Archives June 2026

This article was written by Nancy Wang Principal Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. 

A W & G Lawyers client briefing Updated 29 June 2026

The 2026–27 Federal Budget and a busy final sitting fortnight have delivered one of the most significant clusters of tax, superannuation and workplace changes in years. Some are already law and take effect this July. Others have passed Parliament but won’t bite until 2027. And one of the most talked-about measures — the minimum tax on family trusts — isn’t law at all yet.

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On 26 June 2026, W & G Lawyers was honoured to welcome Aunty Peggy Tidyman, a respected Gunggari Elder and artist, together with Mr Lewis Lee OAM, General Manager of FCL Interior Pty Ltd and Chairman of ACHWMC, to our office.

They attended to present the certificate for Aunty Peggy’s artwork, Reconciliation & Healing, which is now displayed at W & G Lawyers. The certificate records that the work was created in 2024 and is a water-based acrylic on canvas.

Aunty Peggy shared the background to the artwork and its meaning. According to the artwork description, Reconciliation & Healing reflects the strong cultural and spiritual connection of First Nations people to culture, land, sea, environment and traditional healing practices. It also speaks to the importance of passing knowledge and cultural values from one generation to the next.

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Separation and divorce are rarely just legal events. They may involve moving out of the family home, rearranging children’s routines, dealing with changes in income, and facing uncertainty about legal costs, living expenses and the future.

For many people, the difficulty is not that they do not need legal help. The difficulty is that they are concerned about how to pay for it. A person may need advice about their rights, assistance with disclosure, preparation for negotiations, mediation or court proceedings, but may delay seeking help because of short-term cash flow pressure.

In family law matters, costs may include legal fees, mediation fees, court filing fees, expert report fees, valuation fees and other expenses connected with separation. The likely cost of a matter will depend on many factors, including the issues in dispute, the complexity of the asset pool, the conduct of the other party, the extent of disclosure required, whether experts are needed, and whether the matter can be resolved by negotiation or mediation.

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This article was written by Jialin Liu Solicitor at W & G Lawyers.

After separation, one of the first things many people hear is: “Let us just split everything 50/50.”

It sounds fair. It sounds simple. And when a relationship has already left you emotionally exhausted, a half-half split can feel like the quickest way to end the argument. Some people want to avoid more conflict. Some worry about legal costs. Some simply want to settle, move out and start rebuilding their life.

But under Australian family law, property settlement after separation does not automatically start at 50/50. It is not decided simply by whose name is on the house, whose account the savings are in, or who paid the mortgage most often.

The real question is whether the proposed outcome is just and equitable in the circumstances of your relationship.

Sometimes, a 50/50 split may be appropriate. Sometimes, it only looks fair on the surface.

Before you sign any property agreement, the question is not whether other people usually split things equally. The question is whether this arrangement is fair for your family, your contributions, your children, your financial future and your legal position.

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This article was written by Grace Blake Solicitor at W & G Lawyers.

Recent headlines surrounding the federal Budget left many Australian families concerned about the future of their estate planning. With the government proposing a new 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts, many people questioned whether one of the most powerful protective structures available, the Testamentary Trust, was about to lose its primary financial advantages.

Fortunately, the government has officially confirmed that all types of discretionary testamentary trusts will be exempt from the proposed 30% minimum trust tax.

This announcement is a monumental win for everyday families. It ensures that Testamentary Trusts remain one of the most effective, tax-positive vehicles for protecting and passing down generational wealth.

This article explains how the exemption works, why this structure is uniquely beneficial under Queensland law, and how it can safeguard your family’s financial future.

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The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most significant traditional Chinese festivals, carrying a rich cultural heritage and expressing heartfelt wishes for health, peace and family unity.

To celebrate this special occasion, W & G Lawyers presented each member of our team with traditional zongzi—glutinous rice dumplings enjoyed during the Dragon Boat Festival. The zongzi were thoughtfully prepared and provided by the restaurant of New Shanghai at Garden City, allowing our team to share in the warmth, tradition and festive spirit of this important Chinese celebration.

This gesture was more than a seasonal gift. It was an expression of our appreciation for the professionalism, dedication and contribution of every member of the W & G Lawyers team. We value the people behind our firm and remain committed to fostering a supportive, united and caring workplace.

We sincerely thank New Shanghai at Garden City for providing the delicious traditional zongzi for our celebration.

W & G Lawyers wishes our staff, clients, professional partners and wider community:

A peaceful and joyful Dragon Boat Festival, with good health, happiness and continued success.

On the evening of Wednesday, 17 June 2026, the W & G Lawyers team attended the 2026 Federal Budget Dinner at Golden Lane Restaurant in Sunnybank Plaza.

The dinner was jointly hosted by Peter Russo MP, State Member for Toohey; the Hon Leanne Enoch MP, State Member for Algester; and James Martin MP, State Member for Stretton. Special guests included the Hon Jim Chalmers MP, Federal Member for Rankin and Treasurer of Australia, and the Hon Shannon Fentiman MP, State Member for Waterford.

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This article was written by Simone Garcia Solicitor at W & G Lawyers.

Queensland’s smoke alarm laws require every home to have photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms installed in specified locations. These requirements have been phased in over several years under the Fire Services Act 1990 (Qld) and its supporting regulations, and the final stage takes effect on 1 January 2027.“Interconnected” means that when one alarm detects smoke, every alarm in the home sounds together.

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This article was written by Nancy Wang Principal Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. 

In 2024, the Queensland Court of Appeal clarified the limited circumstances in which a builder owes a duty of care to a later purchaser of a home. In Raymond v Lewis [2024] QCA 43, the Court confirmed that a builder does not owe a subsequent purchaser a duty of care to avoid pure economic loss from construction defects unless that purchaser was “relevantly vulnerable” at the time of purchase. Vulnerability, in this context, means the purchaser was incapable of protecting themselves against that economic loss — and whether the defects were reasonably discoverable at the time of purchase is central to that question.

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This article was written by Nancy Wang Principal Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. 

Options to purchase land are common — in family arrangements, leases, development deals and succession planning. They can be extremely valuable, especially where the price is fixed and the market has since moved. But they are also unforgiving. A recent Queensland Supreme Court decision shows how a buyer with a very valuable option lost it completely, not by missing a deadline, but by exercising the option in the wrong way.

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