Your Ultimate Guide To Moving Abroad With Your Family – 11 Important Checklist
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Your Ultimate Guide To Moving Abroad With Your Family – 11 Important Checklist

Moving across town might be a hassle, but moving to another country entirely is a different ball game. It’s not just about finding a removalist near you or a cheap removalist. You’ll need more than that to move successfully without issues.

Well, that’s why you’ve got us. Anything and everything logistics-related can be learned in this guide. So, sit back and keep scrolling while we teach you how to move to your dream country without hassle.

According to Emmanuel Transport, the logistics of moving internationally entail a lot. As you may expect, there are rules to follow. We’ll highlight the top tips to include in your to-do list before moving.

1. Start Planning
You’ve decided to leave the country. Taking the expat route isn’t something you decide on in a few weeks. It takes months of planning. We suggest 6 months of planning ahead before the move.

This ensures you have no surprises along the way. Research extensively about the destination country. Check out its culture, laws, and even security details. At least you’ll know what to expect while moving.

One important part of planning is saving.

Saving for your move
If you’ve ever had to move across town or down your stress, you know how expensive that could be. What if we told you that’s nowhere close to the amount you’ll expend while moving to another country? In fact, multiply it by 12.

The cost of living globally includes details like moving fees and housing deposits—now throw in visa documents and international insurance.

How much should you save? To make sufficient financial plans, you need to research a lot.

Start by researching the exchange rate to know precisely how much the process would cost.

Other expenses to confirm include the cost of living in your new home and settling down. You’ll need a lot of savings and adequate planning for that. Try out six months’ worth of savings or a little more if that doesn’t work.

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Why Every Landscaping Business Owner Should Know The Legal Differences Between Contractors And Employees
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Why Every Landscaping Business Owner Should Know The Legal Differences Between Contractors And Employees

For those who own a successful landscaping business, we are sure you do not do everything yourself. You may have oversight on every project, and make important decisions for your landscaping business, but day-to-day there will be others who have roles such as landscape design, construction, and administration, to name but three.

This brings us to something that can cause confusion for landscaping companies and those who work for them. We are talking about whether someone working for a landscaping company is legally considered an employee or a contractor. These are important distinctions as they influence the legal status of those who work for you and your obligations towards them.

To try and clarify some of the confusion surrounding the employee vs contractor question, we have outlined some of the basic facts including what the main differences are as they relate to employees or contractors working for your landscaping business.

The Distinction Between An Employee And A Contractor

Before taking on a landscaping project, one simple test that any landscaping company, including Lonepine Landscapes, can use to distinguish between who is an employee is this: An employee has a contract of service, and a contractor has a contract for services. Now you might be saying those are almost identical, but they are not.

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What To Do When Facing the Threat of Litigation In Business
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What To Do When Facing the Threat of Litigation In Business

It doesn’t matter what type of business you have. Whether you are a SEO Agency or a building contractor they are all the same in the sense that no business wants to go through litigation. If you have a small business, the expense and other costs of litigation are like to put you right out of business, or at least take many years to recover from. That is why it’s important to consult with litigation lawyers immediately in order to find a resolution before it is too late.

The reason for the litigation may not even have been the fault of your business, but going through the courts to prove it is not only costly, but time consuming and is still likely to cause a loss of reputation, even if you eventually win the case. The actual details get lost over time and all anyone remembers is the court case, the gossip and the problem that you were accused of. They may not even remember – or believe – that you were innocent.

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What Sort Of Website Should Your Law Firm Have Designed?
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What Sort Of Website Should Your Law Firm Have Designed?

Whilst there may be a perception in some quarters that the world of lawyers, courts, and the legal system is somewhat old-fashioned, the truth is that the legal profession operates as much in the modern world of technology and the internet as any other. This can be seen in many ways, but the most obvious is the modern website designs some law firms have that have been done by experienced website design companies like Web Design Perth that are up-to-date with all aspects that law firms require.

Now, if you are reading that and thinking to yourself that your law firm’s website is far from being modern, and worse, it is ineffective in generating prospects and clients, then it is highly likely that the time has come for your law firm to have a new website designed. This leads us to the question of what sort of website design is suitable for a law firm, so let us answer that by highlighting a few essential design elements.

Your Website Should Have A Purpose

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when designing a website is for it to have no definitive purpose. If it serves only to ‘be there’ and nothing else, anyone visiting will have little idea what the website is about, and once that happens they will leave pretty quickly.

Your Website Should Stand Out From The Legal Crowd

Before we go any further by ‘standing out‘ we are not talking about your law firm having a website with loads of flashing colours and garish images. Instead, you want it to stand out from the crowd, with the crowd being the other law firms in your local area. You will notice that many of them will follow the same tired, old format and layout and thus have nothing to distinguish them from any other law firm.

Ensure that your website designer is aware that you want your law firm’s website to be, like Family Lawyers, remarkable without being outlandish. Get them to include the branding of your law firm, have clear and distinctive images, and an overall look that distinguishes it from other legal websites.

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The Essential Role of Actuarial Certificates in the Legal Landscape
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The Essential Role of Actuarial Certificates in the Legal Landscape

In the dynamic world of law and finance, actuarial certificates play a vital role in ensuring smooth transactions and safeguarding interests. These certificates, provided by professional actuarial services, have implications across a wide range of legal applications and scenarios.

