Asset Protection

Non-contestable Will

We often get asked “can you draft a non-contestable Will ?

You can draft a Will to state who you want to be your executor and how to divide and distribute your assets once you pass away. Even with a valid Will stating your wishes and even if it has been admitted to Probate (or even if you die intestate), the distribution of your estate can be altered by the Court order under the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) (Act).

Put simply, there is no way to draft a Will prevent such a claim on your estate (and no, you can’t make a gift dependent on not making a claim), but there are things that can be done to help prevent (or minimise) a claim, including:

  • not having an estate at all
  • carefully drafting your Will and drafting evidence to help oppose a likely claim
  • obtaining a release under the Act

A Will can only deal with assets that you have as at the date of your death. One of the best ways of preventing a claim on your estate is therefore to not have any estate in the first place!  This is easier said than done and often means that benefits such as the principal place of residence exemption for capital gains tax (CGT) may not be available and other benefits cannot be accessed, but with the use of trusts and other structures, you can avoid having any personal assets to be distributed on your death. This is an extreme option that not many opt for given the many downsides and potential benefits that need to be forgone.

Where people have not set up their affairs so as to have no actual estate, but later seek to do so (such as by gifting assets, severing a joint tenancy or selling assets to others for less than full valuable consideration), they need to be aware of the provisions in the Act relating to “notional estate“. Notional estate rules in NSW effectively operate such that any assets disposed of in the period of 3 years prior to your death may be notionally brought back into your estate and available for division by the making of a family provision order in favour of an eligible person under the Act. As with most decisions, there are also potential negative consequences such as stamp duty, CGT and loss of social security entitlements from gifting rules.

Most people do not consider it advantageous to them during their life or their intended beneficiaries to have no estate at all for reasons such as those relating to CGT etc. For those, one way to help prevent or minimise the risk of a claim for a family provision order is to ensure that they have a carefully prepared Will and accompany that Will by a (usually contemporaneous) Statement explaining why a person did not get a benefit in the Will or is to receive less than they may have expected. This is known as a Statement of Wishes or a Statement of Testamentary Intention and is often prepared in for formal form of an Affidavit so it can be use in evidence. Such documents may be updated as required and care must be taken to ensure that they are factually correct as defects can undermine their force, particularly as you won’t be around to give evidence to correct any errors.

One way to prevent a claim for a family provision order is to apply to the Court for an order under s.95 of the Act releasing an estate from claims under the Act. This can be done either before or after your death, such as part of a family settlement of another dispute or claim on an estate and aims at achieving finality regarding family disputes. The Court may only approve such a release and make an order after considering all of the relevant circumstances, so this will involve preparation of appropriate initialing proceedings and affidavit evidence.

As with any estate, each person’s circumstances, assets and relationships with potential beneficiaries and claimants are different and care needs to be taken to consider all information available so as to make the right decisions regarding your estate. This will involve weighing up the pros and the cons of each decision and bearing the consequences and risks of doing so.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au.

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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What is independent legal advice?

If you are:

  • borrowing money from a bank or someone else, like a parent,
  • have some special vulnerability in relation to a borrowing arrangement (such as due to age, inability to speak English well etc),
  • borrowing in relation to a self managed superannuation fund’s limited recourse borrowing arrangement, or
  • perhaps going guarantor on a loan for a company or a family member for their loan,

then chances are you will be asked to get “independent legal advice” from a solicitor in relation to the loan and the security for the borrowing or guarantee.

The document evidencing the loan is usually a:

  • Loan Agreement,
  • Letter of Offer or similar

and may have accompanying terms and conditions etc.

Security for a loan arrangement usually takes the form of a:

  • Mortgage,
  • Caveat or
  • Security Interest registered on the PPSR.

Independent advice us usually required by the lender so that it cannot (easily) be argued later that the borrower or guarantor didn’t understand the gravity of the arrangements being put in place – so although you get the advice, it is really for the lender’s protection.

In order to give independent legal advice, the lawyer will read the loan and security documents provided, advise you as to the meaning and effect of them and discuss any risks.

You will then be required to sign a document called a Declaration under oath confirming that you obtained independent legal advice before you freely and voluntarily signed the loan/guarantee/security documents.

Often the lender will also require the borrower or guarantor to obtain “independent financial advice” from a financial advisor, accountant or other appropriately qualified person. Lawyers, simply by virtue of their profession, possess no special skill to give financial (as distinct from legal) advice.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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What is redundancy?

