Legal now and ask about our mediation services.

Mediation is a way of solving disputes more quickly and more cost effectively than using the court. Mediation is widely regarded as one of the most successful ways of resolving disputes. Mediation is also becoming a part of many court processes. You can learn more about mediation from Erina Legal's mediation information sheet. You can get it by emailing us or ringing us on 02 4365 6556.

Mediation is to become compulsory before making applications to the Family or Federal Magistrates Courts once all Family Relationships Centres have been established. While the Family Relationships Centres will be funded for four hours of mediation, it will still be possible for mediation to occur through private mediators.

A mediated parenting plan does not require independent lawyers to give advice, although independant legal advice is required for property settlements and for these we recommend that lawyers attend the mediation.

Denise King is a qualified mediator. She is also a member of the Law Society of NSW's Mediation Panel, LEADR, Australia's leading mediation organisation, and is a member of the Family Law Council of Australia.

The Law Council of Australia

2006-03-01T16:29:00.000+11:00

Did you know that Denise King is a member of the Family Law Coucil of Australia?

As a member of the Law Council of Australia, Denise has access to all anticipated changes in legislation and procedure and also has a voice in such changes. This benefits our clients in that they can be sure Denise is up to date with what is happening in the law and can ensure that her clients benefit from that knowledge.

Denise has a particular intereste in Family Law and there is a special section of the Law Council's website for Family Law information and services. So, iIn addition to the above benefits, when our clients have difficulties with the Family Law processes or conduct, we can pass your issue on to the Law Council of Australia for their consideration and appropriate action.

Denise also provides a voice from the Central Coast to the Law Council which works with governement on formulating policies and laws. The Law Council makes recommendations to the Attorney General on legislation and policies. It also conducts research and provides seminars. It is their recommendations that assisted in the formation of the new family law legislation.

Wills and Estates

2006-03-01T16:07:00.001+11:00

New wills should be made whenever there is a significant change to your circumstances, assets or beneficiaries.

If you die without any next of kin, the State will determine who the beneficiaries are and what they should take depending on the circumstances at your death.

It is in your interest to make a Will naming who you wish to be beneficiaries and also to provide replacement beneficiaries in case those named by you should not survive you.

Don’t leave it to the court to decide for you. It costs more, takes longer and creates a lot of stress for those you leave behind.

If you want to know more call our office on 02 4365 6556

family law information nights

2006-02-23T16:34:00.000+11:00

Family Law information night

Information nights are provided at various times throughout the year at the Community Centre on Karalta Road, Erina, NSW.

Call us to find out when our next information night is to be held and to book you seat on 02 4365 6556 or contact us via email at our web enquiries form

Mediation and Family Law

2006-02-20T17:21:00.000+11:00

In December the Federal government closed the tender application process for the new Family Relationship Centres around Australia. While no centres were announced for the Central Coast the initiative shows the clear direction of the government and Family Law Court are taking - away from the adversarial litigation process towards alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation.

Divorce rates continue to rise and the cost of separation continues to be very high for both parents and children, both in terms of the process of separation and in terms of the often dramatic change to everyone's lifestyle when income and assets are split up.

At this time people need support, not more conflict, and mediation is one of the ways of approaching the difficult challenges of separation and family conflict in a supportive rather than aggressive way.

Denise King, principle solicitor and mediator at Erina Legal is one of the Central Coast's strongest advocates of mediation as a way of building more positive solutions for families in dispute; not just once the separation has occurred but before people commit to ending their relationship.

Denise has spoken and run workshops on mediation to a number of Central Coast community groups, at the University of New England and at Stanford University in the US for a conference run by the International Federation of University Women. Denise is on the NSW Law Society's panel of Mediators and has been a member of LEADR, Australia's leading alternative dispute resolution organisation, for several years.

Family Law Seminar - Wednesday 22 Feb

2006-02-14T11:30:00.000+11:00

Denise King and the Team at Erina Legal have taken time out of what is traditionally the busiest time of year for divorce, separation and family law matter to help those that need some direction and understanding of what to do in this testing time.

