VIC Leases, Companies and Employment Law
Precedents include commercial and retail leases in plain English, agreements to lease, disclosure statements, licences, a library of additional clauses and notices, appropriate letters and all that is required for the quick and accurate production of leases and advice to landlords or tenants. Our comprehensive Retainer Instructions ensures nothing is missed and the client is properly advised.
Some of the most popular precedents in this publication include:
- Advice to parties reviewing a lease
- LEASE - Retail - Annexures A and B
- LEASE - Commercial industrial - Annexures A and B
- Deed of assignment of lease
- Reply to lessor's solicitor returning executed lease
- Notice to Owners Corporation
Companies, Trusts, Partnerships and Superannuation
This valuable publication provides a simple guide to companies, trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and superannuation, with all commonly required documents, allowing you to advise and service your clients with confidence.
Superannuation is explained simply and comprehensively, and is accompanied by a full suite of precedents, including everything needed to set-up, run and amend a self managed superannuation fund.
The commentary provides a tax and succession planning overview sufficient for most circumstances found in general practice.
Some of the most popular precedents included in this publication:
- Comparative table of business structures
- Limited recourse borrowing documentation
- Company constitution
- Company resolution
- Shareholder agreement (long and short forms)
- Agreement for sale of shares
- SMSF trust deed and rules
- Binding death benefit nomination
- Unit trust
- Discretionary trust deed
- Hybrid trust
- Joint venture agreement
- Partnership agreement
- Put and Call option
- Charitable trust
Employment Law
This comprehensive and easy to follow guide provides a full overview of employment law, allowing you to confidently advise your clients on the operation of the system and their options.
All commonly required contracts, precedents and documentation are included.
The commentary includes:
- The differences between employees and contractors
- Performance Management and termination
- Redundancy
- Restraints of trade
Precedents include:
- Various employment agreements including individual, executive and casual
- Various non-employment agreements including contractor agreements and service agreements
- Various disciplinary related precedents including letter of warning to employee and letter of suspension
- Various unfair dismissal precedents – acting for employer and employee
- Deed of settlement – Redundancy
Guides in this publication
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“ Commentaries ”
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“ In the legal profession the term ‘costs’ refers to the fees and other expenses a solicitor charges a client for their professional services and other payments that arise out of the provision of legal services, including disbursements such as court fees. Costs are one of the most heavily regulated ... ”
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“ Nature of disclosure1 Timing of disclosure2 ”
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“ Costs disclosure is not required in relation to certain clients, described in the legislation as ‘sophisticated clients’ or ‘government or commercial clients’ as defined by the relevant legislation to include clients such as lawyers, law firms, public companies, liquidators and government entities. ... ”
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“ Cost agreements are not always required although clearly as between the practitioner and their client there will be disclosure but without the need for formal compliance with the regulation. The limits are: ”
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“ In NSW & VIC there is a standard costs disclosure for fees under $3,000 which is included in the precedents. If the total legal costs in a matter (excluding GST and disbursements) are not likely to exceed $3,000 (the higher threshold), a law practice may, instead of making a disclosure under ... ”
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“ Knowing that clients are disinclined to read, sign and return cost agreements, the letter sending them usually provides that unless heard to the contrary the practice will assume agreement. There will almost always be a later opportunity to have the agreement signed. Of course, many practitioners ... ”
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“ Costs are remuneration for professional work when acting in the capacity of a barrister or solicitor. Payments to a practitioner for work which is not professional work, are not costs. Disbursements are payments made, or liabilities incurred in the course of practice and which the practitioner is ... ”
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“ Firms are required to provide an estimate of the total of costs, excluding GST and disbursements, and information on the impact of any significant change to these costs. A law practice must take all reasonable steps to satisfy itself that the client has understood and consented to the proposed ... ”
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“ What is a disbursement Disbursements are payments made, or liabilities incurred in the course of practice, and which the practitioner is bound to pay whether put in funds by the client or not; or payments which, by established custom and practice of the profession, the practitioner is bound to pay. ... ”
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“ A lawyer may request money on account of fees be paid into a trust account before the commencement of work. This is particularly so in criminal and other court matters where the inclination to pay may wane with an unwanted outcome. The funds may cover legal fees as well as disbursements and the ... ”
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“ The costs agreement will set out the billing cycle. Commonly a regular monthly billing cycle is adopted covering work undertaken during the previous month. ”
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“ A lump sum invoice is one which sets out a recital describing the legal service provided and a total amount. An itemised invoice is one which sets out in detail each of the legal services provided, the date they were provided, and the cost for each service. An itemised invoice allows for an invoice ... ”
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“ A law practice cannot charge for the time spent in preparing an invoice. A law practice cannot charge for the time spent in preparing an itemised invoice for a client who has already received a lump sum invoice. ”
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“ All bills should be accompanied by a written statement setting out the avenues that are open to the client in the event of a dispute and any time limits that apply to the taking of such action. Under the uniform law in NSW and VIC each bill or covering letter must be signed by a principal of the ... ”
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“ In 1991 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released guidelines to assist businesses in the withdrawal on one and two cent pieces. In the purchase of goods or services for cash, businesses were advised to round the final payment: ”
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“ – When to charge and how to charge Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10% applied to most goods and services, including legal services. Businesses are required to register for GST if their turnover exceeds the $75,000 threshold. If turnover is less than $75,000 than registration ... ”
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“ Reducing fees can create good will but needs to be handled with care as some take offence to the implication that they cannot afford to pay for the work they have retained. It is also a hard won reality that comes from experience that people are inclined not to value any advice given for free. ”
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“ Credit terms are quite common and need to be clearly documented and administered. ”
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“ Notification of rights is a requirement in all states and is found in all example invoice precedents. If the client has not been advised of their rights in a costs agreement, then practitioners must advise the client of their rights at the time of issuing the invoice. ”