If an employer no longer needs a role to be performed or doesn’t need the same number of employees to perform certain tasks, then an employee’s position can be made “redundant”.

Reasons for redundancy can include:

  • the job the employee is doing is being replaced by new technology/machinery
  • outsourcing tasks to contractors
  • an slow down affecting the business
  • a restructure or reorganization of the business or a merger or takeover taking place
  • the business stopping trading

Redundancy may or may not however, result in an obligation on the employer to pay the affected employee ‘redundancy pay’ (sometimes called ‘severance pay’). This, and the amount, depends on:

  • the length of employment
  • the employer’s size
  • whether the employee can be redeployed
  • the terms of the:
    • employee’s employment contract
    • any applicable Award or Enterprise Agreement; and
    • the Fair Work Act / National Employment Standards (NES).

An employee must have been employed for 12 months or more for redundancy pay to even be considered.

If the employer employs less than 15 (full time or full time equivalent, not casual) employees at the time of dismissal, then there is no entitlement for redundancy pay, unless your Award, Contract or Enterprise Agreement provides for it.

If there is no other position the employee could be redeployed into or if an offer to do so is not accepted, the amount of redundancy pay can be reduced, or even removed.

Redundancy pay is based on ordinary rates of pay (so it doesn’t include bonuses, commission, overtime, loadings, allowances etc).

If redundancy pay is payable, then the table in the NES applies.

Often there is a requirement for employee consultation regarding major workplace changes that could result in dismissal.

If a redundancy is not “genuine”, then issues of potential unfair dismissal can arise. If an employee is made redundant but, for example, someone else is hired at the time or soon thereafter to perform their duties, then the redundancy is not genuine.

Even if no redundancy pay is payable, notice (or payment in lieu thereof) is still required as the employment is being terminated (in addition to payment for all accrued employee entitlements).

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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Power of Attorney for minors

The Powers of Attorney Act 2003 (NSW) (Act) provides for a person to appoint another person as their attorney to make financial and contractual decisions on their behalf.

The Act does not require that the person granting the power be an adult. Children too can thus grant a power of attorney. This is not the case for appointing an enduring guardian, which can only be done by an adult.

The document granting a power of attorney is a prescribed form under the Act.

For adults, if they are suffering from any illness, have deteriorating health, are going overseas or interstate or just want peace of mind, appointing an attorney to assist you to manage your affairs is generally a good idea.

Often children get diagnosed with medical conditions that may progressively affect their mental faculties or ability to read/write, so it is good to know that they can too appoint an attorney (such as a parent) to manage their financial affairs when required.

The child appointing an attorney must however, demonstrate understanding of what they are doing and that they are making the appointment freely and voluntarily, so their age and maturity are a relevant factor.

TYPES OF POWER OF ATTORNEY

general power of attorney does not require a solicitor’s certificate however, it ceases to be of effect if you lose mental capacity (like where you are in a coma or suffer from dementia or some other illness that affects cognitive ability).

An enduring power of attorney on the other hand continues to be effective if you were to suffer such an incapacity. For this reason, an enduring power of attorney must be explained to you and witnessed by a lawyer who will provide a certificate in the prescribed form. We usually recommend an enduring power of attorney so that if some event happened to you that affected your capacity, your attorney would still be able to assist you.

HOW DOES A POWER OF ATTORNEY OPERATE?

The person appointing an attorney (the principal) can choose when the power of attorney is to take effect. It can be restricted to only take effect if a registered medical practitioner certifies that the principal is of unsound mind, upon some other event, from a date the principal determines or, it can operate immediately (for convenience).

An attorney may not use the principal’s monies or assets for gifts or benefits to the attorney or third parties unless this is specifically authorised in the document granting the power of attorney.

Provided the principal remains of sound mind, they can revoke a power of attorney at any time by signing a form of revocation and providing the attorney with that revocation.

The New South Wales Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) can review or revoke a person’s appointment as a power of attorney and can make a financial management order appointing a new attorney (or attorneys) or by appoint a representative of the NSW Trustee & Guardian if it is considered that your attorney/s is/are not making appropriate decisions on your behalf.

NCAT can also appoint a guardian by making a guardianship order so that the person’s medical, accommodation and lifestyle needs can be met however this is often only needed for children over 16 as their parents can generally consent to treatment under that age.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information in relation to estate planning or powers of attorney or contracting with minors generally, contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au.

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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What is a Confidentiality Agreement?