We are holding a series of free seminars to give guidance to those who may be going through a separation or divorce and want to know more about where they stand. The first seminar is scheduled to take place at 6:30 Wednesday 22nd February 06 at the Erina Community Trust Hall on Karalta Rd Erina. Bookings are essential.

A range of issues will be addressed in the seminar from property settlements, timing, costs as well as children and separation.

For further information or to book a space call Erina Legal on 02 4365 6556.

Family Law @ Erina Legal - The right choice

2006-02-13T17:03:00.000+11:00

Erina Legal is different from other law firms in a number of ways. We invite you to come and meet with our staff and make your own mind up.

Our business is mostly family law and so we have regular and up to date knowledge of family law processes and issues. Additionally we are a very people focused business. These days everyone understands the importance of customer service, but in our case the staff really do care about you and your results.

Another aspect to our business is that we look at alternatives to the lengthy and sometimes costly court processes. When appropriate we show you ways of dealing with the problem that may help avoid the costs and timeframes that come with court disputes. Examples include negotiating your dispute to a conclusion, and mediating problems.

Conveyancing

2006-02-06T17:50:00.000+11:00

LJ Hooker's property value website My House Value has some articles to assist you in the process of buying and selling homes. One article promotes the use of legal representatives in assessing your rights and responsibilities to do with the sale or purchase of homes.

Another is to get legal advice to ensure you understand the issues and consequences of the transaction. Real estate agents may give plenty of advice during your dealings with them but they are not permitted to give legal advice (unless they are also registered and qualified lawyers.)

So, read all your documents carefully, make notes about the things you don't understand and take your list of questions to your solicitor. Your solicitor will also read the contract and highlight any unusual items and risks that appear in the contract. They will also check with various government bodies about future development and zoning plans and let you know about things not in the contract.

Of course your preferred law firm for conveyancing is Erina Legal. Our rates are competitive and we offer a quality service. Our team includes Wayne Brown, a former real estate agent (and manager) as well as our team of lawyers.

What will it cost? We charge $850 for a sale, and $1200 for a purchase for normal residential conveyances.

There are additional costs (disbursements) which are the fees involved with the transfer of land, certain searches for information from local and other government bodies, and so forth.

We can discuss these on a case by case basis as the nature of the purchase will drive what activities are required. If you are selling, or thinking of selling you can call us now to prepare your contract (real estate agents will require a contract prior to listing the house for sale.)

If you are buying you should contact us prior to signing the contract so we can advise you of the processes in detail and any major risks based on the contents of and attachments to the contract.
Or you can call now and get some general advise regarding conveyancing. Our number is 02 4365 6556 or click here and send an email to us via the contact us form.

Get your affairs in order - starting with your will

2006-02-02T18:44:00.000+11:00

It's the new year and things are probably starting to settle down after the Christmas and New Years festive seasons. I hope you are still getting out to the beach regularly.

With the new year settling in you are probably starting to think about how to get started on all the ideas and plans you had for 2006. Was getting your affairs in order in your list of things to do? If so we can help you with your legal documents and plans. I'll take wills as my example today.

New wills should be made whenever there is a change to your circumstances, assets or beneficiaries.

Have things changed since you last had your will written up? Have you ever had a will written by your family solicitor?

The number of disputes over wills has increased in the last decade and continues to do so. Luckily most are settled out of court (and we can assist you here also - usually through mediation,) however, there are still lengthy and expensive processes that are followed when managing legal disputes. Planning to avoid them is a great way of kicking of those 'getting my affairs in order' new year commitments.

If you die without a will the State government will determine who the beneficiaries are and what they should take depending on the circumstances at your death.It is in your interest to make a Will naming who you wish to be beneficiaries and also to provide replacement beneficiaries in case those named by you should not survive you. We urge you not to leave it to the court to decide for you.

Disputes over wills costs more, take longer and create a lot of stress for those you leave behind. This may sound alarmist but when you consider the costs of going to court to dispute wills against the cost of having a professional (i.e. a lawyer) help you write up your will the cost seems a sensible investment.

You can call us during business hours if you want to discuss your options on 02 4365 6556.