What are Actuarial Services?

Before delving into the specifics of actuarial certificates, let’s clarify what actuarial services are. In a nutshell, actuaries use mathematics, statistics, and financial theory to study uncertain future events, especially those pertaining to insurance and pensions. Actuarial services encompass this data analysis to assess risk and predict financial outcomes. This expertise is sought after in a variety of sectors, including insurance, pensions, finance, investments, and even health care.

Understanding Actuarial Certificates

Now, let’s turn our attention to actuarial certificates. These documents are typically issued by an actuary, attesting to the accuracy of certain financial calculations based on predefined criteria and assumptions. The certificate serves as an official confirmation that the actuary has examined the figures, methods, and assumptions used in the calculations and found them to be in accordance with accepted actuarial principles and regulations.

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What Being Sued For ‘Loss of Chance’ Meant For A Dental Practice
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What Being Sued For ‘Loss of Chance’ Meant For A Dental Practice

Many dentists go through their entire career without ever having faced any legal action from a patient; however, that does not mean to say that the thought that it might happen never crossed their mind. Of those dentists currently working in their dental practice, 99.99% are skilled and dedicated professionals; despite this, the threat of being sued remains for them.

That is not to say that every dentist should be working under a cloud, but rather that they are aware that the possibility of legal action such as malpractice exists and, as such, should ensure that they do all that can to ensure it never happens.

One principle in the law relating to malpractice has meant that was an additional reason why a patient might sue, and that legal concept is called ‘loss of chance’.

Today, if a patient were to bring a malpractice claim against a dentist, in order to win their case, they and their legal representatives would primarily have to prove that two things existed. The first is negligence, which would be that their dentist failed to show a duty of care to their patient.

The second that has to be proven is causation, and by that, it means it has to be proved that any harm or injury suffered by the patient was caused by the dentist’s negligence. It is important to note that if either negligence or causation are not proven, then the malpractice case is likely to fall.

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Why Separated Couples Are Obliged To Seek Dispute Resolutions Before Applying To Family Court
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Why Separated Couples Are Obliged To Seek Dispute Resolutions Before Applying To Family Court

When someone has separated from their spouse or de facto partner, they may make an appointment with their family lawyers assuming that the next stage in the process of formalising their divorce is to go to Family Court. Invariably, they will be told by their family lawyer that, rather than being the next stage, the court is likely to be the final stage in the process.

The days of the Family Court being the arena where all divorces are played out is long gone and this now tends to be the exception, rather than the rule. That occurs, firstly, because many couples can settle all divorce matters, including property and their children, amicably and through their family lawyers facilitating an agreement between them. All the Family Court then does is confirm the settlement is fair and grant the divorce.

Federal Circuit and Family Court Rules 2021

The second reason why the Family Court is not involved in the earlier stages of a divorce is Family Law and recent changes to it. In September 2021 new rules relating to divorce came into effect, namely the Federal Circuit and Family Court Rules 2021. These rules laid down principles that obligate separated couples to use all their efforts to try to negotiate an agreement before they seek intervention from the Family Court.

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The Legal Aspects of Laser Eye Surgery: What You Need to Know
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The Legal Aspects of Laser Eye Surgery: What You Need to Know

Laser eye surgery has become one of the world’s most popular elective medical procedures. This procedure allows patients to enjoy a greatly improved quality of life and no longer depend on glasses or contact lenses for everyday activities. Even though laser eye surgery has become increasingly safe over the years, it is still a major medical procedure that requires various legal aspects and the cost of laser eye surgery to be considered. We will look at the essential elements of informed consent, the regulation of the laser eye surgery procedure, and the patient’s rights during the postoperative period. We will discuss the potential complications of the process, the legal policies of dispute resolution, and the legal obligations of the patient and the clinic.

Licensing requirements for surgeons

All surgeons performing laser eye surgery must be licensed. Surgeons must also be certified by the appropriate medical board and credentialed by the hospital or ambulatory surgery centre. Ensuring that the surgeon is accredited and meets all of the necessary licensing requirements for the specific type of laser eye surgery is very important. By familiarizing yourself with the legal requirements of laser eye surgery, you can be sure you are in the best care possible.

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How Dentists Can Ensure That The Lawyer They Hire Is The Right One
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How Dentists Can Ensure That The Lawyer They Hire Is The Right One

For anyone whose profession is dentistry, we are sure that there are many other professionals whom you rely upon to help you run your dental practice and who allow you to carry on your work as a dentist as stress-free as possible. After all, if you had to not just treat patients but also prepare all your accounts singlehandedly, calculate payments to the IRS, as well as take care of booking patient appointments too, we imagine you would soon burn out.

This is why CSAs, tax advisors, receptionists, and administrative staff are all necessary for a dental practice to thrive, and we submit that there is another professional who is essential to your business, and that is a commercial lawyer. They might not be someone whose services you require each week or even every month, but when they are required, they can provide advice and representation that could mean the continued existence of your dental practice.

