Debt

Late payments – is your business protected?

For many small and medium-sized businesses, the biggest threat to profitability (and sustainability) is not a lack of work, it is getting paid on time.

Cash flow problems caused by overdue accounts can affect the ability of a business to pay suppliers, meet payroll obligations, invest in growth and maintain profitability. If one business fails, that has consequences for other businesses, creating a domino of insolvencies and it is particularly catastrophic when owners or directors have personally guaranteed the debts of the business.

While good commercial relationships are important, businesses should also ensure they have the right legal protections in place before problems arise.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN RECOVERY

The easiest debt to recover is the one that was properly documented from the beginning.

Many businesses still rely on verbal agreements, email exchanges or informal quotes when supplying goods or services. Unfortunately, these arrangements can become difficult to enforce if a dispute arises.

Well drafted T&Cs should clearly address matters such as:

  • payment terms;
  • interest on overdue accounts;
  • retention of title;
  • limitation of liability;
  • dispute resolution procedures;
  • recovery of legal costs; and
  • termination rights on default.

Having these provisions in writing can significantly strengthen your legal position if payment is not made.

Many businesses have not reviewed their trading terms (if they even have them) for several years. Changes in legislation, court decisions and business practices mean that outdated contracts may no longer provide the level of protection they once did.

A regular legal review can identify gaps before they become expensive disputes.

IT PAYS TO ACT EARLY

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is waiting too long before taking action. Early intervention often results in quicker resolution and lower recovery costs.

The longer an account remains unpaid, the less likely it is to be recovered. Businesses should have clear internal credit control procedures, including:

  • issuing invoices promptly;
  • following up overdue accounts consistently;
  • sending formal letters of demand where appropriate; and
  • obtaining legal advice before debts become difficult to recover.

DIRECTOR DUTIES

For company directors, cash flow issues can create additional legal risks. Continuing to incur debts when a company is unable to pay its existing liabilities may expose directors to claims relating to insolvent trading under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and breach of other director duties.

Directors experiencing financial pressure should seek professional legal and accounting advice as early as possible. Early restructuring or negotiated commercial solutions are almost always preferable to allowing financial difficulties to escalate.

STRONG CONTRACTS PROTECT MORE THAN CASHFLOW

Commercial contracts do much more than record the agreed price. Well-prepared agreements can reduce misunderstandings, allocate risk appropriately, establish clear dispute resolution processes and protect valuable business relationships.

Whether you are engaging contractors, supplying goods, providing professional services or entering long-term commercial arrangements, investing in professionally drafted agreements is often far less expensive than resolving disputes after they arise.

HOW WE CAN HELP

Every business is different, and contracts should reflect the specific risks of your industry.

The McKillop Legal team assists businesses with:

A proactive legal review today can help prevent costly disputes tomorrow.

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

in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / Litigation / Risk management  by 01 Sep 2026 0 comments

Have you just been served?

COURT PAPERS JUST DELIVERED TO YOUR OFFICE?

If you have received a Statement of Claim, Summons, Originating Process or Writ, be aware that you must act very quickly.

Replying to the person, entity or firm that issued the Court/Tribunal papers is not enough. Formal steps to file an Appearance, Defence, Notice of Intention to Defend or Reply must be taken within the relevant time.

The proper form of response varies depending on which court and in which jurisdiction the proceedings have been commenced as they each have different Rules and Regulations that apply.

Generally, a Defendant, Respondent etc will have only 28 days or such other period as may be specified in the document in which to file the appropriate response. Failure to do so in time or at all will leave the recipient open to summary or default judgment (automatic judgment against you without a hearing).

Failure to file and serve the appropriate document in response in time can have dire consequences.

A judgment can affect credit ratings, the ability to seek finance in the future and is a precursor to enforcement actions such as bankruptcy litigation, liquidation and winding up of companies, garnishee orders, writs of possession, visits from the Sheriff, notices for examination etc!

Default judgments can often be set aside, but this comes at a cost and immediately puts you on the back foot. In litigation, it is best to stay ahead of the game and be pro-active.

Most court documents are required to be served personally however, companies can be served by post at their registered office. Documents commencing proceedings for small claims (claims under $10,000) can be served by post by the court.

If a court document is served, steps should be taken to immediately seek advice from (rather than leaving it to the last few days).

McKillop Legal can assist in various ways such as:

  • seeking more details of the claim from the lawyers for the party commencing the claim,
  • filing and serving the appropriate document to prevent default judgment,
  • advising on the claim and its prospects of success,
  • filing any defence document
  • preparing your evidence,
  • attempting to resolve the matter prior to any hearing, and/or
  • if necessary, running the hearing with a barrister.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information in relation to litigation and dispute resolution or any commercial law matter, contact McKillop Legal  on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au.

in Business / Commercial Law / Dispute Resolution / Litigation  by 01 Jul 2026 0 comments

Why updating ASIC records is critical

Under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), among other methods, any document may be served on a company by:

(a) leaving it at, or posting it to, the company’s registered office; or

(b) delivering a copy of the document personally to a director.