Casey Richardson joins the team

2006-01-20T16:34:00.000+11:00

Casey Richardson is the latest addition to the team at Erina Legal.

Casey completed her legal qualifications at the University of Newcastle late last year and is excited to be a part of the growing Erina Legal family.

Whilst she is currently commuting daily from Newcastle, Casey plans on making the move to the beautiful Central Coast soon so that she can enjoy all that it has to offer, in particular the fantastic beaches and shopping.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2005-12-22T17:02:00.000+11:00

Hi everyone,

We are closing the office on Friday the 23rd December and will be back on Tuesday the 3rd of January. Hope you have a nice break.

If you need our services call us on the 3rd of January on 02 4365 6556

Buying or selling?

2005-12-13T14:53:00.000+11:00

Your house is probably the largest purchase you will ever make. If you are buying or selling a business – it’s in the same league.

When buying or selling property or business it’s worth-while to get an expert to assist you. When buying or selling a home or business there are a number of problems that come up where you will want an expert’s advice and assistance.

In many cases there are o problems and nothing goes wrong. More often than you expect, though, problems do come up. Boundaries of land are not where they appear to be, there are problems with past building work, or maybe a problem with the bank.

You want an expert guiding you through the complexities of the process. Take advantage of our skills and experience. We are not a cut-price conveyancing firm. We pay attention to detail and make sure your property conveyance runs according to plan.

If you want to know more about our property services call our office on 02 4365 6556.
(We are closed from Christmas to New Year's day.)

Employment Law advice

2005-12-07T18:30:00.000+11:00

As you know probably Australian employment law is in a state of flux at the moment. The rules for managing disputes are likely to change very soon, but for many people - emploees and emploers - the key issues and most of the rules will remain the same.

Erina Legal can provide advice and representation to both employers and employees in dispute. Our primary focus is on achieving a mutually satisfactory outcome and where possible we look to resolve disputes quickly, through negotiated or mediated agreements.

We can also assist in avoiding conflict by helping you with employment agreements and conflict management plans - and for most people this is the most effectve way to manage disputes - plan and be prepared. If everyone knows the rules for managiong disputes the scope for misunderstandings and things getting out of hand are significantly reduced.

Conflict management plans can be introduced to parties in the early stages of a dispute or into a workplace before any disputes even exist. Contracts with partners, suppliers and customers often have conflict management clauses - and agreements with employees should also. They are most likely a business's most valuable asset, after all.

Managing your costs

2005-12-02T15:45:00.000+11:00

Like many lawyers much of the work we do is charged by the hour. There are several ways you can save yourself money over the course of your legal matter.

When you come in for your initial appointment we will give you a brochure on how to save yourself money and time on your matter. Basically this is about planning and preparing for each visit or phone call to your lawyer. The details of what you should do depend on the type of matter. In our first appointment with you we will discuss what needs to be done and when.

To prepare for your first appointment it is often a good practice to write down what your problem is, a history of the events and activities that have happened so far and some ideas of what outcome you are looking for. You don't have to know everything - that's why you are hiring a lawyer. But have a think about the issues and write your thoughts down. And bring in your written thoughts as a reminder for you when you are speaking with us.

Erina Legal uses it's initial appointment with you to assess what sort of matter you have and which is the best way we can help you.

You can find out more by calling 02 4365 6556 and booking your appointment today. (Assuming you have a legal matter you want addressed.)

Conveyancing at Erina Legal

2005-11-30T15:40:00.000+11:00

See our new newspaper advertisement for conveyancing. We are trialling it in the local paper's real estate lift-out section to see how people respond to it.

Conveyancing is not something we have marketed heavily in the past as we opened for business about the same time there was a strong drop in the property market. Now, with the market stabilising homes are selling again, and it’s time to let people know we can offer them the same excellent service we offer to our Family Law and Business clients.

Did you know that Wayne Brown, our general manager of Erina Legal used to be a real estate agent on the Central Coast and in Newcastle? What does that mean? He knows the process of buying and selling property from beginning to end. He can offer you advice beyond the legal part of the process. He and the rest of our team are particularly interested in keeping you informed of what is going on and why. And, of course, very happy with the service you receive from us.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a house and want to know more call us on 02 4365 6556 or email us via the Enquiries link on our website.