A Confidentiality Agreement (also known as a Non-Disclosure Agreement or NDA) is a legal contract, which should be used when sensitive information needs to be shared between two parties. It helps to ensure that the person or organisation that gains access to sensitive information doesn’t disclose it to a third party. Often the agreement is in form of a Deed.

NDAs are often used:

  • to protect confidential information or trade secrets;
  • as a precursor document to intellectual property use (such as patents) or where contractors are to assist developing new products or ideas (such as a new App);
  • for parties to be able to disclose sensitive information such as in the due diligence stages of a possible business sale or asset sale; or
  • even as part of employment contracts where employees may used the protected information during their employment and only for the purposes of furthering the employer’s business.

The obligations in a Confidentiality Agreement can last for a specified period of time or can be indefinite in their operation. The Coca-Cola recipe, for example, has been kept secret for well over 100 years.

The document would generally state why the information is being shared (without actually disclosing the confidential information being protected!) and the measures to be taken to ensure it remains confidential and is not used for any reason other than the stated purpose.

Where both parties are disclosing information to each other, a two-way or mutual NDA can be used to protect both the disclosing parties.

Without a proper and enforceable agreement, the party receiving the information may be able to do whatever they like with it. That said, just because you have an agreement, doesn’t mean it will be followed. Confidentiality Agreements also often deal with the consequences of misuse or unauthorized disclosure.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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Personal Guarantees

A personal guarantee is a written promise by a person (guarantor) that if a third party doesn’t pay its debts to the party entitled to the benefit of the guarantee, then the guarantor will make those payments.

Personal guarantees are regularly given by directors and sometimes shareholders of companies to personally guarantee the payment of money or obligations on behalf of the company, but they are also given on behalf of other individuals such as children.

They can be essential security for small to medium businesses in their contractual dealings with customers as the guarantor is then personally liable to pay the debt, whereas without the guarantee, the company could enter into liquidation and the contracting entity would have to prove the debt in the liquidation and risk not getting any return at all.

Common examples of where personal guarantees are used are in relation to:

  • leases of real property by companies;
  • loans by banks to adult children when purchasing property;
  • company loans from banks; and
  • company applications for credit at other businesses.

Managing risk

Entering info a personal guarantee is risky. You are placing your own assets at risk for the benefit of another person or entity so you should get legal advice before entering into one as well as assessing the commercial or other merits of providing the guarantee at all.

Considerations to help limit the risk include:

  • capping the maximum amount of the guarantee or the term in respect of which the guarantee is valid for;
  • requiring the guarantee to be secondary only (and not create a primarily liability of the guarantor);
  • removing security provisions such as caveats;
  • not allowing any variation to the agreement between the beneficiary and the person/entity whose liabilities are being guaranteed without your notice or consent;
  • seeking to have the guarantee removed  at some point once the borrower can demonstrate their own capacity to repay the debt.

however, often the beneficiary of the guarantee will not agree to these changes.

Aiding enforceability

If you are seeking to rely on a personal guarantee in your business, then you ought to get it drafted by a lawyer however, some basic tips to aid in enforceability include:

  • obtain a copy of the guarantor’s identification documents to properly identify them;
  • conduct some due diligence on the guarantor’s financial standing/capacity to pay;
  • obtain actual security for the guarantee obligation;
  • ensure it is signed and witnessed by an independent adult

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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Properly executing documents

When it comes to properly executing documents, depending on the type of document and the parties executing it, there are different requirements for it to be valid.

The manner of execution depends on matters such as:

  • Party – whether a party is an individual, a partnership, the Government, an association or a corporation (and whether those signatories are parties in their own right or as a trustee of a trust or a superannuation fund;
  • Document – whether it is a Deed or just a contract or an Agreement; and
  • Physical/Electronic – whether it to be signed online or in person, or a combination of both.

PARTY TYPE

Individuals

An individual may execute a document by simply signing it with their signature witnessed by a person who is not party to it.

Partnerships

For a partnership to be bound by a document or a deed, either all partners to the partnership or an individual authorised by all the partners (whether or not the individual is a partner) should execute the document or deed.

Often, documents will be executed by a partner on behalf of a partnership. This authority may be set out in the partnership deed or a power of attorney. If you cannot obtain a copy of the relevant authority, you should consider obtaining a warranty from the individual in the relevant execution clause that they have authority of the partnership to so execute the document.

Companies

Section 127 of the Corporations Act (Corporations Act) sets out the ways in which a document may be executed by a company. If a company executes a document in this way, anyone will be able to rely on the protection in other sections of the Corporations Act for dealings in relation to that company. A company may execute documents under seal or choose not to have a company seal and even if the company has a seal, it need not apply it.

