Archives September 2026

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

You have bought a block with room for a second dwelling or a small subdivision. The engineer’s report arrives, and it says the stormwater from the new lots has to drain downhill through the property behind you. The neighbour is not interested in selling a strip of land, and is not interested in an easement either. Or you are that neighbour, and a letter has arrived with a deed to sign and a compensation figure already worked out.

Read More

On 24 September, the W & G Lawyers team gathered over food, drinks and conversation to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival a day early. It was also an opportunity to farewell Isabel Pope on her last day with the firm before she moves to New South Wales for university.

Read More

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

Each year the Queensland Public Trustee runs Wills Week to encourage Queenslanders to stop and think about their will. This year’s Wills Week ran from 7 to 13 September under the theme “Life changes, so should your Will”. A will is not a document you sign once and forget.

The Public Trustee’s latest research found that fewer than half of Queenslanders aged between 40 and 60 have a will. Among Queenslanders over 65 who do have one, around one in three have never updated it. An out-of-date will could leave out the people who matter most to you now, or name an executor who can no longer act.

This article walks through the moments in life when your will deserves a fresh look.

Read More

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

Most of us assume we will always be able to speak for ourselves when it comes to medical treatment. Illness, injury or an accident can change that in an instant. An advance health directive is one of the most practical documents you can put in place to make sure your wishes are respected, even if you lose the ability to communicate them yourself.

Read More

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

Each month the Commonwealth Bank publishes its Household Spending Insights report, built from the de-identified transactions of around seven million of its customers, roughly 30 per cent of all consumer transactions in Australia. The August 2026 edition, released on 22 September 2026, paints a picture that many Queensland families will recognise. Spending is still growing, but only just, and the growth that remains is going on the things you cannot avoid rather than the things you enjoy.

Read More

If you are a director of a small company, you carry the same core legal duties as the director of a large one. The company may be just you, a laptop and an ABN, and the duties still apply.

In August 2026, ASIC launched a new online resource to help directors of small companies understand and meet those duties. It is called the Small Business Director Essentials hub, and it brings ASIC’s guidance for small company directors together in one place.

Here’s what you need to know.

Read More

This September, our team took part in an AI course and a golf event organised by BAMIT, combining professional development with an enjoyable opportunity to connect outside the office.

With artificial intelligence continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, AI has become one of the most widely discussed topics across many industries and areas of everyday life. The course gave our team an opportunity to learn more about current developments in AI, explore key concepts and applications, and consider how emerging technologies may shape the way we work and live in the future.

Read More

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

Running a company together requires trust and clear expectations. When relationships between shareholders or directors break down, disagreements can affect financial management, business decisions and everyday operations. If the company is also struggling to pay its debts, the situation can become urgent.

You may be asking: Can I access the accounts? Can I challenge a transaction? Can I leave the company or recover my losses? Could the company’s debts put my personal assets at risk?

We can help you understand your position, assess the risks and identify a practical way forward.

Read More

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

You order a custom kitchen, a caravan, a boat or a piece of made-to-order furniture. You pay a series of instalments while it is being built, and you will not receive it until you have paid the last one. Some months later your circumstances change and you decide you no longer want it.

Most people assume that because the goods were never delivered, the money paid should come back. The consumer law does give you a right to cancel in that situation, and it does require the supplier to refund what you have paid. It also allows the supplier to keep a cancellation fee, and a recent Queensland District Court decision shows that the fee can be a very substantial sum even where the buyer has done nothing wrong. This article explains in general terms how these arrangements work, where the money goes if you cancel, and what to look for in the contract before you sign.

Read More

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

Most people know they should have a will. Far fewer have thought about who would pay the mortgage, deal with the bank or speak to a hospital if they were suddenly unable to do so themselves. A will only operates after death. A power of attorney deals with the time before death, when you are alive but cannot, or would prefer not to, act for yourself.

This article explains in general terms how powers of attorney work in Queensland. It covers the two types of power of attorney, when your attorney’s authority may start, whether the document needs to be registered, who you can appoint, and what an attorney can and must do.

Read More