Central Coast Business Awards

2005-11-28T12:37:00.000+11:00

The Central Coast Business Awards were presented at Central Coast Leagues Club last Tuesday night. The event was attended by over 2000 people from the local business community.

Erina Legal was nominated for the "best new business" award but was beaten by the team at Beauty 2a T from Toowoon Bay.

The team at Erina Legal would like to thank those who supported us and congratulate Beauty 2a T and all the other winners of the night.

(A belated) Happy Birthday

2005-11-23T17:18:00.000+11:00

Happy birthday Denise King.

Denise, owner and principle solicitor for Erina Legal celebrated her 60th Birthday earlier this month at Kantara House in Kincumber. Happy birthday from your clients, staff, friends and family!

Financial Agreements and your partner(s)

2005-11-23T17:07:00.000+11:00

Why wait until there’s a problem?

Naturally the time most people consult their lawyers is once there is a problem, however at Erina Legal we can help you prevent problems.

Financial agreements are agreements parties make at the beginning of a partnership, often when people first move in together, but also when partners start up business ventures or invest together in an enterprise. They are an agreement about how assets and interests are to be managed if in the future partnerships split up.

With almost 1 in 2 marriages ending in divorce it is sensible and practical to make a financial plan for domestic relationships.

Business partnerships also need to consider how they will manage a situation where one or more partners wish to leave the partnership. All business partnerships should have an agreement in place to handle the variety of unexpected or planned for circumstances that can come up and cause potential conflict. Financial agreements are critical for small business owners, as certainty around control of assets affects both your personal finances and those of your business - and as a result the business' future viability.

The main benefit of addressing this issue early is that it will reduce costs in the long run – emotional and financial. An additional benefit is that it can reduce the likelihood of separation or conflict, as there is more clarity about finances in the partnership – which is one of the main reasons cited for breakdowns of relationships - both business and personal.

Financial Agreements are quick and easy to arrange. Call us now on 02 4365 6556 to discuss how they can benefit you.

Valuing your property.

2005-11-15T15:34:00.000+11:00

If you are going through a separation you may be planning to sell your home. Here is some information you may be able to use in planning for your future.

Domain can assist you is setting expectations about what your home is worth. Have a look at the feature at their website. Type in your postcode here and see what recent sales in your area have been.

The suburb snapshot feature does not have a lot of information about the Central Coast, but you can lookup information about Sydney, Newcastle and many other locations around Australia.

And of couse there are many products you can also pay for at the website.

If you want to arrange a professional valuation of your property you can contact our office on 02 4365 6556 for a referral. Or you can visit the website of the NSW branch of the Australian Property Institute and look up who services your area.

The API's Central Coast list of professional valuers is here.

Email Spam

2005-10-18T13:25:00.000+10:00

Thinking of launching an email advertising or sales campaign? Think twice before you begin. In recent years spam or electronic junk mail has increased exponentially. Estimates are that over 40% of all internet traffic is spam, and that this number is still growing.

Spam messages are often fraudulent, offensive or annoying, and they often carry viruses.
In 2003 the Australian Government introduced the Spam Act. It is managed and enforced by ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority. ACMA has guidelines and advice regarding how you should manage e-mail lists and what you can and cant’ do with your client’s email address. Learn more at their website

The Australian Communications Authority (ACA)’s website contains information for consumers and businesses about compliance with the Spam Act, reducing the amount of spam you receive, boosting internet security, avoiding email scams, protecting children online, making a spam report or complaint and the steps the Australian government is taking to combat spam.

Central Coast Business Awards

2005-10-07T17:25:00.000+10:00

Thank You to everyone who voted for Erina Legal in the Central Coast Express Business Awards. We have been nominated as a finalist and are in the Final 6 for Best New Business Award which will be announced on the 22nd of November 2005.

A new website

2005-09-28T16:16:00.000+10:00

The time has come to upgrade the Erina Legal Website.

This blogsite (and the erinalegal.com.au site) receive several dozen visitors a month. This isn't a paragon effort of web marketing but we are a small business servicing a local community and web marketing is not what we are about.

