Updates & Insights

This article was written by Jialin Liu Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Jialin Liu‘s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

If your business sponsors skilled workers on a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) or Subclass 186 visa, there is a deadline you cannot afford to miss.

From 1 July 2026, the minimum salary thresholds for employer-sponsored skilled visas will rise — automatically, and without any grace period. Nominations lodged on or after that date must meet the higher figures. There is no discretion. There are no exceptions.

With four months to go, the window to act under the current thresholds is shorter than many employers realise.

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This article was written by Jialin Liu Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Jialin Liu‘s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

The decision to end a marriage is never easy. But once that decision has been made, taking the right legal steps can bring a sense of closure and allow you to move forward with confidence — in your personal life, your finances, and your future plans.

Understanding what divorce means for you, and when it may matter, is an important first step.

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This article was written by Grace Blake, Solicitor at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Grace Blake’s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

W & G Lawyers recently attended the InfoTrack Ready-Set-Go AML/CTF Roadshow in Brisbane, a national workshop designed to help legal professionals prepare for upcoming changes to Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) laws. These reforms will expand existing compliance obligations to a broader range of professional services, including law firms.

While these changes primarily affect how legal practices operate behind the scenes, clients will notice some new procedures when engaging our services from 1 July 2026. This article explains what AML/CTF laws are, why they now apply to law firms, and exactly what to expect when working with us.

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This article was written by Nancy Wang, Principal solicitor at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Nancy Wang’s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

Blended families are increasingly common across Australia, yet they remain one of the most complex situations in estate planning. Where two people come together each with children from prior relationships, real property in various ownership structures, superannuation, insurance, and accumulated wealth — the stakes of getting an estate plan wrong are very high.

This article walks through the key issues every blended family should consider before meeting with a solicitor. It is general information only. Because every family’s situation is different, we strongly recommend obtaining independent legal advice tailored to your circumstances.

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This article was written by Simone Garcia, Legal Practitioner at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Simone Garcia’s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

Across South East Queensland, a booming housing option is being marketed under a variety of appealing names: “over-50s resorts”, “lifestyle villages”, “land lease communities”, “active living estates”. The brochures promise resort-style facilities, community spirit, low maintenance living, and financial freedom in retirement.

What the brochures do not always make clear is the legal framework you are actually entering — and the significant long-term financial and legal obligations that come with it.

This article explains how these arrangements work, what the risks are, and why obtaining independent legal advice before signing is not just a good idea — it is essential.

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Trusts are a widely used estate planning tool. They can protect assets, provide tax flexibility and help support vulnerable beneficiaries.

However, Australia’s foreign investment and state tax rules can create unexpected complications where a trust includes a foreign person as a beneficiary. This issue commonly arises in testamentary trusts created under wills, family discretionary trusts and other trust structures.

If not carefully drafted, a trust that includes a foreign beneficiary may be treated as a foreign trust, potentially triggering additional tax obligations and regulatory requirements.

Understanding how these rules operate is an important part of modern estate planning and assets protection.

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——Lessons from Manicaros v Commercial Images (Aust) Pty Ltd (in liq) [2024] QCA 40

The Queensland Court of Appeal has delivered an important decision that clarifies the circumstances in which a written acknowledgment of debt can revive an otherwise statute-barred claim. In Manicaros v Commercial Images (Aust) Pty Ltd (in liq) [2024] QCA 40, the Court closely examined whether signed financial statements, internal emails, and a filed affidavit constituted valid acknowledgments under sections 35(3) and 36 of the Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld), thereby causing a fresh accrual of the limitation period.

For directors, shareholders, liquidators, and insolvency practitioners, the ruling serves as a stark reminder: documents prepared in the ordinary course of business — even those that appear routine — can carry significant and unintended legal consequences.

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A Warm Welcome into the Legal Profession

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern at W & G Lawyers over the past 6 weeks. As this was my first experience working in a law firm, I was definitely a bit nervous walking in on my first day. However, those nerves quickly faded as I was welcomed into such a supportive and encouraging environment.

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As we are moving towards a more digitally dependent environment, identity protection has become essential to modern legal practice. Verification of Identity (VOI) and Client Authorisation are not merely administrative matters when it comes to e-conveyancing, they are essential safeguards designed to protect clients, practitioners, and the integrity of Australia’s land registration system.

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Recently, the Australian Government made changes relating to the Foreign Resident Capital Gains Withholding (FRCGW), which was implemented on 1 January 2025. Whether you are buying or selling property in Australia, it is essential to understand how the updated rules may affect you.

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