Resource hub
Granny flat resources
Everything we have written for Queensland families thinking about moving mum or dad in — the structure options, the money, the pension, and the wills and powers of attorney that have to line up with the arrangement.
Start here
Talk it through before any money moves
Most granny flat problems we see could have been prevented by a two-page agreement written before the house was sold. The first conversation is obligation free and we quote a fixed fee before drafting anything.
Granny flat essentials
The two core guides — how these arrangements work in Queensland, and how the structures compare.
- Elder LawGranny flat arrangements in Queensland: protecting everyone involvedMoving in with family and contributing to the build or the purchase? What a granny flat interest is, why it should be documented, and how it affects pensions, tax and later estate disputes.Read the guide
- Elder LawGranny flat options compared: ownership, life interest, lease or licenceA side-by-side comparison of the ways a granny flat arrangement can be structured in Queensland — co-ownership, life interest, registered lease, licence to occupy and a secured loan — with the questions to ask before you sign.Read the guide
Free checklists
Print these and work through them at the kitchen table before anyone commits.
- Granny flat arrangement questions checklist (PDF)
The questions every family should answer in writing before money changes hands.
- Contested estate intake checklist (PDF)
What we need if a granny flat arrangement ends up in an estate dispute.
Elder law angles
Capacity, decision-making and the alternatives families weigh up alongside a granny flat — including retirement villages.
- Elder LawBuying into a retirement village in Queensland: what the contract really saysRetirement village contracts in Queensland are not ordinary property purchases. What a right to reside means, how exit fees are calculated, the mandatory disclosure documents and the cooling-off period.Read the guide
- Elder LawEnduring power of attorney in Queensland: what it does and how to set one upWhat an enduring power of attorney does in Queensland, the difference between financial and personal/health powers, when it starts, how to choose an attorney, and how to revoke one.Read the guide
- Elder LawYou have been appointed as attorney: your duties in QueenslandWhat an attorney under a Queensland enduring power of attorney must actually do — record keeping, conflict transactions, gifts, selling the home, and the personal liability that comes with getting it wrong.Read the guide
- Elder LawAdvance health directives and who decides your care in QueenslandQueensland has no enduring guardianship. Health decisions run through an advance health directive, an enduring power of attorney for personal matters, or a statutory health attorney — here is how each one works.Read the guide
Estate planning and disputes
A granny flat arrangement reshapes an estate. These guides cover updating wills, and what happens when other family members challenge the outcome.
- Wills & EstatesWhen to update your will: life events that break an estate planMarriage, divorce, a new grandchild, superannuation, blended families and the sale of a specifically gifted asset can all undo a Queensland will. The triggers to watch and how often to review.Read the guide
- Wills & EstatesContesting a will in Queensland: who can, and the time limitsWho can contest a will in Queensland, what a family provision application involves, the strict six and nine month time limits, and what the court takes into account.Read the guide
- Wills & EstatesYour estate is being contested: an executor's guide in QueenslandWhat executors and beneficiaries should do when a family provision claim or a will challenge is made in Queensland — the notice periods, distributing safely, mediation and who pays the legal costs.Read the guide
- Wills & EstatesWhat happens if you die without a will in Queensland?How Queensland's intestacy rules divide an estate when there is no will, what a spouse and children receive, and why the outcome often surprises families.Read the guide
If a property is being bought or sold
Most granny flat arrangements involve selling one home and buying or altering another. Our fixed-fee conveyancing covers both sides.
- ConveyancingHow much does conveyancing cost in Queensland?A plain-English breakdown of Queensland conveyancing costs in 2026 — the legal fee, government searches, transfer duty and registration fees, and what a fixed fee should include.Read the guide
- ConveyancingThe cooling-off period in Queensland: what buyers need to knowHow the Queensland five business day cooling-off period works for residential contracts, when it starts, what the 0.25% penalty is, and when cooling-off does not apply.Read the guide
- ConveyancingYour building and pest report came back bad. Now what?What Queensland buyers can do when a building and pest inspection finds problems — terminating, negotiating a price reduction, requesting repairs, and the timing traps to avoid.Read the guide
Services that go with it
- Elder lawGranny flat agreements, capacity, aged care and retirement villages.
- Wills & estatesWills, enduring powers of attorney, probate and estate administration.
- Fixed-fee conveyancingSelling the family home or buying the property everyone will share.
- Our feesWhat we charge, in writing, before we start.
Granny flat questions
- What is a granny flat arrangement?
- It is a family agreement where an older person contributes money — often the proceeds of selling their home — in exchange for a right to live in a property owned by someone else, usually an adult child. It does not have to involve a physical granny flat, and the legal structure can range from co-ownership to a lease, a life interest or a simple licence.
- Which structure is safest?
- It depends on the money involved, the family's circumstances and how each side would recover their position if things change. Co-ownership and registered leases offer the strongest protection for the older person; licences and informal promises offer the least. The comparison guide on this page sets out the trade-offs.
- Does a granny flat arrangement need to be in writing?
- Legally many are enforceable without a written document, but proving them is the problem — especially after a death, separation or bankruptcy. Centrelink also expects to see evidence. We always recommend a written agreement signed by everyone contributing or receiving money.
- Do we need to update our wills as well?
- Almost always. A granny flat arrangement changes who holds what, and a will drafted before the arrangement usually contradicts it. We deal with the agreement and the estate planning together so the two documents say the same thing.
We see clients at 40 Theresa Street, Golden Beach QLD 4551, or at home and in aged care around Caloundra when getting out is difficult.