We say that not to alarm you, but to highlight the fact that some dental practices and dentists would not be operating today had it not been for the representation provided by a commercial lawyer in a serious legal matter. Thankfully, such instances are rare, but we are certain that the dentists involved are delighted they had the foresight to acquire the services of a competent commercial lawyer, and more to the point, one that proved to be the right choice.

So, if you do not have a commercial lawyer, or you wish to retain one for your dental practice but are unsure how to go about choosing one, the next few paragraphs are going to help. What we have is a four-step guide to assessing and choosing the right commercial lawyer for your dental practice.

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7 Essential Clauses Every Landscape Design Contract Should Have
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7 Essential Clauses Every Landscape Design Contract Should Have

Whenever a landscaping project is started, it is usually the case that a contract will have been signed between the landscaping company and the client. That applies whether the grounds being landscaped are commercial or it is a residential client wishing their garden to be transformed.

If you own or run a landscaping business, you will likely be closely involved in the contracts created for clients. Each of these will be unique in the sense that no two projects will be the same, regardless of any recurring landscaping features which you are usually asked to create. The reason for this is that it is highly unlikely that any two locations will be identical, and even if they were, no two clients are going task for the same landscaping features

Although each contract will have specifics related to the project, they will also have clauses that are common in each one. Some of the details may differ, but these sections should appear in every landscaping contract you create. As for what clauses you should include in each landscaping contract, if you read further you will discover we have outlined seven of them.

Essential Clause #1 – Landscaping Services

The most obvious clause within a landscaping contract will be what work has been agreed upon between your landscaping business and the client. This will include details of the planning stage, and thereafter the specifics of the features that are going to be created, purchased, installed, or planted by you within the landscape design.

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7 Legal Terms Dentists Must Understand When Leasing Commercial Premises As A Dental Clinic
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7 Legal Terms Dentists Must Understand When Leasing Commercial Premises As A Dental Clinic

If you are a dentist who owns a dental practice which in turn also owns the commercial building you operate in, then there may not be much point in you continuing to read, except, of course, if you plan on expanding your dental practice business without the need to purchase another building. For other dentists who currently leases or is thinking of leasing a commercial building to run a dental practice, then you should definitely continue reading.

The reason we say that is this article is going to explain some of the most important clauses in a commercial business premises lease, and they are terms you should be aware of. Whilst we always recommend that you hire a commercial lawyer to aid you through the process of leasing a commercial building, it will prove helpful if you understand some of the terms they are advising you on. We cover just seven of them, and they are simpler than you might imagine.

Commercial Lease Term #1 – Rent Payable

One of the most obvious clauses you would expect in a commercial lease is the amount of rent you have to pay to the landlord. Agreements might be made as to the payment frequency whether that be monthly, quarterly, or even annually whereby a discount might apply. This may also state if and when a review of rent payable will take place, and what any increase will be based upon, such as inflation rates.

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How The Landscape Association Can Mediate When Complaints Occur
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How The Landscape Association Can Mediate When Complaints Occur

Thankfully, the vast majority of projects which landscapers from lawncareman.com.au undertake are completed successfully and they will have notched up yet another delighted customer, happy to sing their praises to anyone who enquires about their newly landscaped garden. However, occasionally things do not go so smoothly, and the landscaper and the client end up in a dispute.

Whilst a rare scenario, nonetheless it is one which landscapers need to be prepared for, as occasionally a project will not go to plan due to circumstances out with their control. It might be that a landscaping business can negotiate with the client to resolve whatever problem has arisen, but what if that is not possible? Well, this is where an organisation called The Landscape Association could be the solution.

What Is The Landscape Association?

The Landscape Association (TLA) was formed in 1979  and since then it has grown to be a highly respected body that represents hundreds of landscapers and landscaping businesses. Some of its main objectives are to raise the public’s awareness of the landscaping industry and to promote the highest quality and standards in specific areas of landscaping such as design, construction, and maintenance. Other objectives of TLA include:

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3 Common Legal Agreements Used By Landscaping Businesses
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3 Common Legal Agreements Used By Landscaping Businesses

Something you might not immediately associate with Principal Landscapes would be legal documents, however, for landscaping businesses to protect their interests and to operate within certain regulations, they often need to use them. The specific documents landscapers use will be influenced by the size of the business, what services it offers, and what state it is located in.

In particular, there are three formal agreement documents that you will find, not just landscaping businesses use,  but businesses of all kinds. These three agreements are Service Level Agreement, Employment Agreement, and Partnership Agreement. Read on and you will discover exactly what these agreements are and when they should be used by a landscaping business.

Service Level Agreement

What Is It?

A service level agreement, or SLA, is the contract that is created between a client and the landscaping business. It outlines in detail what work the landscapers have agreed to undertake and the expectations related to the services provided. It is created so that both parties are fully aware of their respective obligations so that no misunderstandings occur. Specific details that should be included in an SLA are:

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10 Employment Law Terms All Landscaping Business Owners Need To Be Aware Of
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10 Employment Law Terms All Landscaping Business Owners Need To Be Aware Of

Most landscapers and those who own or run a landscaping company will rightly claim that they have enough on their plate regarding that business, rather than concern themselves with legal matters which are best left to lawyers. There is nothing wrong with that point of view, however, we would caveat it by saying it does no harm to be familiar with some legal terms that apply to running a landscaping business, and in particular, those relating to employment law.