We originally put up the www.erinalegal.com.au website with little thought of how it would be used, except as a means of putting ourselves in front of people who are looking for lawyers via Google or Yahoo. Over time we also realised clients were looking at the site to investigate what sort of people they had become involved with. Just who were these people at Erina Legal. That's when I decided to start up this blog site.

The purpose of the blogsite is to personalise the online experience. I wanted to introduce people to the staff and what we are about. It was also more flexible and easy to use that the original website. (Again - we are not web marketers here.)

Now the time is at hand to upgrade the website and I am interested in the thoughts of visitors to this blog about what would make for an improvement to what we have.

If you are a client or a prospective client please add a comment (click the comments link below) about what you like and don't like about our site, and what you would like to see here instead.

Thanks for your help,
Craig

Improve your business with quality assurance

2005-09-22T17:36:00.000+10:00

Become ISO 9001 compliant with Erina Legal.

What is ISO 9001?
It is an international standard for quality assurance systems that can help you reduce costs, and achieve better returns on investment, as well as sell your products and services to more customers.

The ISO 9000 family is primarily concerned with quality management. This means what the organization does to fulfill the customer's quality requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.

The principles behind IS)9000 are customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, system approach to management, continual improvement, factual approach to decision making, and mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

How does this help me?
By putting systems in place to manage quality you will help improve the reliability of your services and reduce the likelihood of letting clients and customers down. If fact it doesn'tÂt just reduce yourlikelihoodd of litigation, it increasescustomerr satisfaction and improves sales.

More about ISO9000:2000, ISO9001 at Wikipedia or at the ISO website

Family Winner - computer aided divorce

2005-09-21T13:07:00.000+10:00

‘The principal institution of the law is not trial; it is settlement out of court’ [1]
- This is the quoted first line of the paper (link below) by academics Bellucci and Zeleznikow.

A new computer program called Family Winner has been developed to assist in the negotiation process for people involved in divorces and de-facto separations. A pair of Victorian IT academics has created it: John Zeleznikow and Emilia Bellucci.

Basically the system gets parties to rank their assets in order of importance to them. The program then produces a recommendation of how to distribute the assets across the parties. The recommendation is based upon people’s own priorities.

The idea behind the program is not to replace the use of mediators and lawyers in facilitating separation, but in streamlining and speeding up the negotiation process and getting to the key issues up for negotiation.

With separating couples required to try to resolve disputes before filing with the Family Court, Professor Zeleznikow expects there will be a need for mediators.

The product is not yet generally available.

See SMH Article [2]
See the academic article [3]

[1] Ross, H. L., 1980, Settled Out of Court, Aldine
[2] Adele Horin, Divorce? Let the computer be the judge, SMH 21/09/05
[3] John Zeleznikow and Emilia Bellucci, 2005, Family Winner: Integrating Game Theory and Heuristics to Provide Negotiation Support, www.jurix.nl

Winners

2005-09-06T17:07:00.000+10:00

Congratulations to our winners from the Business Expo competition. Each of them has won a USB memory stick, which are useful devices.

The winners are:

Daniel Aitken - Trance Design
Lee Clark - Work Smart Communications
Samantha Woods - Vibrant Concepts
Ali Vidler - Central Coast Printing

More Shared Parenting Proposals in Family Law Reforms

2005-09-06T16:11:00.000+10:00

In its review of the Government's family law reforms, the House of Representatives Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee has endorsed the changes but recommended greater rights for non-custodial parents.

The committee also proposed the development of accreditation standards for Family Relationship Centres, family dispute practitioners, and contact centres as a matter of urgency.

More

Source: Findlaw

Central Coast Business Expo

2005-09-05T18:48:00.000+10:00

A big hello to all the people we met at the Central Coast Business Expo.

Wayne and I had a great time staffing the stall and meeting people over the two days we were at the Expo, and so did the rest of the team when they came up for half day visits.

A special hello to the teams at Central Coast Uniforms and RAMS, our neighbors at the Expo.