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“ Monthly accounting for work in progress is recommended in order to achieve target lockup days. If debtors are not followed up promptly cash flow reduces making it imperative to adopt a debtor’s policy for effective debtor control. All overdue accounts must be followed up promptly and repeatedly. ”
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“ When a retainer is terminated before completion, a practitioner may claim costs for the work done to the date of termination on a quantum meruit basis if: The client terminates the entire retainer; ”
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“ When there are costs owing to the practitioner from the client, the lawyer may retain possession of the client’s documents which are legitimately in the practitioner’s possession. However, the Australian Solicitors’ Rules specify that when a practitioner claims to exercise a lien for unpaid legal ... ”
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“ If a practitioner has an equitable charge over the client’s property incorporated into the costs agreement, ordinarily the practitioner could exercise that power in seeking payment of costs. However, general charges such as a charge over ‘all my estate, rights, title and interest in and to any real ... ”
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“ Sound financial management is absolutely critical to the success of the law practice. There is a high correlation between practices with poor financial management and increased probability of experiencing professional negligence claims. The link is clear. Principals, who do not manage their ... ”
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“ Methods of payment include: Credit card; ”
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“ All By Lawyers cost agreements include the following authority to transfer money to pay their invoices: Trust money ”
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“ Lawcover recommends that practitioners use the costs assessment scheme to recover costs. Instituting proceedings against a disgruntled client who refuses to pay an outstanding bill exposes practitioners to the risk of a cross-claim in negligence being filed. The advantage of the cost assessment ... ”
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“ The following outline of costs assessment was written for NSW but the procedure is similar in the other states. This publication will be expanded to cover cost assessment in the other states in due course. In the interim refer to the relevant State Supreme Court. NSW Procedure ”
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“ A client may be entitled to complain to the Legal Services Commissioner about a costs dispute. If the complaint is made after the law practice or client has already applied for assessment of such costs, the assessment will ordinarily be stayed until the complaint has been determined. Similarly, if ... ”
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“ Guidelines to the Retail Leases Act 2003 – What are "retail premises"? Victorian Small Business Commission ”
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“ 1001 Conveyancing Answers (VIC) Papers, articles and case law ”
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“ The owner of real estate may give possession of that real estate to another person, such that the other person has the right to use and enjoy the real estate to the exclusion of all of the world, including the owner. Such a right is recognised as a proprietary right and thus protected by the law. ... ”
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“ Taking good instructions The use of precedent Retainer Instructions ensures that all important issues are considered, instructions which cannot be contradicted later are recorded, costs discussed and the scope of the retainer clearly defined. ”
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“ Retail leases Consumer protection requires information. A consumer is more likely to make a good decision if the consumer has access to all relevant information. ”
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“ By Lawyers have produced a document that combines the Retail Lease with the Disclosure Statement. This document is intended for use in relation to retails premises that are not located in a retail shopping centre and is ideal for use for a ‘small’ landlord. ”
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“ As equity has shown itself prepared to enforce an agreement to lease, it is often said that an agreement to lease is as enforceable as a lease. This concept has been merged with modern legal concepts to establish the principle that, where it would be unconscionable for either party to resile from ... ”
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“ By Lawyers have produced a document that combines the Retail Lease with the Disclosure Statement. This document is intended for use in relation to retails premises that are not located in a retail shopping centre and is ideal for use for a ‘small’ landlord. ”
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“ Defining premises Incorrectly defining or describing the premises may give the lessee a right to damages. ”
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“ A lease is fundamentally a contract and the normal rules of privity of contract apply. But a lease also relates to real estate, and property law has traditionally affected more than just the parties to the contract. Rights arising from property law may therefore result in the lease affecting more ... ”
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“ The Act provides that an assignment is a continuation of the old lease. A lease that commenced prior to 1 May 2003 will come under the Retail Leases Act 2003 if renewed after 1 May 2003, but not if merely assigned after that date. s 8 Retail Leases ActSaratoga Australia P/L v Vision Australia Ltd ... ”
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“ Surrender by agreement The parties may agree, or be deemed to have agreed, to terminate the lease by the lessee surrendering, and the lessor accepting. ”
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“ Disputes Disputes commonly arise in shopping centres in relation to relocation, exclusivity, fit out requirements, turnover rental, promotion funds and signage. ”
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“ Unless the proposed lessee ensures that the mortgagee of the freehold consents to the lease, the lessee will be liable to lose possession of the premises if the lessor defaults under the mortgage and the mortgagee wants to take possession. The prior-in-time interest of the mortgagee will defeat the ... ”
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“ Generally It is normal for the lessor to arrange for preparation of the lease. As a result, it is normal for the lease to provide that the lessee will be responsible to pay the lessor’s legal cost. However these provisions are negotiable in all circumstances and in fact prohibited by statute in ... ”
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“ Leases for a term exceeding three years may be registered pursuant to s 66 Transfer of Land Act to protect the interest of the lessee. The registered copy of the lease is in effect the title of the lessee to its estate and interest in the land. However the interest of a tenant in possession is also ... ”
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“ Written leases are traditionally prepared in duplicate so that both lessor and lessee will have a ‘copy’ for their records. The lease is the basis of the lessee’s right to possess the property and as such it is the lessee’s title. The lessor is entitled to retain the certificate of title to the ... ”
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“ The owner of real estate may give possession of that real estate to another person, such that the other person has the right to use and enjoy the real estate to the exclusion of all of the world, including the owner. Such a right is recognised as a proprietary right and thus protected by the law. ... ”
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“ Taking good instructions The use of precedent Retainer Instructions ensures that all important issues are considered, instructions which cannot be contradicted later are recorded, costs discussed and the scope of the retainer clearly defined. ”
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