We say that because the last thing any landscaping business needs is to find itself being taken to court, not through any nefarious actions, but due to ignorance of employment law, or one of the specific terms that relate to it. Bear in mind, in legal cases, whether they be civil or criminal, ignorance of the law is no defence, and that ignorance could be extremely costly if the court rules against you.

So, to take a small step towards ensuring you know key employment law terms, we have outlined ten of the most important below.

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5 Ways Australian Consumer Law Applies To Landscaper Businesses
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5 Ways Australian Consumer Law Applies To Landscaper Businesses

Whilst to many landscapers, the world of plants, flowers, decking, and water features has little to do with the legal world of lawyers, courts, legislation, and judges, they meet when it comes to a landscaping business complying with Australian consumer law. In truth, every business must comply, so it is not only landscaping businesses that must adhere to them.

Before we go any further, we are not suggesting that the owners of landscaping businesses must become legal experts in consumer law. Still, they would certainly benefit by having some knowledge of it. However, the minimum you should do is seek advice from, and ultimately entrust your landscaping business’s legal matters to, a commercial lawyer.

That being said, we did mention that landscaping business owners should have some basic knowledge of consumer laws, so the landscaping professionals from Garden Spec have highlighted below some of the core elements of consumer law that can apply to landscapers.

Limitation Of Liability

A limitation of liability is essential for all businesses, including landscaping businesses, to protect themselves. Whilst you are obligated to put right any faults or failures that occur within your landscaping work, this is not open-ended. In other words, the client cannot demand you fix or rebuild something that they, or a member of their family, damaged due to their negligence, neglect, or misuse.

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All You Need To Know About Indonesian Law Regarding Bali Property Ownership
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All You Need To Know About Indonesian Law Regarding Bali Property Ownership

It is the dream of many Australians to live in Bali or to go a step further and run a business there too, such as renting out Bali villas to tourists. Whilst both of these ambitions are possible, they are also both subject to Indonesian laws regarding property and business ownership. To this end, if you are thinking about living or running a business in Bali, seeking local legal expertise is a must.

Much of that advice will understandably focus on Indonesian property laws as that is the laws that would be in play if you were considering property ownership in Bali. Let us highlight one huge and obvious hurdle and that is that as it stands, Indonesian law prevents foreigners from owning the freehold on property in Bali. As such, when you see or hear discussions about ‘owning’ Bali villas, there will be several caveats to that.

So, owning the freehold if you are not an Indonesian citizen is not possible under current laws, and so the question is, “What can you do?”. One option some entrepreneurs try is to use a nominee. A nominee is an Indonesian citizen into whose name the title for the freehold of the property is given. This is a highly risky procedure and there have been some investors who have seen that investment disappear either through nefarious activity by the nominee or a legal wrangle.

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3 Important Tips For Dentists Who Are Facing Legal Action
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3 Important Tips For Dentists Who Are Facing Legal Action

One thing that every business owner dreads is someone taking legal action against them, and it is a fact that dentists are not immune from this happening to them. A business can be taken to court for all sorts of reasons, and while some claims may be spurious and thrown out before they ever see the inside of a courtroom, many others are genuine and must be handled correctly.

For any dentists who may have been given notice that they or their dental business is subject to a legal claim, the one thing that must be avoided is to panic. Being sued or taken court is not something that happens to someone every day, and when it does occur it can come as a complete shock. However, getting stressed and panicking is not how to solve the problem.

As for why any business, and particularly dentists might have legal action taken against them, there are several reasons:

  • Non-payment of due bills and debts
  • Breach of contract
  • Misleading patients or other businesses
  • Infringement of intellectual property rights
  • Employees claiming discrimination or unfair/unlawful dismissal
  • Professional negligence
  • Public liability

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Your Legal Options for Owning A Villa In Bali
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Your Legal Options for Owning A Villa In Bali

Many people decide they will start their dream business of renting a villa in Bali,  whose hopes come crashing down when they discover the complexities of Indonesian law as they apply to property purchases in Bali. The truth is that Indonesian law forbids foreigners from outright ownership of property in that country, and given that Bali is part of Indonesia, that law applies there, too.

This begs the question, “If Indonesian law forbids foreigners from purchasing property in Bali, how can any foreigner own a villa In Bali?”. The law, as it applies in Bali, forbids outright ownership of property by foreigners, but that does not mean they cannot enter into legal arrangements that would allow them to own and run a Bali villa rental business.

As you will discover as you read, there are various categories of property ownership in Indonesia, which means that in Bali, you can obtain either ownership or the use of a villa to rent it out to holidaymakers. Here are some of your alternatives based on firsthand knowledge of villa ownership from the specialists at Luxury Villas Bali.

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Why A Conviction For Drug Use Does Not Have To Haunt You Forever
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Why A Conviction For Drug Use Does Not Have To Haunt You Forever

Even if you have successfully completed a drug rehab program and are now completely clean, there may be aspects of your past, when you were a drug user, that may still feel as though they haunt you. One such scenario is if you were found guilty of a crime related to your drug use and, as a result, now have a criminal record. A criminal record can seem like a large chain holding you back from employment, going back into education or obtaining credit.

