Big Law

Conveyancing: Buying Off the Plan

Buying a property off the plan in Queensland offers a fresh start, but the legal paperwork is significantly different from buying an established home.

You are essentially signing a contract for a property that does not yet have its own title and may not even be built.

One of the most critical elements to understand is the sunset clause, which sets a deadline for the project completion. If the developer misses this date, the contract could potentially be terminated.

We help you navigate these complex disclosure statements and sunset periods so you can look forward to your new home with confidence rather than uncertainty.

Our team ensures your interests are protected from the initial deposit through to the final inspection and settlement.

Read our full guide here: https://biglaw.com.au/buying-off-the-plan-in-queensland/ or call (07) 3482 6999 to discuss your contract.

Thank you Boss Lawyers for your your kind words!

Imagine a will leaves the family home to a daughter — but by the time the estate is distributed, the home has been sold to pay for aged care.

The law calls this ademption: when a specific gift no longer exists, the beneficiary may receive nothing in its place. Queensland law does offer some protection where an attorney sold the asset, but the better path is a will drafted flexibly enough to cope with life's changes.

We've explained how it works, and how to guard against it, here: www.biglaw.com.au/how-ademption-affects-wills

Take Care of Tomorrow, Today. Call (07) 3482 6999 or visit www.biglaw.com.au

A quick reminder for Brisbane property owners: in Queensland, land tax is worked out on the land you own at midnight on 30 June each year.

Your own home is generally excluded. But investment properties, vacant land, and units held in a body corporate scheme can count toward the total — and the tax applies once your land value passes the threshold (Queensland Revenue Office).

If you've bought, sold, or changed how a property is held this year, it's worth understanding where you stand before 30 June rolls around.

Questions about how a recent purchase affects your position? Call now: (07) 3482 6999.

Signed a contract on a home?

The pen-down moment feels like the finish line. It isn't.In Queensland, most standard REIQ contracts come with conditions that still have to be met — finance approval, a building and pest inspection, and the cooling-off period. Each one has a deadline, and missing it can put your deposit or your purchase at risk.

The good news: none of it is mysterious once someone walks you through it. That's the part we're happy to do — before you sign, not after.

Thinking of buying?

Book a contract review before you sign — biglaw.com.au/contact-us or call (07) 3482 6999.

A business can't sign a will, of course. But the question is a real one: have you decided what happens to your share of the business if something happens to you?

It's the part of estate planning small business owners most often leave until "later." Yet the answer depends on how your business is set up. A sole trader's assets pass through their personal will. But shares in a company, or an interest in a partnership or trust, can be governed by other documents entirely — a shareholders' agreement, a partnership agreement, or a trust deed — and those can override what your will says.

That's why your will and your business documents need to tell the same story. If they don't, the people you intended to provide for can be left negotiating with business partners at the worst possible time.

The good news: sorting it out is usually straightforward once someone looks at both sides together.

Worth a conversation before "later" arrives? Book a chat — www.biglaw.com.au/contact-us, email [email protected], or call (07) 3482 6999.

This is one of those conversations that's much easier to have early.

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) allows someone you trust to make financial and personal decisions on your behalf if illness, injury, or age means you're no longer able to make those decisions yourself.

The important thing to know is that timing matters.

An EPOA can only be made while you still have the legal capacity to understand what you're signing.

If that opportunity passes, families in Queensland often need to apply to QCAT to have someone formally appointed to make decisions. That process can take time, involve extra costs, and add stress during an already difficult period.

Putting an EPOA in place is a simple step that can make a significant difference later on.

More than anything, it's a quiet act of care for the people who may one day need to step in and help.

Thinking about putting an EPOA in place?

📞 Call (07) 3482 6999

Buying premises for your business? It's a different game to buying a home.

Purchasing commercial property is one of the biggest moves a business can make — and the legal side carries risks that residential buyers never face.

Things to get right before you sign:

→ Due diligence — zoning, permitted use, and whether the property actually suits your business
→ GST — commercial purchases can have GST consequences a home purchase doesn't
→ Existing leases — if tenants are already in place, you may be buying the lease along with the building
→ The Property Law Act 2023 — Queensland's reformed property rules affect what you're entitled to know before contract

The cheapest mistake is the one you catch before you sign. Have the contract reviewed first.
We'll guide you through it in plain English — no hidden fees, no need to head into the Brisbane CBD.

Take Care of Tomorrow, Today. Call (07) 3482 6999 or visit www.biglaw.com.au

A homemade Will can cost your family far more than it ever saved you.

A recent Supreme Court of Queensland decision has again highlighted what can go wrong when Wills are prepared without proper legal advice — confusion, disputes, and estates tied up for years.

A professionally drafted Will is one of the kindest things you can leave behind.

Take care of tomorrow, today. Call (07) 3482 6999 or visit www.biglaw.com.au

Many people assume their Will takes care of everything they own. But if your family holds assets in a discretionary (family) trust, here's the catch: those assets generally aren't yours to give away in your Will — they belong to the trust.

What actually matters is who controls the trust after you're gone. That's usually the role of the "appointor" or "trustee" — and if that succession isn't planned, control can end up somewhere you never intended.

It's one of the most overlooked gaps in estate planning. The fix is straightforward once you know to look for it.

If your family or business uses a trust, it's worth reviewing your Will and your trust documents together.

Take Care of Tomorrow, Today. Call (07) 3482 6999 or visit www.biglaw.com.au