Legal Insights & Defence Guidance from Our Blog

16 February

Sticky

Legal Costs: How much will my matter cost?

Legal Costs We are regularly asked by clients for an estimate of what their case will likely cost before the client is engaged. This video with managing director Rob Franklin answers how we deal with the costs involved with your legal matter. https://youtu.be/HN0aSV_256A We'll Provide Costs Upfront Each case is individual, and costs will be discussed in our free initial consultation before the client is engaged. When it comes to costs, we are committed to being absolutely upfront with clients about what their matter is going to cost. In some cases, we're able to provide a fixed fee. In most cases, though, given the uncertainty of what...

12 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Responding to Show Cause Letters

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Litigation

If you have received a show cause letter, it is important that you obtain legal advice and assistance with responding to the allegations against you. This applies to people who are both guilty and innocent of the conduct alleged. This article discusses the purpose of show cause letters, the common forms of show cause letters, and why legal advice is so important to ensuring you attain a successful outcome. What is a Show Cause Letter? A show cause letter (also known as a show cause notice), is a letter sent to a person which provides them with an opportunity to respond to an allegation mounted against...

12 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Enhanced Enforcement & Deterrence Regulations for Queensland Engineers

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Uncategorised

The New Regulatory Regime Comes Into Effect on 1 March 2021 The Board of Professional Engineers Queensland (BPEQ) has been protecting the public and setting the standards for engineers in Queensland for almost a century. But soon, the BPEQ will have enhanced investigative and enforcement powers, bringing it up to speed with many other regulatory bodies in Queensland and Australia. It is anticipated that the strengthening of the regulatory regime will lead to audits, investigations, and possibly also disciplinary action and criminal charges against engineers and the firms who employ them. Who is affected by the changes? Approximately 16,000 engineers registered in Queensland will be...

02 February

0 Comments

Sticky

From Collaboration to Conflict: When Business Disputes Arise

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Litigation, Uncategorised

What Happens When Your Joint Venture, Business Partnership, or Informal Collaboration With Another Business Turns Sour? An increasing amount of businesses across the world, and here in Queensland, are collaborating with other businesses. These types of collaborative relationships are very common these days, whether it’s GoPro & Redbull, a social media influencer who has entered into an agreement to promote a business and attend events, or your local coffee shop teaming up with a surf shop down the street. This recent trend should come as no surprise, as there are many benefits to businesses collaborating. Some of these benefits include: Collaborative relationships provide both...

02 February

0 Comments

Sticky

15 November 2020 Australian Citizenship Test Changes

Posted by Tom Foran

in Immigration

By Tom Foran The Australian government has announced changes to the Australian Citizenship Test. The new testing regime will come into effect from 15 November 2020. This article explains who needs to take the Australian Citizenship Test. If you have recently applied for Australian Citizenship, then depending upon whether you have applied under Citizenship by Conferral or Citizenship by Descent, you may be impacted. We will look at the exceptions. Some applicants that would normally be required to take the test are exempt. There is going to be an overlap between the existing system and the new system. If you are going to...

02 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Mandatory Visa Cancellation for Child Exploitation Materials in Queensland

Posted by Tom Foran

in Immigration

By Tom Foran On 15 September 2020, the Queensland government made amendments to the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992. The changes to subsection 9(4)[1] to that Act are relevant to this post. That subsection provides the requirements for a Court when determining the appropriate sentence for a person that has committed any offence of a sexual nature in relation to a child under 16 years of age, or in relation to a child exploitation material offence. The first requirement for the Court is to have regard to sentencing practices, principles, and guidelines that apply when the sentence is being imposed, and not when...

02 February

0 Comments

Sticky

Allegations of Criminal Wrongdoing in Civil Disputes – What You Need to Know

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Uncategorised

Individuals who are alleging (or have been accused of) criminal wrongdoing in a civil dispute should think twice about settling those disputes themselves without the assistance of lawyers. Some examples of civil disputes where criminal conduct is also alleged include: Claims for the recovery of debts or liquidated demands of money; Claims for unpaid wages or unfair dismissal, and other employment disputes; Claims arising out of contract between a consumer and trader, or two traders; Claims for damage to property; Claims in defects for goods, including motor vehicles; Claims for damages as a result of a failure to perform services as...

15 January

0 Comments

Sticky

Weapons Licensing Matters in Queensland

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Litigation

Australian attitudes towards gun laws are arguably much more sensible than those in the United States, where mass shootings and gun related violence are a common occurrence. The rest of the world sees Australia, and the lessons learned from the Port Arthur massacre, as a leading example of why gun laws should be strengthened. It is evident that the strengthening of gun laws in Australia has generally led to a downturn in gun related homicides and crimes, and since Australian gun laws were strengthened, no mass murders similar to Port Arthur have occurred since. Despite this, gun laws and gun safety...

23 December

0 Comments

Sticky

Family Violence and Australian Partner Visas

Posted by Tom Foran

in Uncategorised

1000 Partner visa application approvals each week and a very common problem. According to statistics published by the Department of Home Affairs, in the 2019 to 2020 financial year, 52,479 Australian Partner visa applications were lodged. That is about 1000 applications each week. 96,361 applications were in the pipeline at the end of June 2020, awaiting processing. An article in the Medical Journal of Australia[1] explains that it is difficult to specify the incidence rate of family violence. The incidence rates depends upon the definition used; and whether the data comes from community crime victim surveys, community samples, or prevalence studies in...

22 December

0 Comments

Sticky

Ashleigh DoRozario appointed as a member of the Queensland Law Society Equity & Diversity Committee!

Posted by Potts Lawyers

in Firm news, staff news

Congratulations to Ashleigh DoRozario who is now officially appointed as a member of the Queensland Law Society Equity & Diversity Committee! Ashleigh is a litigation lawyer at Potts Lawyers. She is also legally blind. At the beginning of this year, Ashleigh made the brave decision to speak up for disability within the legal profession. She created the social media persona @BlindLadyJustice to champion equal opportunity and inclusion of people with disability, impairment or injury within our profession and wider society. From there, Ashleigh became a founding member of the QLS Diverse Abilities Network which is a growing support network of lawyers, law students,...

Legal Costs: How much will my matter cost?

Responding to Show Cause Letters

Enhanced Enforcement & Deterrence Regulations for Queensland Engineers

From Collaboration to Conflict: When Business Disputes Arise

15 November 2020 Australian Citizenship Test Changes

Mandatory Visa Cancellation for Child Exploitation Materials in Queensland

Allegations of Criminal Wrongdoing in Civil Disputes – What You Need to Know

Weapons Licensing Matters in Queensland

Family Violence and Australian Partner Visas

Ashleigh DoRozario appointed as a member of the Queensland Law Society Equity & Diversity Committee!

Quick Links

Quick Confidential Enquiry

Contact Details