This means that ASIC, the ATO, other government authorities or any other creditor can serve important papers on a company at its former place of business (where that address has not been updated at ASIC) even if they have since moved.

Documents that could be served on a company can include:

  • Court proceedings such as an Originating Process / Statement of Claim / Summons

As these important documents can be served on a company even though they may not actually come to the attention of the company or its directors, demonstrates why updating ASIC records is critical.

Similarly, if the ATO was to serve a Director Penalty Notice (DPN) on a director, note that:

  • DPNs are sent via ordinary mail to the Director’s last recorded residential address on ASIC’s database
  • notice is given on the day the DPN is issued, not when it is or is likely to have been received
  • actual non-receipt of a DPN is not a defence.

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.

in Business / Commercial Law / Dispute Resolution / General / Insolvency & Bankruptcy / Litigation / Risk management  by 01 May 2025 0 comments

What is bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy is a legal process where you’re declared unable to pay your debts and released from most debts (but not child support, court imposed fines, HECS and HELP debts etc) so you can make a fresh start financially.

You can either enter into bankruptcy:

  1. voluntarily; or
  2. on petition to Court by a creditor after not complying with a Bankruptcy Notice.

An order declaring someone as a “bankrupt” is known as a sequestration order.

Bankruptcy normally lasts for 3 years (and one day) provided you comply with your obligations. If you don’t, it can be extended several years.

Once a bankrupt, your Trustee has ownership and control over your assets (with exceptions such as some household items, a car up to a certain value, tools to earn an income, superannuation etc).

The trustee can be the Official Trustee (from the Australian Financial Security Agency, AFSA) or a registered (private) trustee. The trustee is either appointed by the Court or in the case of voluntary bankruptcy, by AFSA or you can nominate one of your choice.

When you are bankrupt:

  • you must provide details of your debts, income and assets to your trustee
  • your trustee notifies your creditors that you’re bankrupt – this prevents most creditors from contacting you about your debt
  • your trustee can sell certain assets to help pay your debts
  • it can affect your ability to be a company director
  • you may need to make compulsory payments if your income exceeds a set amount (currently around $64,000)

Bankruptcy may have a serious impact on you. It may affect your ability to get credit, travel overseas or gain some types of employment so you should get some advice before voluntarily bankrupting yourself. The National Debt Helpline provides free support on 1800 007 007.

Bankruptcy is just one formal option available under the Bankruptcy Act to manage your debt. Other formal options include temporary debt protection for 21 days reprieve from creditors enforcing a judgment against you, a debt agreement  or a personal insolvency agreement (both being arrangements to settle debts without becoming bankrupt).

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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in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Insolvency & Bankruptcy  by 01 May 2023 0 comments

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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in Asset Protection / Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / General / Insolvency & Bankruptcy / Risk management  by 01 Sep 2022 0 comments

Liquidation

Liquidation is the process of winding up a company’s financial affairs and ultimately results in the existence of the company ending and being deregistered at ASIC.

An insolvent company can be wound up by the Court either by voluntary resolutions of the company’s directors and the company’s shareholders or by application by a creditor.

A solvent company can also be wound up through a members voluntary winding up if the company is no longer needed.

A Court will make an order for the winding up of a company if it can be shown that the company is:

(a)    actually insolvent – it cannot pay its debts as and when they fall due (even if the company has surplus assets but cannot convert them to cash them quickly); or

(b)    is deemed to be insolvent (such as through a Creditor’s Statutory Demand having been served but not complied with).

The Court can order winding up for other reasons also.

Unlike during a company’s administration, personal guarantees are unaffected by liquidation – they are personal arrangements.

Secured creditors are also unaffected by the process of liquidation.

In a liquidation, after sale of the company assets etc, the liquidator will distribute as dividends any surplus in accordance with the order of priority set out in s.556 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

A liquidation lasts for as long as it takes but ends on the company being struck off ASIC’s register or by Court order – either dissolving the company or staying or setting aside the winding up.

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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in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / Insolvency & Bankruptcy / Litigation / Risk management  by 01 May 2022 0 comments

Enforcing judgments overseas (and vice versa)

The success of enforcing judgments overseas will largely depend on the laws of country where the judgment is sought to be enforced. Sometimes the common law or a treaty allows enforcement but often it relies on a statutory arrangement.

