Street Legal – Page 3 – Business & Legal Advice

Why Are Shareholder Agreements Important?

Shareholder agreements are a vital part of a company’s structure. They outline the agreement between the shareholders – the people who invest their money in a company – and the company directors – the people who decide how to spend this money.

While shareholder agreements can be complex and somewhat difficult to set up, it is important to realise that they are extremely important. They need to be drafted with the help of high-quality commercial lawyers to make sure that they are error free and that they encompass the necessary information, and they need to be treated like the important legal document that they are.

Some of the main reasons why shareholder agreements are important include:

They minimise the potential for shareholder disputes

Shareholder disputes can be costly, drawn out processes which can reduce the productivity of a company. They often require the assistance of a team of commercial lawyers to achieve resolution, and this can take a long time.

Shareholder agreements reduce the chance of shareholder disputes happening. They outline everything that the shareholder needs to know, and they provide a framework for the company to follow. While they won’t eliminate the risk of a dispute, shareholder agreements can greatly reduce it.

Have You Broken the Law?

Some people are criminals because they break the law wilfully and deliberately, however, there are many people who would not dream of breaking the law, but in fact have done so without realising it. In some cases they’ve even done it on purpose, but because it is considered ‘minor’ and they didn’t get caught, they think of themselves as law abiding citizens. Criminal lawyers would tell them that they are actually law-breakers.

Have you broken the law? Here are some laws you may not have heard of.

When you move into a new rental, your letterbox is jammed with the previous tenants mail. You may take it back to the Post Office at first, then you get sick of doing that and throw it away. You may even open some of it. Opening or destroying other people’s mail is against the law.
When you beep the horn and wave to your neighbour, you are breaking the law, which states that it is an illegal use of a warning device. Fine? $250 and 3 demerit points off your licence.
Did you stick your arm out of the car or even rest your elbow against the window? That too, is an office, punishable by the same as the above crime.

How To Deal With A Shared Property During A Divorce

Divorces are messy things, no matter how carefully they are planned. Even in couples who agree to go carefully so that they don’t hurt their children and so they can move on with their lives, property disagreements are common. Often, family lawyers need to be called in to mediate problems and to help the couple split their belongings fairly in court if needed.

Think about things ahead of time:

The easiest thing to do is undoubtedly to have paper agreements put into place during your marriage. For example, if one partner in the relationship puts the majority of the money into buying a house, then this should be written down and signed by both parties (under the watchful eye of a family lawyer of course). This document could then be used in a divorce court to make sure that and property divisions are done fairly and without bias.

What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a problem which, unfortunately, affects thousands of Australians every single year. Many cases of domestic violence go unreported and unpunished, as victims feel that they were somehow at fault, or that the perpetrator made a mistake and won’t do it again.

Unfortunately, this can be a long, slippery slope. Many people get stuck in a cycle where domestic violence becomes a part of their daily life. Although they could escape with the assistance of good family lawyers, a lot of victims don’t realise just how much help is out there for them.

The First Steps

The first, and most important thing when it comes to dealing with domestic violence is talking to someone. Find someone that you trust – a family member or a best friend – and tell them what is happening. If you don’t have anyone who you feel comfortable talking to, find a reputable family lawyer. You will be able to confide in them with confidence, and they will be able to direct you and explain what you need to do next.

What Are Your Legal Requirements When Leasing A Commercial Property?

Businesses across the world lease commercial premises to operate in every single day. Unfortunately, many of these lessees don’t understand the legal requirements that come with leasing a property. Before entering into a commercial property lease agreement, you should consult a property lawyer to make sure that you fully understand your obligations and the requirements of your new business lease.

With that in mind, what are some of the most common legal requirements when leasing a commercial property?

You must complete the relevant paperwork:

Both the landlord and the lessee must complete a range of paperwork when entering into a commercial lease to make sure that the lease is valid (and that it remains valid). Obviously, a written lease has to be drafted in accordance with the lease terms that both parties have agreed on, and it is important that you read a lease carefully before signing it. If you are unsure about your legal requirements in terms of paperwork before and during a lease, consult a property lawyer.

Obviously, you can’t conduct illegal activities:

This should go without saying, but you can’t conduct illegal activities on a leased property. Not only will this get you into trouble with the courts, but it will also be a reasonable cause for your eviction. If you get evicted due to illegal activities, you will have no legal protection whatsoever.

Property and Financial Issues After Separation

Legal effects of separation on proprietary and financial relationships between the spouses

As a matter of fact, separation necessitates dealing with a wide spectrum of proprietary and financial issues that stem from and are related to marriage. Specifically speaking, it is usually incumbent on the spouses to handle division of their property (assets) and debts. Australian law prescribes various means by which spouses can accomplish such division. First and foremost, spouses, to the same extent as de facto partners, are entitled to come to an agreement on how the property should be divided without having any recourse to court. Second, if the spouses arrived at a mutually acceptable conclusion, they can formalise their arrangement by filing an application for a consent order in the Family Court. Third, as an alternative, if the spouses are unable to reach a consensual arrangement, they may apply to a court for a financial order, such as the order pertaining to the division of property and payment of spouses or de facto partner maintenance.

Under Australian law, both the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court are authorised to render orders in relation to financial matters following the breakdown of eligible de facto relationships. In like manner, the aforesaid courts have jurisdiction to make similar orders in cases where the parties are married, not separated. Previously, financial disputes between former de facto partners were usually decided by state and territory courts via the application of the law of the respective state or territory. Talking about superannuation, the superannuation splitting law recognises superannuation as a different group of property. This law allows separating spouses to value their superannuation and split superannuation payments, though such procedure is not mandatory.

Children Related Issues Under Australian Family Law

The regulation of children’s matters under Australian law has become a topic of vigorous debates and legal analyses. Thus, legal experts in Australia deem it wise to focus on a federal Status of Children Act in order to improve the regulation of various issues regarding the parentage of children. Per legal experts, it has become crystal clear that Part VII of Family Law Act does not perfectly fit to providing a definition of legal parentage for the purposes of Commonwealth laws in general.

The major objective of Part VII of Family law Act is the parenting arrangements for children when there is a dispute. Though the question of who is or who are a child’s legal parents is of huge importance, in terms of the Family Law Act, the considerations involved in determining what is in a child’s best interest in parenting disputes go beyond the determination of legal parentage. In this connection, the proposed federal Status of Children Act is aimed at providing a clear, consistent and accessible statement of the legal parentage of children for the purposes of all Commonwealth laws and for all courts that exercise federal jurisdiction. It is also expected that the Act will include all the existing parentage provisions in Part VII of Family Law Act. The last but not least, the Act is expected to provide a mechanism for the family courts to transfer parentage in surrogacy agreements.