A company may execute a document with or without a seal if the document is signed by:

  • 2 directors; or
  • a director and a company secretary o; or
  • a sole director (there is no requirement for a private company to have a secretary).

Companies can also sign via an agent under s.126 of the Corporations Act.

For more information on how companies can becomes bound by the actions of its agents and employees, click here.

Associations

Usually an incorporated association signs documents by having 2 committee members sign it but often the Rules of Association need to be examined to confirm this.

An unincorporated association is not a legal entity and so cannot contract in its own right so be careful entering into any contract of value with them.

Trusts

A trust is not a legal entity and as such, it cannot contract in its own right so all acts relating to a trust must be undertaken by its trustee or trustees.

The type execution clause that should be used will depend on what type of entity the trustee is (eg a company  or one or more individuals) execution clause should be used if the trustee is a company).

Although a trust is not a legal entity, it may be a tax entity so may have its own ABN. You should therefore confirm that the ABN being used is the ABN of the trust and not the ABN of the trustee. An ABN is a great identifier.

If you are unable to confirm that the trustee has the power to enter into the arrangement (which can usually be ascertained by examining the trust deed), you should consider obtaining a representation and warranty from the trustee that it has the power to execute the document or deed on behalf of the trust.

DOCUMENT TYPE

There are various reasons for choosing between the different types of document. such as greater (often double the length) limitation periods for enforcing obligations in deeds compared to just agreements. Sometimes legislation requires transactions by deed, but oftentimes deeds are used as they are the most solemn act a person can perform in relation to an item of property or any other right.

Agreement / Contract

Generally, a contract is in place and is valid if the following conditions are met:

  1. Intention to create legal relations
  2. An offer
  3. Consideration (price) being agreed
  4. Acceptance

A written signature is not necessarily required for a valid contract to exist. The terms of the agreement also can be agreed verbally.

Contracts can be signed electronically (even with the click of a mouse) since the Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW) (ET Act) and corresponding legislation in Australia’s other States and Territories.

Deed

Traditionally, to be a valid, as a deed the document had to be “signed, sealed and delivered” and thus it had to be:

  • written (on paper or parchment);
  • signed and the parties’ seal/s applied); and
  • delivered (physically to the other party),

however now, there is no requirement for a seal (where it is described as a deed or expresses that is is ‘sealed’ and it is witnessed appropriately), the parties are presumed to have ‘delivered‘ it on execution and the parchment requirement has also been dispensed with given the ET Act, amendments to the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) and, in relation to companies, the passing of the  Corporations Amendment (Meetings and Documents) Act 2022, which from 01 April 2022 (after the temporary COVID-19 pandemic measures ended on 30 March 2022), amended the Corporations Act to permanently allow things such as:

  • director or member meetings virtually, such as through Zoom or Teams meetings etc (regardless of the requirements under their constitutions); and
  • documents, including deeds, to be executed electronically.

As Deeds do not require consideration like a contract, often it can be sensible to include a nominal item (such as $10) as consideration just in case the document isn’t valid as a deed – as it can still be relied on as a contract, possibly even if not signed by the other party but part performed.

WET INK OR ELECTRONIC?

Documents now can either be signed:

  • in physical form with ‘wet ink‘ signatures;
  • electronically; or
  • a combination of both.

Either way, the method of signing must clearly and reliably identify the part and indicates the party’s intention in respect of the information recorded in the document.

Obviously, special care needs to be taken with parties that are not Australian residents and to consider the governing law and jurisdiction of the arrangement.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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Buying a property with others: Co-Ownership Agreements

Given the increasing cost of buying real estate, many potential purchasers are having to pool their resources to buy property together.

This can be good for many reasons as the costs can be shared and you may be able to own or live in better premises than you may otherwise be able to afford on your own, but there are risks.

Co-ownership often is a joyful experience at the beginning but often, disputes can arise such as each co-owner has differing views on the approach to be taken on various matters, from the important to the quite petty.

If you have bought, or are thinking of buying, a property with others, then you should really have a Co-Ownership Agreement in place.