Overall we consider the Business Expo to be a successful event for our business in terms of raising exposure of Erina Legal to the local business community.

Erina Legal has plenty of advice for businesses in all stages of their life from start-up and growth through to winding the business down or selling out, as well as at those critical decision points along the way. We can also assist business owners and managers in assessing risks and opportunities in a legal context.

Call us on 02 4365 6556 or drop by the office if you would like to know more.

What is Erina Legal here for?

2005-08-29T18:00:00.000+10:00

Our Values

2005-08-29T17:48:00.001+10:00

There is a lot of talk about ethics and values in the business media at the moment so I thought I wuld take a moment to mention Erina Legal's values. We are a small business so, naturally, they are all about the customer (hopefully that's you.) Here they are:

Good advice

Quality results

Trustworthy and professional service

Personal Integrity

Business Law

2005-08-29T17:46:00.000+10:00

Draft and Review Contracts
Buy and Sell Businesses
Start New Businesses
Conflict Management

NSW is said to be the 4th most litigious state in the world. People sue for a number of reasons including failing to deliver on promises, on different interpretations on terms in contracts, and when circumstances change and accidents occur.

Business law is about managing risk and maximising your power at the negotiating table. Erina Legal can help you manage risk by giving you advice on matters you are less experienced at. We can help you avoid problems in the future by making sure contracts and agreements you have with suppliers, customers and employees are clear and comprehensive.

Many of our business law clients come to us when they already have a dispute. Often that dispute is the result of contracts written without consideration of the range of future possibilities. Lawyers are trained to consider all possibilities. +

Come and see us to avoid disputes or deal with them when they occur.

Central Coast Business Expo

2005-08-29T16:54:00.000+10:00

Erina Legal will have a stall at the Central Coast Business Expo.

Come and meet Denise King and Sarah Gowing, our lawyers, or Wayne and Craig Brown the business management side of the operation.

Want to know more about Financial Agreements for partnerships?
Sarah Gowing will be available to discuss the issue at 11.30am Wednesday 31st August
Want to know more about buying a business?
Denise will be available to discuss the purchase and sale of businesses, in particular Franchises at 10am on Thursday 1st September.

About Craig Brown

2005-08-29T12:36:00.000+10:00

Craig Brown is a director of Erina Legal, and a business consultant.

Craig works with businesses of various types in improving their operations and developing new products. Companies he has worked with include top-tier corporates such as Optus and ANZ, as well as small businesses, franchises and not-for-profit organisations.

Craig grew up on the central coast and has a Bachelor of Business from Newcastle University. He studied several subjects at the Ourimbah campus and was an active member of the campus' student body in the early Nineties. Craig is currently studying for a Masters in Project Management at RMIT.

Craig likes boardgames and boats.

About Wayne Brown

2005-08-29T12:35:00.000+10:00

Wayne Brown grew up on the Central Coast and has lived here most of his life. He has had many different jobs over the years before taking on the task of managing Erina Legal. These have included real estate management, property sales, team management for large call centre business as well as many positions in the building industry and even dairy farming. Wayne believes this background has put him in good stead to both understand the needs of our diverse range of clients, and in tackling the multitude of challenges that come with running a small business.

A keen renovator and traveller, most of his spare time though, is spent with his wife that he is very proud of, as she is a talented architect (and helps him in fixing up old houses.)

Wayne sees his customer focus and entrepreneurial ‘can-do’ attitude as a distinct advantage for his objective of making Erina Legal the most successful law firm on the Central Coast.

About Denise King

2005-08-29T12:19:00.000+10:00

Denise King is the principal solicitor and a director of Erina Legal.

She became a lawyer after many years experience in administration, teaching, counselling and mediation. Family Law is her expertise, although she also does other legal work such as business law, conveyancing, wills and estates, Financial Agreements. In addition to her law degree, she studied four years of psychology. She is an accredited Family Law Mediator and member of the Law Society Panel of Mediators.

Denise has been involved in various local community organisations over the twenty six years she has lived on the Central Coast, including the the Rotary Club of Erina, the Australian and International Federation of University Women, the Liberal Party of Australia, the Gosford Philharmonia and Christ Church choir, Central Coast Talented Children's Association, the Federation of Australia Writers and is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales.