Australia has reciprocal arrangements with various countries but as a general rule, to be enforceable in another jurisdiction, the judgment must be:

  • for a fixed sum;
  • consistent with the laws or public policies of the relevant country; and
  • final and conclusive, and

you must provide a verified copy of the original Australian judgment, a translation of the judgment into the relevant language, an affidavit or similar providing at least details of the Australian proceedings, the relevant debt, details of the overseas debtor. There may be some other local matters to tend to as well.

Enforcing a foreign judgment in Australia

The Foreign Judgments Act 1991 (Cth) provides for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Australia.

To be enforceable, the foreign judgment must generally:

  • be less than 6 years old;
  • require the payment of money;
  • be final and conclusive (even if subject to or likely subject to an appeal); and
  • not have already been satisfied in the foreign jurisdiction.

Which countries have reciprocal arrangements?

The statutory schemes only apply to countries that have entered into reciprocal arrangements with Australia for the enforcement of each other’s judgments (See Schedule to Foreign Judgments Regulation 1992).

This includes British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Fiji, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Korea, Japan, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

It does not include China (although technically Hong Kong is included), India, Russia or the United States of America.

New Zealand has special arrangements as set out below.

New Zealand arrangements

Part 7 of the Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 (Cth) allows New Zealand judgments of a broader nature to be enforced in Australia including some judgments that don’t solely relate to the payment of money.

This excludes things like probate, guardianship, and the welfare of minors.

Enforcement

Registration of the foreign judgment can be as simple as filing  an application in a Supreme Court, where a judge will process the application (assuming it meets the requirements) in chambers in the absence of the other party and register it as a judgment in that court. The judgment debtor must be served with notice of the registration when the judgment is registered.

The registered foreign judgment can then be enforced like any other judgment such as by way of:

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information in relation to enforcing a judgement, debt recovery, litigation or any other commercial law matter, 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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in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / General / Litigation  by 03 Jan 2021 0 comments

Coronavirus: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Changes

The financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to be felt by many businesses with debts remaining unpaid for longer and those that may have limped through until now starting to have liquidity or cashflow problems.

If you or your business are considering options for debt recovery from customers, note that during the pandemic period (24 March – 25 September 2020 or any longer period prescribed by Regulations*), the laws regarding insolvency and bankruptcy in Australia have been varied by Schedule 12 to the Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 (Cth) such that when enforcing debts, the following have changed from the usual arrangements:

Bankruptcy Notices

The temporary measures to the operation of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) and its Regulations introduced by the federal government include:

  • the minimum amount of a judgment debt required for the issue of a Bankruptcy Notice has increased from $5,000 to $20,000; and
  • the recipient individual’s time to pay or respond has increased from 21 days to 6 months.

Once a Bankruptcy Notice expires without being met an “act of bankruptcy” will have occurred and, as usual, the creditor that issued it can commence court proceedings to seek a sequestration order to bankrupt the individual.

Other changes include those in relation to the moratorium period for those that submit a declaration of intention to present a debtors petition for their own bankruptcy

Creditor’s Statutory Demands

The temporary changes affecting the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and its Regulations in relation to corporate debts include:

  • the threshold amount of debt/s required for the service of a Creditor’s Statutory Demand has increased from $2,000 to $20,000; and
  • the recipient company’s time to pay or respond has increased from 21 days to 6 months.

Once a statutory demand expires without the debt being paid or an arrangement for the payment of the debt being agreed, the creditor can commence court proceedings to wind up the debtor company.

Director liability for insolvent trading

Similar changes have also been made to laws regarding director liability for insolvent trading where the debts are incurred in the ordinary course of business (temporarily supplementing existing “safe harbour“provisions).

The above changes do not affect other enforcement measures such as: winding up companies on the ‘just and equitable‘ ground; garnishee orders; or writs for the levy of property.

The Schedule 12 changes relate only to those Bankruptcy Notices issued in the relevant period and those Creditor’s Statutory Demands served in the relevant period, not those issued or served (as the case may be) prior to 24 March 2020.

(*Note on 07 September 2020, the Federal Government extended these measures until 31 December 2020).

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information in relation to debt recovery, bankruptcy, insolvency or any other commercial law matter, 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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in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / General / Insolvency & Bankruptcy  by 01 Jul 2020 0 comments

Can you just put a caveat on someone’s house?

If you are owed a substantial sum of money by someone, whether because you have loaned them funds or if you have a bill that hasn’t been paid, you would generally like to secure those funds. This way, if the borrower or debtor ends up being a bankrupt or insolvent, you may be in a better position as a secured creditor to those that are unsecured and hopefully you can get paid.

So how does security work? Security is effectively giving notice to the world that you have a claim on that person’s estate or assets so that subsequent people or businesses dealing with the same person are aware that you are to be paid in property, ie before them.

