Guides
Queensland law, explained in plain English
The questions clients actually ask, answered properly. General information about Queensland law — not advice about your situation, which needs a conversation.
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Conveyancing
How 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.
The cooling-off period in Queensland: what buyers need to know
How 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.
Your 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.
Caveats on property in Queensland: what they are and how to deal with one
What a caveat does to a Queensland title, when you have a caveatable interest, how to lodge one, how long it lasts, and the ways to remove a caveat before settlement.
Buying and selling farmland in Queensland: what to check before you sign
A practical guide to rural and farmland conveyancing in Queensland — water rights, vegetation management, GST and the going concern, biosecurity, plant and livestock, leases and access.
How do I sell my property privately in Queensland?
Selling privately in Queensland without an agent — how to price and market, what the contract must contain, seller disclosure obligations from 1 August 2025, deposits, and how settlement works. Fixed-fee help from $990 incl. GST.
Transferring property in a family law settlement (Queensland)
How a house is transferred between separating couples in Queensland — consent orders, transfer duty exemptions, refinancing, and what the conveyancing side involves.
Subdividing land in Queensland: what owners need to know
A practical guide to subdividing property in Queensland — reconfiguring a lot, council approval, operational works, survey plans, and how the new titles are created and sold.
Easements in Queensland: what they are and how they affect your property
What an easement is in Queensland, how access, drainage and services easements work, what shows on a title search, and how easements are created, varied or removed.
Can a buyer or seller pull out of an unconditional contract in Queensland?
What happens if a buyer or seller wants out of an unconditional contract in Queensland — deposit forfeiture, damages, resale losses and the narrow exits that actually exist.
Vacant possession in Queensland: what it means at settlement
What vacant possession means on a Queensland contract, what counts as a breach, tenanted properties, rubbish and chattels left behind, and what a buyer can do at settlement.
Adding or removing a name from a property title in Queensland
How to add or remove a name from a Queensland property title — the transfer form, transfer duty and exemptions, mortgagee consent, separation, death of an owner and what it costs.
Withdrawing an offer on a house in Queensland
Can you withdraw an offer on a house in Queensland? What happens before signing, after signing, during cooling-off, and at auction — plus the cost of pulling out too late.
Sunset clauses in Queensland contracts
How sunset clauses work in Queensland: off-the-plan sunset dates, subject-to-sale contracts and the 48-hour clause, who can terminate, and how to protect yourself.
Simultaneous settlement in Queensland: selling and buying on the same day
How simultaneous settlement works in Queensland — chaining a sale and a purchase on the same day, the risks when one link fails, bridging finance, and how to protect yourself.
Title search Queensland: how to get a copy of your property title
How to do a title search in Queensland, what a title search shows, what the registered plan and encumbrances mean, what it costs, and which searches you need before you buy.
Stamp duty in Queensland: how transfer duty is calculated and when it is paid
Queensland stamp duty explained: transfer duty rates, the home and first home concessions, when duty is payable, who pays, and the foreign acquirer surcharge.
Sell my house: the step-by-step process in Queensland
How to sell a house in Queensland: agent appointment, the new Form 2 seller disclosure, contract, cooling off, settlement and what it all costs.
What is Torrens title? Queensland land ownership explained
Torrens title explained in plain English: how the Queensland register works, indefeasibility, and how Torrens differs from strata, community and freehold titles.
Buying land in Queensland: what to check before you sign
Buying vacant land in Queensland: zoning, easements, covenants, services, flood and bushfire mapping, soil tests, duty concessions and build-time deadlines.
Solicitor or conveyancer in Queensland — what is the difference?
Queensland does not licence non-lawyer conveyancers the way NSW and Victoria do. Here is what that means for who can act on your property transfer, and when the difference actually matters.
What does a conveyancer actually do in Queensland?
A step-by-step account of what your conveyancing lawyer actually does between signing the contract and settlement day in Queensland — searches, dates, adjustments and PEXA.
Due diligence clauses in Queensland contracts
What a due diligence clause does in a Queensland contract, how long the period should be, what to investigate, and how to terminate properly if the investigations turn up a problem.
Strata title vs Torrens title — what Queensland buyers need to know
The difference between freehold Torrens title and community titles (strata) in Queensland — what you own, what you pay, and how the two affect resale, renovation and finance.