Co-Ownership Agreements often cover the following maters (and others):

  • Ownership proportions
  • Amounts contributed for acquisition costs
  • How improvements to the property are made
  • Agreed valuation mechanism for exit purposes
  • Rights of first refusal / pre-emption
  • Parts of the property / premises either co-owner may have exclusive use of (and those for common use)
  • Contributions to expenses (insurance, rates, utilities etc)
  • Responsibilities for tasks like mowing, maintenance, upkeep etc
  • Dispute resolution procedures
  • Estate planning considerations (for example a couple’s interest may be held as joint tenants, rather than tenants in common).

Other articles of interest regarding this topic include:

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information on co-ownership of property and the benefits of Co-Ownership Agreements, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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New eligibility rules for .au domain names

On 12 April 2021, the .au Domain Administration Rules: Licensing (Rules) took effect, consolidating in excess of 30 policies and guidelines which previously applied to all “.au” domain names.

The Rules apply to all registrants who create, transfer or renew a domain name with a “.au” country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) and the registrars who administer those domain names. The new Rules affect .au namespaces created, transferred or renewed after 12 April 2021.

This includes the following open namespaces:

  • “.com.au” and “.net.au” for commercial entities;
  • “.asn.au” for incorporated associations, political parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs;
  • “.org.au” for charities and non-profit organisations; and
  • “.id.au” for individuals who are Australian citizens or residents.

.au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) is the administrator and policy body for the .au ccTLD.

Existing domain name licences expiring after 12 April 2021 continue to be governed by the legacy licensing rules applicable at the time of registration or last renewal until the current licence period ends.

Accordingly, if you had already registered a domain name before 12 April 2021, then the Rules will not apply to that domain name until your current licence period expires and you renew that domain name, or you transfer it.

Any proposed registrant applying for any “.au” domain name licence must:

  1. have an “Australian presence“; and
  2. satisfy any eligibility and allocation criteria

Australian presence

To prove an Australian presence, a registrant can show either that they are:

  • in Australia (such as an Australian citizen or permanent resident, entity with an ABN, incorporated association, partnership, a company registered in Australia under the Corporations Act) etc; or
  • the owner of, or applicant for, an Australian registered trade mark.

Eligibility and allocation criteria

An intended registrant with an Australian presence must also satisfy any eligibility and allocation criteria for the relevant namespace.

Those name spaces are open to registrants who are a “commercial entity” (including Commonwealth entities, statutory bodies, incorporated limited partnerships, trading co-operatives and the government) who apply for a domain name which is:

  • a match or acronym to the registrant’s name;
  • a match to the registrant’s Australian registered trade mark; or
  • a match or synonym to the registrant’s goods, services or premises or an event they sponsor or activity they facilitate, teach or train

For Australian present registrants, a match is defined to mean a domain name that is identical to one, some or all of the words or numbers used in the applicant’s legal name, business name or Australian trade mark. While words or numbers may be omitted, they must be in the same order and must not include any additional words or numbers.

Previously, for foreign entities, a domain name could be “closely and substantially connected“ to the registrant’s trade mark however, the Rules now require an “exact match“ to the words which are the subject of the trade mark registration (excluding trivial items such as punctuation and articles such as “a”, “the”, “of” or “&” etc).

Renting or leasing domain names

Under the Rules, registrants are not allowed to rent or lease their domain names to a third party.

This excludes companies who license domain names held by related bodies corporate (provided they still meet the Australian presence requirement).

What to do for renewal?

If the requirements of the Rules and not satisfied, the licence for that domain name may be suspended or cancelled by the registrar or auDA.

If that domain name registered before 12 April 2021, you can use the time before renewal to assess whether it will comply with the Rules at renewal time and if it doesn’t, you can adopt an appropriate strategy as required.

This may include:

  • Shore up your Australian presence (this is especially so for our clients that are based overseas) by having an entity registered in Australian or obtaining trade mark in Australia.
  • Apply for your business name to be registered an Australian trade mark (this has the added benefit of you owning your name so others can’t use it – remember simply registering a business name gives no ownership in the name at all)
  • Registering a new domain name that does exactly match your name or trade mark.
  • If there is a domain name that does match your name and it is already registered by someone else, you can consider lodging a complaint to the registrar or through the .au Dispute Resolution Policy. Note that they may have a legitimate right to the same domain name as you.
  • Check who the domain name is registered to – is it in your name or your business/company’s name?
  • Consider if your IP/domain name licensing arrangements are such that you rent or lease a domain name to or from a company who is not a related body corporate connected to Australia – if not it may need to be transferred.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information regarding the new eligibility rules for .au domain names or in relation to any commercial law issue, please contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au 

This information is general only and is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Please contact McKillop Legal to discuss your needs.

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