Legal Issues Guide

Administrative law

Administrative law covers the decisions, actions and inactions of government agencies, departments and public authorities. You may be able to use administrative law to challenge an action or decision made by a government body.

Solicitors that work in administrative law can help you with these legal issues:

• Adult guardianship
• Appeals against court or tribunal decisions i.e. QCAT
• Centrelink issues
• Civil liberties
• Customs and excise
• Discrimination due to age, disability, race, religion, sex
• Education law
• Freedom of information
• Gaming laws
• Government department disputes
• Human rights
• Inquests
• Land resumption by government
• Mental health law
• Pension disputes
• QCAT matters
• Sexual harassment
• Social security

Banking and finance law

Solicitors that work in banking and finance law can help you with these legal issues:

• Bank guarantees
• Bills of sale
• Credit law
• Finance and securities
• Guarantees
• Hire purchase
• Loan agreements
• Mortgages

Bankruptcy and insolvency law

Solicitors that work in bankruptcy and insolvency can help you with these legal issues:

• Appointment of receiver / manager
• Bankruptcy
• Insolvency
• Liquidation

Building and construction law

Solicitors that work in building and construction law can help you with these legal issues:

• Building and construction contracts
• Cost disputes
• Claims against third parties - such as architects, engineers, building inspectors etc.
• Defects
• Delays and extensions
• Issues with subcontractors
• Payment disputes and BCIPA (Building and Construction Industry Payments Act) claims

Business and commercial law

Solicitors that work in Commercial and contract law can help you with these legal issues:

• Aviation law
• Business contracts
• Business name registration
• Buying or selling a business
• Commercial litigation
• Commercial law
• Entertainment
• Liquor licensing
• Media
• Music
• Business partnerships
• Small business
• Sports contracts

You can also search commercial litigation or business law

Civil law

Solicitors that work in civil law and civil litigation can help you with these legal issues:

• Boundaries and fences
• Breach of confidentiality
• Breach of contract
• Cease & desist letter
• Defamation - Libel / Slander
• Debt recovery
• Neighbourhood disputes – including noise complaints, pets (i.e. dogs getting out), and other types of nuisances/disturbances
• Overhanging trees between neighbours
• Parking fines
• Product liability
• Property / vehicle damages recovery
• Warrant of enforcement

You can also search civil litigation

Commercial Litigation

Commercial litigation is a type of dispute resolution process in which two or more parties take legal action against each other to resolve a disagreement or dispute related to a commercial transaction.

• Breach of contract
• Construction disputes
• Consumer law disputes
• Creditor disputes
• Debt recovery
• Employment disputes
• Intellectual property disputes
• Misleading and deceptive conduct
• Partnership and director disputes
• Shareholder disputes

Competition and consumer law

Solicitors that work in competition and consumer law can help you with these legal issues:

• Copyright
• Consumer law
• False advertising
• Misleading conduct in business
• Monopolies
• Motor dealer's act
• Price fixing
• Property & Motor Vehicle Act (PAMD)
• Trade practices
• Unions
• Warranty (products or service under warranty)

Corporations law

Solicitors that work in corporate law can help you with these legal issues:

• Club incorporation
• Corporations
• Companies
• Debentures
• Deed of Arrangement (part X)
• Directors duties & obligations
• Incorporations & committees
• Setting up non-profit organisations
• Prospectus(es)
• Shares

Criminal law

A criminal law solicitor can help you with these legal issues:

• Breach of domestic violence order
• Criminal compensation
• Criminal law
• Domestic violence with anyone else
• Traffic fines and offences
• Fraud
• Public nuisance
• Stalking

Elder law

An elder law solicitor can help you with these legal issues:

• Aged care
• Elder abuse
• Nursing homes
• Succession Act

You can also search for solicitors who specialise in wills and estates, succession law, or superannuation.

Family law

A family law solicitor can help you with these legal issues:

• Custody of children
• De Facto relationships
• Divorce
• Grandparents rights
• Spousal maintenance
• Prenuptial
• Same-Sex relationships
• Adoption of a child

You can also search family - domestic violence

Franchising law

Solicitors that work in franchising law can help you with these legal issues:

• Distribution agreements
• Disputes between franchisor / franchisee / other business
• Franchise agreements
• Franchising your business
• License agreements
• Property and leasing advice
• Purchasing or selling a franchised business

You can also search Business and Commercial Law or Property – Commercial. If you have a dispute in this area, you could also search Commercial Litigation.