Security can be given in several ways, including:

  • handing over physical possession of certain assets;
  • the granting of  a Security Interest over assets registered on the Personal Property Securities Register (or “PPSR”); or
  • perhaps granting a Mortgage over real property owned by the person owing the money.

The registration of securities grants priority in order of registration, so it is important not to delay in registering any securities granted.

Ordinarily, you would have put in place a Loan Agreement or had Terms of Trade in place to govern your business relationship so that you have the express written consent to do such things to secure the debt, but if these documents are not in place before the financial obligation arises, people often take the step of lodging a caveat on title to property owned by the debtor.

A Caveat registered on title to a property has the effect (subject to the specific wording of the caveat of course) of preventing the owner or registered proprietor of that land from dealing with that land without the consent of the person who lodged the Caveat (the “caveator”). Dealings that can be prevented include lodging other Mortgages, lodging Transfers and the like.

Can you just put a caveat on someone’s house? If only things were that simple!

Many people have taken the step of lodging a Caveat on title to a debtor’s property only to have been unsuccessful in protecting their debt. Why? Well, in order to lodge a caveat (or even a Mortgage or PPSR Security Interest for that matter), you need to have the relevant asset “charged” in your favour with payment of the relevant debt. Creating a “charge” over an asset creates an interest in that asset that allows you to lodge a Caveat to notify and protect that interest.

A Caveat is not a document that gives you priority over previously registered interests, but it does give you some control over the asset such that you can prevent refinancing or a sale of an asset unless satisfactory arrangements for you to be paid have been made as part of that process  Properly drafted documents in relation to the lending of funds or business agreements where credit is extended should include things such as Mortgages, General Security Deeds or other things that create an interest in the asset sufficient to lodge a Mortgage, on title (to land), a Security Interest (on the PPSR in relation to assets etc) or at a minimum a Caveat over land.

Without such an interest being created, the caveator runs the risk that the owner can’t sell or refinance and suffers financially, then pursues the caveator for damages flowing from the caveator’s wrongful act, putting the caveator in an even worse position than they were before!

These things should not be done without proper advice, so take the time to review your current situation and documents now before a problem arises and have the documents updated to best protect you or your business.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Craig Pryor is principal solicitor at McKillop Legal. For further information in relation to debt recovery, loan agreements, estate planning, any business-related matter or if you have a Caveat lodged on your property without your consent, contact Craig Pryor on (02) 9521 2455 or email craig@mckilloplegal.com.au.

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

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in Asset Protection / Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / Estate Planning / General / Insolvency & Bankruptcy / Property / Risk management  by 01 Jul 2019 0 comments

Creditor’s Statutory Demand

If you or your business are owed a debt by an Australian company that is not disputed, then there can be a relatively simple, yet effective way of obtaining payment in as little as 3 weeks.

The Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) provides for the issue of a document called a “creditor’s statutory demand” to any Australian company that owes a debt greater than the prescribed amount (which from 01 July 2021 is $4,000*).  *Note that this threshold increased from the original $2,000 (at the time this article was original published) to $20,000 as a result of the Coronavirus legislation, but dropped back to the current threshold.

The process is basically that the demand is served and then you wait.

Statutory demands must be in the prescribed form, detail the debt due, be signed by or on behalf of the creditor and be properly served on the company. Where the debt is not a judgment debt, an affidavit is also required to be signed, certifying that the debt is due and payable.

The Act provides where the demand is served and not complied with within 21 days*, the company is presumed to be insolvent and is liable to be wound up. Compliance with the statutory demand is achieved by either paying the debt due or coming to an arrangement satisfactory to the creditor in relation to payment of the debt within that 21 day period. (*During the COVID-19 pandemic period, this increased to 6 months but has reverted back to 21 days from 01 January 2021).

The presumption of insolvency lasts for 3 months after the 21 day period expires. Any proceedings to wind up the company on the basis that it is insolvent must be commenced within that period.

Creditor’s statutory demands may only be set aside by the Court on certain grounds and applications to do so must be both filed with the Court and served on the creditor that issued the demand within that 21 day period. Grounds for setting aside the demands are limited and include where there is a defect in the demand, where the amount owed is less than the prescribed amount or where there is a genuine dispute as to the existence and/or amount of the debt claimed. None of these grounds may be relied on to oppose a demand after the 21 day period.

Where the debt is disputed, the service of a creditor’s statutory demand is not the appropriate way to obtain payment however, there are other methods available.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information in relation to debt recovery, company issues or any commercial law matter, 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 legal concerns or objectives.

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in Business / Commercial Law / Debt Recovery / Dispute Resolution / General / Insolvency & Bankruptcy / Litigation  by 29 Jan 2018 0 comments