Living in Queensland, many of us are well versed with the treat of cyclones and other major weather events. No doubt many of you may have considered the structural soundness of your house and improvements on your land. But how do you know if your house and improvements are built to withstand bad weather?

With a severe weather event expected to hit South East Queensland in the coming days, many insurance companies have implemented an insurance embargo. This means homeowners and prospective buyers won’t be able to take out new policies until the event passes.

Owner builder work is the term used when someone undertakes a residential building project on their own land without employing a licensed builder to oversee the project.

If you want to build your own home, or do substantial renovations, you may need an Owner Builder Permit issued before you start work.

A consideration the Court will take into account when making a determination on who a child should live with and/or spend time with, is if a parent has exposed the child to the Court proceedings.

The ATO have announced that for all contracts dated 1 January, 2025 onwards:

1. all sellers are required to obtain this clearance certificate from the ATO prior to settlement, regardless of the price the property is sold for; and

2. the amount to be paid will increase to 15%.    

A further amendment to the Family Law Act has been introduced by the Albanese Government last week, and interestingly, it includes family pets. The proposed amendment would see the Family Law Court consider pets as “companion animals” and grant the Court the power to make Orders on who keeps the pet, or if it is to be sold.