Immigration law

An immigration law solicitor can help you with these legal issues:

• Citizenship
• Immigration
• Migration applications
• Passports
• Refugees
• Visa

Insurance law

Solicitors that work in insurance law can help you with these legal issues:

• Business Insurance Claims
• Contractual Indemnity Disputes
• Home & Contents Claims
• Insurance Disputes
• Insurance Recovery Claims
• Landlord/Tenant Insurance Claims
• Motor Vehicle Accident Claims
• Public & Product Liability Claims
• TPD & Income Protection Claims
• Workers Compensation

Intellectual property law

Solicitors that work in intellectual property law can help you with these legal issues:

• Copyright
• Design rights
• Digital piracy
• Plant breeder’s rights
• Patents
• Trademarks
• Trade secrets

Maritime and fisheries law

Solicitors that work in maritime and fisheries law can help you with these legal issues:

• Fishing industry
• Marine law
• Maritime law

You can also search civil law, civil litigation, business and commercial law or commercial litigation 

Mining and resources law

Solicitors that work in natural resources and mining law can help you with these legal issues:

• Landholder rights
• Land resumption, acquisition and access
• Mining
• Oil and gas 
• Resources & Mining
• Timber Industry

You can also search planning and environment law

Personal injuries law

A personal injuries law solicitor can help you with these legal issues

• Asbestos disease claims
• Car accidents
• Comcare
• Compulsory Third Party (CTP)
• Professional negligence – this when you believe a “professional”, which includes doctors, financial planners, accountants, solicitors, building and pest inspectors, brokers and real estate agents, has caused you harm or loss
• Q-Com
• Spinal injuries
• Third party liability
• Workplace accidents
• Work Cover

You can also search professional misconduct

Planning and environment law

Solicitors that work in planning and environment law can help you with these legal issues:

• Environmental law
• Environmental protection orders
• Land resumption by Council
• Local Government (Local Council)
• Rates disputes
• Re-zoning
• Town planning

Property law

Issues that fall under the area of property law include:

• Business or residential rental disputes
• Building unit disputes
• Hostels
• Land encroachment
• Landlord & tenant issues
• Neighbourhood disputes
• PAMDA - forms
• Strata title management
• Tenancy

You may also check for more topics under Property - commercial and Property - residential

Property - commercial law

Solicitors that work in commercial property law can help you with these legal issues:

• Buying / selling a business
• Commercial conveyancing / leasing
• Company searches - commercial
• Farming
• Leasing, industrial or other non-residential property
• Pastoral leases
• Rural law
• Commercial property titles
• Timeshare

Property - residential law

Solicitors that work in residential property law can help you with these legal issues:

• Body corporate disputes
• Body corporate meetings
• Buying / selling residential property or land 
• Caveat
• Company searches - residential
• Covenant on size of house restrictions
• Manufactured homes
• Property marketeering
• Retirement villages
• Stamp duty
• Titles escrow
• Residential property titles

Succession law

Solicitors that work in wills and estates or succession law can help you with these legal issues:

• Advance health directive
• Enduring power of attorney
• Estates
• Intestacy
• Letters of administration
• Powers of attorney
• Probate
• Testator's family maintenance (TFM)
• Testamentary capacity
• Testamentary trust
• Wills / Probate / Estates

You can also search Superannuation and Trusts

Superannuation and trusts law

• Self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF) – setting up or winding down
• Setting up a trust
• Trust deed updates and changes in trustees
• Superannuation issues in family law and other settlements
• Advice on superannuation in succession planning
• Disputes between fund members or trustees
• Superannuation guarantees
• Superannuation contribution strategies

Taxation and state revenue law

Issues that fall under the area of taxation and revenue law include:

• Income and capital gains tax (CGT)
• Tax consolidations
• Objections, tax audits, tax litigation and dispute resolution management
• Applications for stamp duty, GST and income tax rulings (product, class and private rulings applications)
• Tax residency
• Goods and services tax (GST)
• Fringe benefits tax
• Duty exemptions and concessions
• Employment taxes, including payroll tax and PAYG.

Workplace relations, employment and safety law

Solicitors that work in workplace and employment and industrial relations law can help you with these legal issues:

• Employment Law
• Employment contracts
• Enterprise bargaining
• Harassment at work
• Industrial law
• Industrial relations
• Redundancy
• Unfair dismissal
• Workplace harassment
• Workplace bullying

You can also search workplace relations law