There are indeed many enlightened employers, education establishments and credit organisations that look past someone’s criminal past and try to look at the attributes the person now has rather than judge them for past indiscretions. It is to their credit that many of these organisations see someone going through a drug rehab program as a positive and proof that they can show commitment to achieving a goal.

It has to  be said that achieving the goal of giving up drugs, as you may well know, is one that requires a lot more grit and determination than many goals we could mention. Ultimately, it proves you can focus on something difficult to achieve and stay the course until you succeed. Many employers and others decide upon your value as a person who shows admirable courage and puts your drug rehab in the plus column rather than the minus column.

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When Can You Make a Botched Cosmetic Surgery Claim?
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When Can You Make a Botched Cosmetic Surgery Claim?

Even though tens of thousands of cosmetic surgeries go off without a hitch every day, some people find themselves with serious Botox legal issues and other cosmetic surgery problems that require legal help.

If you have found yourself in this very situation, it’s essential to know when you can make a botched cosmetic surgery claim, and what comes next. Read on to find out more.

The Medical Professional Breached Their Duty of Care

You may have read up on all the risk factors of cosmetic surgery and even made sure you gave yourself some time to think about the procedure before you went ahead with it. All this planning may be all for nothing if the medical professional you trusted to undertake the procedure breached their duty of care.

You may have a legal leg to stand on if they displayed poor skills, didn’t follow the rules, or were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, resulting in a less than desirable result.

You Experienced Unreasonable Damage

No cosmetic procedure is without its risks. Even Botox treatment, which is reasonably straightforward, doesn’t always come without a few side effects that lead to Botox legal issues. However, you may be able to make a botched cosmetic surgery claim if your procedure resulted in unreasonable damage.

This might be something like excessive scarring above and beyond what is expected, poor cosmetic results, and even nerve damage.

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The Problems In Small Business That are Likely To Result In Litigation
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The Problems In Small Business That are Likely To Result In Litigation

When you own a small business, such as a digital marketing agency the last thing you need is for someone to file a litigation case against you. Litigation lawyers will be needed to help you fight the case, but even the best lawyers sometimes fail to get you off. Much depends on the circumstances of the case and whether or not there is substantial proof against you.

There are many problems that can cause litigation: –

  • Poor standards of safety in the workplace. As we know, poor safety standards cause accidents. If employees are hurt on your premises, they can easily sue you. If a customer trips and falls, they can sue you.
  • Poor working conditions. This is slightly different from poor safety, as it could be something like overcrowding, lack of amenities, poor lighting and so on.
  • Not supplying proper and adequate protection for workers who deal with chemical or other hazardous substances. This can result in chemical burns or lung problems that don’t show up for years, as we know from asbestos inhalation.
  • Not training employees in safe practices. For instance, if there is a spill in a supermarket and an employee mops it up then leaves the area unattended to get a warning cone, someone could walk on the wet floor and fall, breaking multiple bones. With proper training, the area would not have been left unattended.

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How To Ensure Your Financial Agreements are Fair
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How To Ensure Your Financial Agreements are Fair

Whether you own a business or are entering into some financial agreement unrelated to business, lawyers will tell you never to sign on the dotted line unless you fully understand everything. Consulting with family lawyers about financial agreements is the best way to ensure the other person is not taking unfair advantage of you.

Financial agreements can be very simple or much more complicated, and you are unlikely to understand the implications of everything you read in it, even if you think it is clear.  In business, there are many ways of saying things legally that spin the meaning around to give favour to the person who is offering the agreement.  Unless you have a lawyer go over it and explain it all to you, you could be disadvantaged in some way.

When a lawyer examines the agreement, he or she can tell you if it is fair and whether it could be worded differently to ensure you only pay what you are legally required to. Your solicitor will be able to add a clause or adjust one so that there is no chance of you being taken advantage of.

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Does The Mother Always Get Custody Of The Children?
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Does The Mother Always Get Custody Of The Children?

In any consideration or depiction of divorce, be it in real life, or in the movies, the normal scenario is that the mother always gets custody of the children, however, that is not necessarily true in every case.

This is particularly true in Australia from a legal perspective, because following an amendment to the Family Law Act in 2006, there is no such thing as mother’s rights, nor for that matter, do father’s rights exist.

There is one very simple, and laudable, reason for this to be so, and that is that in Australian law, the highest priority is making sure that the rights of the children are promoted and protected, rather than the rights of the mother and father of those children.

For the above reason, when it comes to divorce and consideration of what is the best interests of the children of that marriage, the default position is that the parents have shared responsibility for their children. The legal terminology is ‘Equal Shared Parental Responsibility‘.

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Why Should I Negotiate My Contract?
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Why Should I Negotiate My Contract?

A lot of people don’t realise just how important it is to negotiate a contract before you sign it. In fact, it’s incredible how many people just accept the contract they’re given without any negotiations at all. And really, this isn’t the right thing to do.