Denise's main interests have always been her family, music, theatre and writing. She also enjoys eating out with friends and family and spending time with her dog Buddy.

Denise has two sons, Craig and Wayne Brown who also have positions with Erina Legal.

Financial Agreements

2005-08-26T11:07:00.000+10:00

Why wait until there’s a problem? Naturally the time most people consult their lawyers is once there is a problem, however at Erina Legal we can help you prevent problems.

Financial agreements are agreements parties make at the beginning of a partnership, often when people first move in together, but also when partners start up business ventures or invest together in an enterprise. They are an agreement about how assets and interests are to be managed if in the future partnerships split up.

With almost 1 in 2 marriages ending in divorce it is sensible and practical to make a financial plan for domestic relationships. Business partnerships also need to consider how they will manage a situation where one or more partners wish to leave the partnership.

The main benefit of addressing this issue early is that it will reduce separation costs – emotional and financial. An additional benefit is that it can reduce the likelihood of separation, as there is more clarity about finances in the partnership – which is one of the main reasons cited for breakdowns of relationships - business and personal.

Financial agreements are critical for small business owners, as certainty around control of assets affects both your personal finances and those of your business - and as a result the business' future viability.

Financial Agreements are quick and easy to arrange. Call us now on 02 4365 6556 to discuss how they can benefit you.

Family Law Review

2005-08-25T18:08:00.000+10:00

The government is considerring changes to Family Law.

Some of the proposals under review include greater rights for non-custodial parents. Earlier this month Peter Slipper MP announced a number of recommendations for change with the intention that "there is an opportunity for both parents to continue their involvement as parents following separation."

Areas under review include:

Changing the term 'joint parent responsibility" to equal shared responsibility" to reflect the new focus on both parents role in caring for the children.
Providing for an obligation by the judges in childrens' matters to consider the child's best interests and the practicality for the child of spending "equal time" with both parents, rather than just "substantial time"
The development of accreditation standards for Family Relationship Centres, family dispute practitioners, and contact centres, and
Allowing a court to award costs against a person if it is satisfied there are reasonable grounds to believe a person has knowingly made a false allegation of violence or abuse.

This last point is one of controversy. Shadow Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said she feared the proposal would make matters worse by deterring already vulnerable parents from raising claims of abuse or violence.

Souce www.findlaw.com.au

Pru Crawford joins the team

2005-08-18T18:54:00.000+10:00

Pru Crawford (on the right) has joined Erina Legal as our new admin person.

Pru comes with 8 years administration experience in the Multimedia, the building industry and Law. Her customer service skills are an important part of her worklife and that's why we hired her.

Next time you come in say hi to Pru.

Divorce Statistics

2005-08-15T16:27:00.000+10:00

Australian Marriage Rates: marriages are declining.

Australian Divorce Rates in '000s. Divorces are up.

Learn more about these statistics at the ABS website Feature Article: Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2003

Vendor duty and your property sale

2005-08-08T14:50:00.000+10:00

Vendor duty on contracts for land related property will be abolished from 2 August 2005.

This applies to all contracts entered into (ie exchanged) on or after 2 August 2005. Anti-avoidance provisions will be introduced to prevent persons avoiding vendor duty by cancelling contracts that were exchanged before 2 August 2005. For example, where liable contracts were exchanged before 2 August 2005, the duty will still apply even if these contracts are rescinded and a substitute contract is exchanged on or after 2 August 2005.

Disposal duty (land rich vendor duty) will also cease to apply to a disposal of an interest in a landholder from 2 August 2005.

Selling your home? Come and see us at Erina Legal and get advice on how this will affect you. Call now on 02 4365 6556

Small business mediation pilot programme

2005-08-08T14:37:00.000+10:00

Victoria has been selected as the trial location for an Australian Government initiative providing mediation services to small businesses and their employees.

This free service will be offered to parties who are involved in a workplace dispute that would normally be dealt with by AIRC. During the pilot, parties who bring matters to the AIRC will be offered the option of having those matters dealt with through private and external mediation provided by an accredited mediator.

