Szabo & Associates News & Updates

If you believe that you have been left with inadequate financial provision from your grandparent's estate, it may be possible to contest the Will. The Succession Act 2006 (NSW) recognises that a grandchild may be an "eligible person" to make a family provision claim.

An Enduring Power of Attorney ensures that there is someone who can deal with your legal and financial affairs if you are unable to do so (see our article Do I really need an Enduring Power of Attorney?). However, it does not authorise someone else to make personal or lifestyle decisions for you. These may include where you live and what medical treatment you have in the future. In this article, we will outline the importance of the complementary role of an Enduring Guardian as part of your long-term planning.

Development consent is a valuable asset. In response to COVID-19, there have been some important changes made to the planning legislation and regulations as regards the lapsing of these valuable consents.

Making a Will is an essential part of any estate plan. While it is true that a Will can be challenged this is actually a relatively small percentage. This should not put you off from making a Will. Instead, it is an encouragement to make a better Will, prepared by a specialist lawyer, giving a high probability of successfully carrying out your wishes. It should be remembered too, that if you die without a valid Will, the estate will be distributed according to legislation that may lead to unintended outcomes.

As indicated in our April Newsletter, we outline below the NSW Government’s recent response to the Australian Government’s National Cabinet Code of Conduct (Code) in respect of retail and commercial leases in the wake of COVID-19. The Code applies to small and medium-sized tenants suffering “financial stress or hardship” because of COVID-19, applicable where the tenant has an annual turnover of up to $50 million and is eligible for the national JobKeeper programme.