If you’re not sure how to go about negotiating a new employment contract, I’d highly recommend getting in touch with your local employment lawyer to ensure you’re doing the right thing. There are numerous benefits associated with contract negotiation, and it’s always something to consider. Here’s why:

Contract Negotiation Will Ensure You’re Getting a Good Deal

Unfortunately, a lot of people enter contract negotiations with the sole aim of gaining a higher pay rate. However, there’s so much more to think about than simple money. Make sure you take the following into account to ensure you’re getting a good deal:

  • Sick and holiday leave, as well as the conditions attached to each.
  • Contract termination conditions to ensure you’re protected in the case of unfair dismissal.
  • Overtime and penalty rates.
  • Bonuses for exceptional performance or exceeding performance targets.

There are other things to consider, but these will vary according to the industry you’re working in. For example, if you work in construction, you might negotiate a clause that requires your employer to pay for certain tools or PPE.

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Are A Child’s Opinions Considered With Child Custody Arrangements?
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Are A Child’s Opinions Considered With Child Custody Arrangements?

Child custody decisions in Australia are complex matters which are often decided by the courts. Achieving a positive outcome for both parties can be difficult, which means that you should always engage the services of an experienced family lawyer to make sure that you’re doing things right.

In saying that, there are some things that are out of your control when child custody cases are being heard. For example, if a child really doesn’t want to live with one of their parents, the court will take this into account – sometimes.

It can be hard to know just how much weight the judge will give to a child’s opinions when resolving a child custody dispute, and ultimately it will vary from situation to situation.

When will a child’s opinion be considered?

As I noted above, the weight that a judge gives to a child’s opinion will depend on the situation. In some cases, they will listen carefully to what a child or children have to say. For example, when:

  • A child is mature enough to form their own opinion without significant outside influence.
  • When there’s evidence that one of the parents hasn’t treated the child right.
  • If one of the parents has been absent for a significant part of the child’s life, and they want to continue living with the other one.

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Dangers of Skyrocketing Divorce Rates Among the Elderly
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Dangers of Skyrocketing Divorce Rates Among the Elderly

Apparently, the more senior segments of our population are taking a hard look at marriage and engaging family lawyers.  Divorce rates among the 50-and-older crowd have doubled in recent years and the reason might be different than you expect.

In general, people are living longer, by some estimates as much as 30 years longer than in previous generations.  That’s a lot of time together if you’re not happy in your marriage.  The result is what some have called “late in life divorce” or “gray divorce” and it is an unexpected outcome of longevity.

With better access to health care and healthier lives people may be feeling that they are entitled to living more fully, that it’s “their time now”. After all, many have spent years raising children, sacrificing to save for retirement, and they feel they’ve earned the right to be happy in their twilight years.  For other, merely the prospect of living in an unhappy marriage for decades longer is simply intolerable.

Still, this type of divorce doesn’t come without dangers.  Older individuals are usually less financially secure and also suffer from age related problems and illnesses which make living on their own less safe.

Also, divorcing at the brink of retirement can devastate a couple’s finances.  Usually, financial planning for retirement has contemplated a single household.  And earning potential, especially for woman in the later years, is bleak.  Couple these concerns with a bumpy stock market, fluctuating home prices, possible reductions in Social Security, and you have a recipe for a rocky retirement.  Even with the upbeat reports on the job market, re-entering the work force for a retiree can be psychologically draining and economically unsatisfying.

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3 Simple Ways To Keep Your Finances In Order This Financial Year
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3 Simple Ways To Keep Your Finances In Order This Financial Year

Financial planning can be difficult, and millions of people throughout the world fall into financial trouble every single day. While some people are able to dig themselves out with the help of decent accountants, for a lot of people, their financial trouble marks that start of the end of their business.

With this in mind, Accountants Perth advise to take action to make sure that your business’s finances remain in order this financial year. If you don’t, then you and your business could both suffer significant losses, and you may find yourself having to sell or close your business and look for work elsewhere. Out top 3 ways to keep your finances in order this financial year include:

  1. Keep Clear Records From Day One

When it comes to keeping your finances in order, clear record keeping is an absolute must. It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is or how much paperwork you have – you should file everything clearly, and record all financial transactions using decent accounting software.

If you run a larger business which employs other people, you will need to pay wages. Make sure that you keep clear records of how much you have paid your employees, how much tax you have deducted from their wage and how much super you have paid into their funds. If you don’t do this, you will find yourself in all sorts of trouble when it comes time to report things like the amount of tax withheld.

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Why Does Your Business Need A Clear Evacuation Plan?
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Why Does Your Business Need A Clear Evacuation Plan?

When it comes to running their business, small business owners usually have a lot on their plate. Along with juggling the day to day running of their business, managing their finances and keeping their clients happy, small business owners are also responsible for things like workplace safety and fire protection.

Unfortunately, things like fire protection can sometimes get pushed to the backburner. This can allow things to happen which otherwise wouldn’t. For example, your fire safety gear may become poorly maintained, or your staff members may not be aware of your evacuation plan. However, it is extremely important to have a clear evacuation plan which is understood by every member of your staff.

What Is An Emergency Evacuation Plan?

In simple terms, an emergency evacuation plan is a clear, well rehearsed plan of what you and your employees will do in the case of an emergency. It usually details the best escape routes, meeting places to head to and anything else of importance that could help you escape a dangerous situation safely. Emergency evacuation plans should be practiced regularly, and new staff should be briefed on them. They should be visibly present in every room in your building, within reason.