Settlement day in Queensland — what actually happens
What happens on settlement day for a Queensland property — the pre-settlement inspection, how PEXA settlement works, when you get the keys, and what to do if settlement is delayed.
Selling when you owe more than the house is worth (negative equity in Queensland)
What an 'underwater' or negative equity mortgage means, why it makes a Queensland sale harder, and how a solicitor manages a shortfall sale so settlement still happens.
Buying from a mortgagee in possession in Queensland
What a mortgagee in possession sale is, what it means for the owner losing the property and for the buyer, the clauses banks insist on, and how a solicitor protects a buyer through the contract and settlement.
The uninsurable house: flood, storm surge and insurance risk on the Queensland coast
Flood and storm surge premiums are making some coastal Queensland homes effectively uninsurable. What buyers, sellers and agents must check before contract, and how the contract can protect you.
Payment redirection and settlement fraud: how buyers and sellers lose their money
How conveyancing payment redirection fraud works in Queensland, why deposits and settlement proceeds are the target, who bears the loss, and the process that stops it.
Unapproved decks, sheds and pools: buying and selling older Queensland homes
What happens when a Queensland home has unapproved building work — decks, carports, sheds, pools and enclosed under-house areas. Buyer risk, seller obligations and how it gets fixed.
Seller disclosure one year on: how Form 2 is actually going wrong
A year into Queensland's mandatory seller disclosure regime, this is where Form 2 statements are failing, what section 104 termination really requires, and what the case law so far tells us.
"Never be built out": views, property features and misleading conduct by agents
Ocean views, land size, boundaries and "council-approved" rooms. What Queensland buyers can do when a property is not what the agent said it was, and how sellers and agencies stay out of trouble.
Possession before settlement: allocating risk in Queensland residential conveyancing
Early possession before settlement in Queensland: what clause 8.5 of the REIQ/QLS contract does and does not cover, the licence versus tenancy risk, insurance traps, the terms an occupation licence deed should record, and how a seller recovers possession.
Business & Commercial
Buying or selling a business in Queensland: what you need to know
A plain-English guide to buying or selling a small business in Queensland — due diligence, the REIQ business sale contract, lease assignment, employees, GST and going concern, restraints and settlement.
Buying or selling a business in Queensland: step-by-step
The business sale process in Queensland stage by stage — heads of agreement, contract, due diligence, landlord consent, the settlement document request, adjustments and settlement day, with a free checklist.
Buying and selling body corporate management rights in Queensland
What management rights actually are, how the caretaking agreement and letting agreement are valued by multiplier, the licensing and body corporate approvals required, and the key risks for buyers and sellers in Queensland.
Commercial property conveyancing in Queensland: what buyers and sellers need to know
Commercial conveyancing in Queensland — contract and due diligence periods, GST and going concern, leases and tenancy schedules, environmental and planning searches, and what settlement readiness actually requires.
Assigning a retail shop lease in Queensland: Form 7, Form 9 and the Form 12 legal advice report
How a retail shop lease assignment works in Queensland — landlord consent, the Form 7 disclosure statement, Form 9 financial advice report and the Form 12 legal advice report, and the deadlines that hold up settlement.
Independent legal advice for guarantors: what you are actually signing
What a guarantor is signing, when a bank can come after you, and why lenders demand an independent legal advice certificate — plus what the solicitor's certificate does and does not do.
Vendor finance when selling a business: how it works, the risks, and how we protect the seller
How vendor finance works in a Queensland business sale — deferred purchase price, security, PPSR registrations, guarantees and default rights — and the terms that protect the seller.
Tranche 2, eight weeks in: what real estate agencies are getting wrong
A solicitor's review of the first weeks of AML/CTF tranche 2 for Queensland real estate agencies — the mistakes showing up in practice, the agent's personal exposure, the tipping-off trap, and word-for-word scripts for the hard conversations.
Wills & Estates
Contesting a will in Queensland: who can, and the time limits
Who 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.
Do I need probate in Queensland?
When probate is required in Queensland, what letters of administration are, how long the process takes, and what an executor has to do after a death.
What 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.
Your estate is being contested: an executor's guide in Queensland
What 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.
When to update your will: life events that break an estate plan
Marriage, 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.
Testamentary trusts in Queensland: are they worth it?
