When you’re buying a house or property with a loved one, estate planning is rarely front of mind. However, how you own the house can have a huge impact down the track. There are two ways to own property with another person (or persons). Each is treated differently in the event of your death. Joint tenancy means that you both own the whole property ‘jointly and severally. If you die, the property automatically passes to the other owner without the need to transfer the title. Tenants-in-common, however, owns distinct and separate shares of the property. These may be 50:50 or any other proportion ..read more

Gill & Lane Solicitors will be closed over the Christmas/New Year Period and will re-open on 11 January 2021. However, our property team will be back in the office (in a limited capacity) from 4 January 2021. What happens to Contract Critical Dates over the Christmas period? The standard REIQ Contract Terms and the Terms and Conditions of the ADL Contract carve out the period from 27th December to 31st December (inclusive) as non-business days. If any critical date under a Contract falls on a “non-business day” then that date moves to the next business day after that period. This means tha ..read more

Like many Queensland businesses, the team at Gill & Lane Solicitors are returning to the office. Some staff continue to work remotely and will do so for the immediate future. To maintain the health and wellbeing of our team, our clients and the community we have implemented changes to protect everyone and minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Changes include minor renovations to increase the size of meeting rooms to ensure we comply with social distancing requirements. Cleaning schedules have been increased and hand sanitiser provided for all staff and visitors to use when en ..read more

Gill & Lane & COVID-19 update At Gill & Lane, the health and wellbeing of our team, our clients and the community is extremely important. We are implementing procedures and following Government guidelines to minimise any risks or disruption as a result of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We understand the importance of being able to continue to assist our clients during this time and we are set up to do so.  We are expanding our flexible work arrangements to enable our team to work from home. To ensure the care of both our team and our clients, we will be minimising in office meetings ..read more

Many of us know how important it is to take great care when asked to sign legal documents correctly, and it’s particularly important when it comes to Wills. Over the years we have seen many Wills deemed invalid for no other reason than they weren’t signed properly. You may wonder what exactly that means. Legal Requirements for Signing a Will Under Queensland Law, you need to follow specific guidelines when signing a Will. If it’s not signed properly it can lead to costly and protracted legal proceedings. It can also cause unnecessary grief and heartache for loved ones. The following is require ..read more

The idea of estate planning can sometimes seem strange, as it is something that doesn’t typically come into effect in your lifetime. It may seem hard to see the direct benefits, but the same argument could be said for insurance in many ways. In fact, estate planning does matter a lot, particularly to your loved ones after you depart. It can also be incredibly important for managing your care and assets when you get older, or if you were to become incapacitated.   Yet many Australians – some estimate one in two – don’t have a valid and up-to-date Will or estate plan in place. Some make use ..read more

In Wills and Estate Planning every one of our clients and their individual situations are unique, but there is one thing many of them have in common. Most people who speak to us share a similar feeling of being overwhelmed or confused about parts of the process involved to create a Will and Estate Plan. They say they don’t know where to start, or don’t know what’s required legally to make sure their future wishes will be secured. To help you, we have put together the most common Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers. Our Top FAQs Do I need a Will and Estate Plan? Many people make the m ..read more

Choosing an Executor for your estate is an important decision, but selecting the right person for the job isn’t enough if you want your estate to be administered in a timely, and the least painful manner. Once you have chosen an Executor it’s important to consider how you can make their job easier for them. Unfortunately being an Executor can be a time-consuming task. They are responsible for the deceased’s property and for payment of all outstanding debts and taxes from the Estate funds, as well as distribution of assets to the beneficiaries. This involves sourcing all of the relevant do ..read more