Why Do I Need A Clear Evacuation Plan?

Basically, a clear, well defined emergency evacuation plan will allow you and your employees to safely escape from your building in the case of an emergency like a fire. Some of the reasons you should always have an emergency evacuation plan include:

  • You are required by law under most Australian OHS legislation.
  • It will reduce confusion in the event of an emergency, reducing the risk of the emergency escalating and spiraling out of control – and avoid any legal issues following avoidable accidents.
  • It will allow you to get a situation under control by, for example, containing or extinguishing a fire before it becomes large enough to pose a serious threat.

When developing an evacuation plan, make sure that you consider the above.

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Lawyers can Help you Understand and Assert Your Legal Rights
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Lawyers can Help you Understand and Assert Your Legal Rights

Unsure about your Rights in a Business Dispute? Seasoned Australian Lawyers can help you understand and Assert your Legal Rights

Staring and operating a joint business venture is often a cumbersome and complex process. Normal folks may find it challenging to navigate legal jargon and understand their position as shareholders or business partners. Experienced commercial lawyers can help you obtain clarity regarding rights and duties, set up partnership agreements that are aligned with Australian law as well as help you resolve any business disputes that may arise.

Business or shareholder disputes can be stressful and can result in delays, losses and production downtime. Having a legal contract in place can help in implementing amicable and speedy problem resolution as it provides a reliable reference point for discussions. As a business partner, you need to confirm that the business is valid and legitimate under Australian law and a reliable lawyer, who can offer good legal advice, can help interpret the terms and conditions. Technical verbiage and legalese can often prove confusing to understand and interpret for the layman.

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Need Assistance with Disputing Criminal Charges
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Need Assistance with Disputing Criminal Charges

Top Lawyers can Provide Expert Guidance

Most of us tend to associate criminal charges with crime that occurs on the street, homes and alleyways of Australia. White collar crime refers to other forms of law violations that occur in a corporate environment. Expert criminal lawyers are happy to offer legal advice to those who require legal assistance in white collar crime cases.  White collar crime can occur in a variety of scenarios and include different types of law violations. According to recent news reports, white collar crime is on the rise in Australia and usually includes any type of activity that involves obtaining funds or property etc through fraudulent means.

Although white collared crime usually receives less than its fair share of attention compared to violent crimes, it has resulted in losses amounting to million dollars. White collared crime acts are usually committed by individuals who belong to a higher economic or social status and may be performed against the company (where the individual is employed), investors, creditors, the government or the environment etc.

The following list describes some of the most common forms of white collared crime:

  • Tax fraud: Tax fraud can be committed by an individual or by a company or its agents. Tax fraud refers to evasion of tax by providing false information to the government or tax authorities. Tax fraud includes hiding income, indulging in fraudulent, complex (and often illegal) offshore tax havens as well as claiming refunds or tax benefits that you are not entitled to claim. Tax fraud attracts a variety of punitive action measures including penalties, fines, convictions and imprisonment.

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Why Estate Planning is Essential in Business
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Why Estate Planning is Essential in Business

When you start up a business, the last thing you will be thinking about is the time when you will be unable to carry on. However, it is important to take a reality check in this matter because no one lives forever and many people die well before they expected to. If you leave your business without any plans for a time when you are not there to run it, all your hard work may be lost and your family left without the assets you expected them to inherit.

Once you speak to a good commercial lawyer you will see that there are many ways to protect your business assets and ensure they are passed on to your family, but they vary to a certain extent depending on the type of business structure you used to set up the business. It could be a sole trader, partnership, have several co-owners and so on. But one thing is for sure; no matter what type it is, if there is no estate plan or Will, much of the value will be lost, going to the state to cover the cost of settlement.

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Financial Planning for Loss of Income
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Financial Planning for Loss of Income

Loss on income can happen due to many reasons, not necessarily anything to do with your health. It could simply be that the company you work for is finding it difficult to get clients and so have to retrench some staff.  Good financial planning by an expert financial advisor such as Andep can mean the difference between losing your home or not losing it.

In fact, it is not only people who are paying off a home that would be negatively impacted by a sudden loss of income. With rent as high as it is these days, it is easy to get to the stage where your income is not enough to both pay the rent and buy food. But a good financial planner will allow for these kinds of problems when working out a plan for you and your family.

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How to Ensure a Fair Division of Property at Divorce
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How to Ensure a Fair Division of Property at Divorce

Any lawyers will tell you that even though a divorce may be stressful, there are certain things that should not be left to chance. One of them is the division of property. If valuable assets are held by two people who divorce, it is only fair to divide them up. According to experienced divorce lawyers Robertson Hayles, unless you get advice from family lawyers it is possible that you’ll decide to forego your share just to have it all over and done with. You may live to regret that decision.

It is all very well to make a verbal agreement about the division of property, but before you call in the removalists, who’s to say that your ex will not renege on their end of the agreement. A verbal agreement is not something that will hold up in a court of law. Leaving it all up to a verbal agreement is only going to prolong the agony, if you don’t decide to just let your ex take everything simply for the peace of having no more hassles with them.