What a testamentary trust is, the tax treatment of minors' income, asset protection on divorce or bankruptcy, running costs, and when a Queensland will really needs one.
Time limits for contesting a will in Queensland
The six month notice period and nine month filing deadline for a family provision application in Queensland, when the court will extend time, and what happens if the estate is already distributed.
My parent left everything to one child — what can I do in Queensland?
Unequal wills between siblings in Queensland: when a family provision claim succeeds, what the court weighs, and how caring for a parent or a lifetime gift affects the outcome.
Challenging a will's validity in Queensland: capacity, undue influence and suspicious circumstances
How to challenge the validity of a Queensland will — testamentary capacity, knowledge and approval, undue influence, forgery and improper execution — and the evidence each ground needs.
How much does it cost to contest a will in Queensland?
What a family provision claim costs in Queensland, when the estate pays, how no-win-no-fee arrangements work, and why mediation is where most claims are resolved.
DIY will kit vs a solicitor-drafted will in Queensland
Are post office and online will kits valid in Queensland? What they cost, where they fail, and when a homemade will is genuinely enough.
What is a testamentary trust?
A plain-English explanation of testamentary trusts in Queensland — how they work, the tax and asset protection benefits, who controls them, and what they cost.
Testamentary trust vs simple will: which do you need?
A side-by-side comparison of a simple will and a testamentary trust will in Queensland — cost, tax, asset protection, control and ongoing compliance, and how to choose.
How long does probate take in Queensland?
A realistic timeline for a Queensland grant of probate — the 14 day notice period, registry processing, and how long collecting and distributing the estate takes after the grant.
How to apply for probate in Queensland: the step-by-step process
The actual steps to apply for a grant of probate in the Supreme Court of Queensland — the notice, serving the Public Trustee, the affidavit, filing, and dealing with requisitions.
What does an executor actually have to do in Queensland?
A plain-English list of an executor's duties in Queensland — from the funeral and the death certificate through to estate accounts, the six month rule and personal liability.
How much does probate cost in Queensland?
What probate really costs in Queensland — the solicitor's fee, the Supreme Court filing fee, advertising, and why percentage-of-the-estate charging costs executors more.
Never remove the staples from a will (and other ways an original gets damaged)
Why unstapling, pinning, paper-clipping, marking or tearing an original will causes problems in a Queensland probate application — and what to do if it has already happened.
Selling a deceased estate property before probate: what an executor can and cannot do
Can an executor list, sign a contract and settle a Queensland property before the grant of probate? What agents get wrong, how the timing works, and how to protect the estate.
Giving the house to the kids now, or leaving it to them in your will
There is no inheritance tax in Australia. A plain-English Queensland guide to the real transfer duty, capital gains tax and Centrelink difference between gifting the family home to your children now and leaving it to them under your will.
Crypto in your will: how Queenslanders can pass on digital assets without losing them
Cryptocurrency is the one asset that can vanish permanently on death. How to deal with crypto in a Queensland will — executor powers, a secure access memorandum, CGT rollover and the traps.
Elder Law
Enduring power of attorney in Queensland: what it does and how to set one up
What 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.
Buying into a retirement village in Queensland: what the contract really says
Retirement 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.
Granny flat arrangements in Queensland: protecting everyone involved
Moving 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.
Granny flat options compared: ownership, life interest, lease or licence
A 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.
Advance health directives and who decides your care in Queensland
Queensland 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.
You have been appointed as attorney: your duties in Queensland
What 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.
When the children don't want the family home sold
What happens in Queensland when adult children object to a parent selling the family home — caveats, capacity allegations, equitable claims by a child who moved in or paid for work, and how to keep a downsizing sale out of court.
Reverse mortgages in Queensland: the risks, the fine print and the better options
How reverse mortgages work in Queensland, the compounding interest problem, the no negative equity guarantee, what happens when you sell or die, and the alternatives worth considering first.
Selling a house when the owner has lost capacity: attorneys, QCAT and the traps
How a Queensland property is sold when the owner has lost capacity — attorney powers under an enduring power of attorney, conflict transactions, QCAT administrators, and what agents and buyers must know.
Enduring powers of attorney in Queensland: what they are, why you need one, and why it pays to have a solicitor prepare it
What an enduring power of attorney does in Queensland, what happens at QCAT if you don't have one, and what an experienced estate planning solicitor adds that a downloaded form cannot.
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