While this pilot programme is being run in Victoria, Erina Legal look on with great interest. We are great advocates of mediation, especially when the parties to a dispute have an interest in working together in the future, or continuing a relationship of some sort into the future. Examples go beyond employers and their workforce, and include suppliers and customers as well as domestic relationships such as families and neighbours.

If you need a mediator contact us at Erina Legal and we'll discuss your options with you.

Looking for a Justice of the Peace?

2005-08-08T13:50:00.000+10:00

Wayne Brown (right) at Erina Legal is a registerred JP and is available to witness documents.

Or you can look here to find JP's in other areas.

The functions of a Justice of the Peace under the Justices of the Peace Act 2002 are primarily:

administering oath declarations or affidavits, and taking statutory declarations and affirmations principally under the Oaths Act 1900;

witnessing signatures; and

attesting and certifying documents.

Please call to check Wayne is available on 02 4365 6556.

Business Expo 2

2005-07-15T15:47:00.000+10:00

Erina Legal is one of the Central Coast’s fastest growing law firms. Positioned in the busy CBD of Erina our Firm is dedicated to client satisfaction through positive outcomes and attention to detail. Focusing on Business Law, Family Law and Property Erina Legal is a one-stop-shop for all your legal needs.

Our focus at the CCBE will be to present information critical to new and growing businesses:

Manage your Legal Risks

Advice on buying and selling businesses

Reviewing Contracts (e.g. Franchise agreements)

We also provide advice and representation in other areas of law such as

Family law,

Conveyancing and

Wills and Estates

Central Coast Business Expo

2005-07-14T17:34:00.000+10:00

The team from Erina Legal will be at the Central Coast Business Expo on Wednesday 21st August and Thursday 1st of September.

We have been thinking about what sort of things would be useful for us to provide to the area's business community. If you have an idea email it to us via the company website (see the links to the right.)

Sarah Gowing

2005-07-06T16:29:00.000+10:00

Sarah Gowing has started at Erina Legal.

After finishing her law degree at Macquarie University Sarah moved to Canberra to work at the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA.) She has recently moved back to the Central Coast and is now part of the team at Erina Legal.

Sarah has a particular interest in practicing in the area of family law continuing to build the firm's capacity and skills in the area.

Sarah has just moved to the Central Coast after living in Canberra for three and a half cold years. She is very much enjoying the Central Coast climate. While not yet a parent she is a devoted carer of a German Shepherd Kelpie cross named Ulrick and a Burmese Tonkinese Cross kitten named Honey. She is enjoying working with clients and the team at Erina Legal very much.

New Yellowpages ad

2005-07-03T20:20:00.000+10:00

We have a new Yellow Pages ad.

Wayne designed the new ad and there have been a few changes. The primary change is the colours and logo, but the advertisement also focuses on saying more withless words... We hope making it a simpler presentation of what we do will achive that.

And of course the photo has changed. It's a colour photo of the team - Wayne, Rochelle, Mum and me.

Wayne Brown

2005-07-03T20:01:00.000+10:00

Wayne, my brother - manages the office, runs most of the conveyancing activities and deals with problems when they happen. Before joining Erina Legal Wayne was working for Clark Bros real estate at Tumbi.

Wayne got married in 2003 to Kelly. Here is a picture from their wedding day. They got married at Vanuatu on the beach.

Denise King

2005-07-03T19:33:00.000+10:00

Denise King is our principal solicitor. Denise has lived on the Central Coast since 1978 and has had a number of jobs and been involved in many community organisations and projects over the years.

She's my mum.

Say Hello t the team at Erina Legal

2005-07-03T18:06:00.000+10:00

Say hi to the team at Erina Legal.

From right to left: Wayne, Denise, Kristine, Rochelle, Craig

Erina Legal

2005-07-03T15:35:00.000+10:00

Erina Legal is a law firm at Erina NSW.

The main areas of practice for the firm are family law, conveyancing and property law, and wills and estates.

It's a family business. Denise King is Wayne and my mother. It isn't so bad working with Family after all.

Visit www.erinalegal.com.au if you want to learn more.