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Where There’s a Will There’s a Way
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Where There’s a Will There’s a Way

Most family or specifically Wills lawyers would agree that it’s important to have a Will no matter what age you are. However, since people don’t like to think about dying, they also don’t want to make a Will. This can be a big mistake, because if they have any assets at all, these will be frozen at the time of their death and no one will be able to access them for many months.

In addition, because the judicial system will become involved in deciding who should inherit their property or other assets, the end amount will be much less, since the cost of the court case will be taken out of the assets. And if the cash assets don’t cover the cost, any property will have to be sold to pay it. So if you want your family members to inherit your home, it may not be possible for this to happen without a Will.

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Tips to Setting up Financial Agreements Between Families
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Tips to Setting up Financial Agreements Between Families

These days when it is difficult to get a loan to purchase a home, financial agreements between families can be really helpful. It is essential to consult with lawyers to ensure such agreements are legally binding and fair so that there can be no squabbling over it. Having a verbal agreement is not wise, as one party can change their mind or mistake the meaning of the agreement and it can cause a big split in the family that even family lawyers may find difficult to work through.

Money is usually the number one problem in most relationships, often because one person wants to spend it and the other person doesn’t. So when it comes to hundreds of thousands of dollars any disagreement is likely to have far-reaching effects. In fact, it is far better not to have such an agreement in the first place if it is likely to split the family.

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How a Violence Restraining Order Can Help You
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How a Violence Restraining Order Can Help You

We often hear in the media news about people taking out a violence restraining order (VRO) against someone they fear is going to harm them.  To do this they have to apply to a court for the order and the police are the ones who serve it – or give it – to the person who is being violent or aggressive.  Often it is taken out by a spouse or de-facto against her partner – or in some cases – his partner.

While it doesn’t stop them from harming the person if they really want to, there are penalties for breaking the VRO. This can be enough to stop them from frightening or threatening someone where their action is not enough to bring a legal punishment against them. Sometimes people get so bitter and angry they act in ways that are stupid and not really what they are usually like.

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How a Court Divides Assets After a Divorce
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How a Court Divides Assets After a Divorce

When it comes to divorce, family lawyers are the ones to help and most lawyers will tell you that when two people split up there is usually a great deal of bad feeling. While this can be expected, it doesn’t make fair division of assets easy or even very likely.  If the two people cannot agree on the division of property or other assets, the court has to decide.

This is not the best way to deal with things, because it can take a long time to finalise and it will cost a great deal, but sometimes it is the only way. So what does a court take into account when deciding on how to split up the assets? It doesn’t simply divide them down the middle and give one half to each person. Other things are taken into account. These are usually: –

  • What assets each person brought into the relationship
  • The ability of each person to earn a wage after the divorce. For instance, the carer of small children may be unable to go back to work, or one partner may have become partly disabled due to injury.
  • Whether the children would be better off remaining in the family home
  • The value of any business interests
  • The value contributed to the relationship by the person who stayed at home to care for children and do domestic duties
  • Whether any other supportive duties such as farm work or bookkeeping, were carried out by the person who stayed at home
  • Whether any inheritance or financial gift received by one person during the relationship should be divided, or if it should remain solely with the beneficiary

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13 Tips for Buying an Existing Business
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13 Tips for Buying an Existing Business

Many people think having their own business would be easier than working 9-5 for someone else, but in fact it is harder because when you own a business the buck stops with you. It is wise to always consult a lawyer’s list before making a final decision about buying an existing business and to keep that lawyer on so you have quick access to help should any problem crop up.

When you own a business, the responsibility for everything being right rests on your shoulders – and sometimes you have to step into the gap when an employee doesn’t show up at the last minute. If anything goes wrong, you are the one who has to fix it, or at least ensure that it is fixed by someone else who knows what they are doing. While there are many responsibilities, there is also a great deal of satisfaction at meeting the challenge successfully.

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How to Protect Intangible Business Assets
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How to Protect Intangible Business Assets

If you have recently started up a small business, you most likely consulted commercial lawyers and other professionals to ensure everything was set up legally.  Of course there is a lot of information online these days, but often it is difficult to understand, or you may not be sure if certain legal requirements actually apply to your business.

In all the busyness of getting your business up and running, you may  not have thought about protecting those intangible business assets, even though you’ve taken out insurance to protect the stock and all those other things you need to run the business.

What are the intangible assets?

  • The specific name of your business
  • Your logo
  • Brand name
  • Trademarks
  • Specific processes and methods to do certain things
  • Knowledge your employees have that is unique to your business

Some of these intangibles can be protected through taking out patent, trademark or copyright registrations, while others should be protected by using non-compete and non-disclosure documents that your employees should sign to protect your new business. This will prevent them from using this knowledge if they should leave your company and go to the competition or even start up their own company. It is best to have your lawyer draft such agreements so they are watertight.

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Legal Tips for When a Relationship Goes Bad
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Legal Tips for When a Relationship Goes Bad

Often, young people – and not so young people – jump into a relationship too quickly, then find several things about their partner they just cannot stand. Family lawyers are available to help you when a relationship goes bad and it is essential to take their advice to heart so that you remain safe and get through that divorce with the least possible emotional turmoil.

Lawyers would be the first to tell you it is important to follow the law, so here are some tips to help you know what the law expects – and what it does not.

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