Employment Law
Sexual Harassment at Work: Your Rights and Options
What counts as workplace sexual harassment in Australia, what employers must do and the ways to act, from internal complaints to the Fair Work Commission.
Criminal Law
Pleading Guilty or Not Guilty to a Criminal Charge
How guilty and not guilty pleas work in an Australian criminal court, what happens next and why advice before you plead matters.
Family Law
How A Blog Can Benefit Your Family Lawyers Business
There are many business owners, including those who own a family lawyers business, who are under the false impression that all online marketing is way more complicated an activity than they would ever be happy getting involved with.
The fact is that whilst there are certainly some online marketing channels that might fit that description, not all online marketing does.
Family Law
How Family Lawyers Can Start Their Own Podcast And Why
One means of marketing online that family lawyers should consider is podcasting. If you are unsure what podcasting is, the easiest explanation is that a podcast is an audio recording on a specific subject published online for others to listen to. Those listening to podcasts will do so on their PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone like they would music.
The difference with the podcast is that it is primarily the spoken word used for the content. It follows, therefore, that the reasons that people listen to podcasts include to be educated, to consume information about a subject they are interested in, to discover the latest trends and developments within a given niche, and on many occasions, it can be entertained by what they are listening to.
Talk About What And To Whom?
We must point out that the possible niches and subjects upon which a podcast or series of podcasts can be based are virtually limitless. If an audience is interested in a subject, then there is the opportunity to create podcasts. Also, note that members of that audience can be located anywhere in the world.
Commercial Law
7 Steps To Legally Operating A Bali Villas Rental Business
So, you are considering starting a Bali villas rentals business? We applaud your entrepreneurial spirit and also your choice of location given that Bali is one of the most idyllic and popular tourist locations in the world. However, for all the positives that Bali offers, it is a double-edged sword because as Bali is part of Indonesia, Indonesian laws apply, which throws up several issues.
The main issue is that Indonesian laws make it illegal for foreign individuals, including Australians, to own property in that country and that unfortunately rules out the possibility of simply buying a villa and renting it out. However, such a business is possible if you follow some logical steps which we have outlined below.
Family Law
What Happens If A Child Wishes To Live With A Particular Parent
Whenever a couple who have children divorce there will many matters relating to those children that they will need to discuss with their family lawyers.
Multiple aspects of those children’s lives need to be agreed and one of the most important will be which parent the children will live with.
That is usually the mother, however, there is nothing in Australian family law that states that has to be the case. In fact, although children may live primarily with their mother, their father will share parental responsivity for their children.
Criminal Law
7 Forms Of Drug Rehab That Could Prevent You From Having A Criminal Record
There are many reasons why anyone might enter a drug rehab program, and one of them could be their desire to avoid ever having a criminal record due to being convicted of the possession of drugs. Such a criminal record can be a huge barrier to finding employment in the future, so avoiding having one is a big incentive to get off drugs.
When it comes to considering the most appropriate drug rehabilitation program for yourself there will be many factors that influence your choice. Your level of dependency, your medical condition, your location, and your available finances are all likely to form part of the discussion you have with those who are supporting you such as your doctor, family, and friends.
You will certainly not be short of options as there are several different types of drug rehab available. This means it is important you take time to consider each of them and select the one which you believe is right for you. Below we have outlined 7 different drug rehab programs and note that they are in no particular order of success or preference.
Detoxification: Regarded as the most abrupt means of coming off drugs, this is where you simply stop taking them. You will almost certainly experience withdrawal symptoms and their severity will depend on your usage and the type of drug you are using. It is recommended that you join a support group or ask family and friends for help during detoxification and withdrawals.
Family Law
What Can I Do If My Ex-Partner Refuses To Let Me See My Children?
As many divorce lawyers will tell you, children are often weaponised during a divorce by either the mother, the father or both parents. Sadly, and invariably, there is never a winner if this happens, and the people most likely to suffer are the children through no fault of their own.
This weaponisation can be done in many ways, such as using the children as some kind of bargaining chip when it comes to agreeing on the financial settlement or by trying to influence the children to say untrue things in court if they are asked questions as part of a family report.
Even after the court issues its order regarding the divorce and the children, in particular, the dust doesn’t always settle. Unfortunately, there are many instances where the parents with whom the children live still try to use them in a way that they think punishes their ex-partner.
One of the most common of these is where the children live with their mother, and despite the court ordering shared parental responsibility and visitation, she tries to stop the father from seeing the children. We should point out this can also happen when the roles are reversed, and it is the father stopping the mother seeing her children.
If you are the parent being denied the chance to see your children, then it can be upsetting and also a cause for anger, which is understandable.
One thing you cannot do is try to see the children forcibly by turning up early at their school for example and taking them with you. That could be the quickest way of seeing yourself in court, but for all the wrong reasons.
Commercial Law
Does My Company Need A Public Officer?
For companies in Australia there are a number of legal and tax obligations that must be met, and as your lawyers at Commercial Lawyers Perth will advise you, one of those obligations is to appoint a public officer. If you have never heard the term before or have started a new company and are unsure exactly what a public officer’s role will be, then read on.
The legislation which requires a company to appoint a public officer is the Income Tax Assessment Act. From that you may have already gathered that a public officer is not the official spokesperson of their company, nor do they act in any type of customer service role.
Instead, they are appointed as the person whose responsibility it is to make sure that the company meets its obligations with regard to the Act just mentioned in relation to taxes.
It should be noted that not just anyone can be appointed as a company’s public officer, albeit the legal requirements are fairly broad. They must normally reside in Australia and be at least 18 years of age. They also must be someone who fully understands their obligations and the role which they play as a company’s public officer.
Employment Law
Whistleblowing: The Legal Ramifications and What You Need to Know
Whistle-blowing is the act of exposing the dishonest or otherwise illegal or dodgy practices of a business, government, or other body. Unfortunately, most whistle-blowers are often targeted by the organization they expose, which can lead to significant mental and financial stress.
Fortunately, you can stay ahead of the ball by speaking with employment lawyers to develop a plan before going public. This might seem difficult, but it will be worth it in the long run – trust us.
In the rest of this article, we’ve covered whistle-blowing in Australia, the legalities of it, and a few things you should consider.
What is Whistle-blowing?
In short, whistle-blowing is the practice of exposing illegal, unethical, or otherwise dishonest information or activities. Often, these activities are being undertaken by large companies and/or businesses, who will usually go out of their way to protect their interests.
There are two types of whistle-blowing.
Internal whistle-blowing generally involves bringing something to the attention of someone within the organisation, such as a supervisor or manager. External whistle-blowing, on the other hand, involves sharing the information with an external source, such as the media or a law enforcement agency.
What Are the Risks of Whistle-blowing?
If you want to expose the practices of a large company or other organization, the chances are that they will fight back. You may be subject to any one of a number of issues, including:
- Losing your job, especially if you’re exposing the organization you’re working in.
- Lawsuits from the organization that you’ve exposed.
- A tarnished reputation.
- Difficulties getting a new job, particularly if you try to work within the same industry.
Unfortunately, these problems are all too common. Luckily, though, Australia does offer significant protection for whistle-blowers.