Attwood Marshall Lawyers

16/10/2026

Tomorrow (Saturday 17 October), we are proud to present the Attwood Marshall Lawyers Raceday at the Gold Coast Turf Club. 🏇

The event marks the first of four big weeks in the Gold Coast Spring Racing Carnival calendar, with live local racing at Aquis Park from 10am to 5:30pm and the Caulfield Cup and The Everest on the big screens. Our team will be there trackside alongside all the other racing enthusiasts.

For details, tickets and dress regulations, visit the Gold Coast Turf Club event page: https://gctc.com.au/event/attwood-marshall-lawyers-raceday-saturday-17-october-2026/

Our Legal Practice Director, Jeff Garrett, has also put together his tips on this year's Caulfield Cup and The Everest. You can read them here: https://attwoodmarshall.com.au/caulfield-cup-and-the-everest-race-day-aquis-park-2026/

Please gamble responsibly. For free and confidential support, call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858.

15/10/2026

14/10/2026

Our Family Law series is now streaming on Parent TV.

Partner Hayley Condon and Associates Laura Dolan and Breanna Farrell cover the questions we hear most often from parents going through separation, including how to prepare for separation, travelling with children, grandparents' rights and leaving a violent relationship when children are involved.

Each episode explains the legal process in plain English, so you know where you stand and what your options are.

Parent TV is a great resource for any parent. It has more than 2,000 videos and interactive resources from experts such as Dr Justin Coulson, Maggie Dent and Dr Kristy Goodwin, and our team is now part of the library.

Sign up and have a look here: https://parenttv.com/experts/attwood-marshall-lawyers

Our Family Law team has extensive experience handling parenting disputes and financial agreements. We focus on resolving matters as efficiently as possible, reducing conflict, and always keeping the best interests of the children front and centre.

The information in these episodes is general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Every family's circumstances are different.

13/10/2026

Within weeks of moving into a $1.39 million home, one family found black mould, termite damage and a beehive in the walls.

Their pre-purchase building and pest report had flagged some defects and recommended further investigation. Reports like this are a snapshot of a property on the day it was inspected, and anything they raise needs to be followed up before settlement.

Commercial Litigation Special Counsel Melany Dowse explained the legal position on A Current Affair: "The underlying principle of purchasing a property is buyer beware. You really have an opportunity prior to settlement to be able to do your investigations."

Once settlement has occurred, the options for buyers become much narrower. Where concealment can be shown, it may be possible to commence proceedings for damages. Melany noted however that this is not an easy case to prove and that most buyers will want their home repaired before they spend money on legal fees.

Watch the full story on A Current Affair's post below.

This post is general information only. Every property purchase is different, so seek advice about your own circumstances before you sign.

Karina and Ryan thought they’d bought a dream home for their family and two young sons.

Instead they’re living in a demolition site - a shell of a house that was riddled with termites, black mould and a giant beehive.

07/10/2026

As Australians live longer and more families navigate dementia and aged care, a very different set of family law issues is emerging.

Adult children are increasingly finding themselves in difficult situations where an ageing parent has lost capacity, entered residential aged care, or is in a second marriage or later in life relationship that no longer reflects their wishes or best interests.

Families can suddenly be faced with confronting questions. What happens if mum can no longer make decisions for herself? What if dad's new partner won't cooperate with aged care planning? And how do you protect the assets your parents worked a lifetime to build while still respecting their rights and dignity?

The legal difficulty is that adult children do not have authority to act for a parent simply because they are their children.

Family Law and Wills & Estates Partner Hayley Condon recently spoke about this on Law Talks on 4CRB, including the mistake she sees families make most often.

Listen to the full radio segment here: https://youtu.be/WVx_Jv1n3WM?si=0GRNoJwXSlfRBVKw

And read more here: https://attwoodmarshall.com.au/ageing-parents-capacity-and-relationships/

01/10/2026

"Now it's so much worse."

Family Law and Wills & Estates Partner Hayley Condon hears this from families who waited too long to deal with an ageing parent's separation, divorce or property settlement issues.

Family law is often associated with younger couples, but it also affects older Australians, particularly where one spouse has dementia, needs high-level care or must move into residential aged care.

Timing matters because capacity determines what a person can do for themselves. Someone with early-stage dementia may still be able to decide to separate, apply for divorce and start property settlement proceedings.

Once capacity is lost, those proceedings must be run on their behalf by a case guardian appointed by the court, and an adult child has no automatic right to step in.

"Families often avoid these conversations because they are uncomfortable. Unfortunately, later can often be too late," says Hayley.

Her latest article explains how dementia affects separation and divorce, who can act for a parent who has lost capacity, and what families can do while their parent can still express their wishes: https://attwoodmarshall.com.au/ageing-parents-capacity-and-relationships/

To discuss your family's situation, call us today on 1800 621 071.

25/09/2026

Selling a property can be stressful enough without unexpected requests from the buyer before settlement. Maybe they ask if they can collect the keys a few days early, move furniture in, organise trades or even start living there before settlement.

It might seem like a harmless favour, but is it? Mieke Elzer, Property & Commercial Law Senior Associate, discusses what can go wrong when the seller allows early access and what should be documented first.

22/09/2026

Yesterday members of our Wills & Estates team saw 60 people through the door of our Coolangatta office for another successful Community Wills Day.

Our estate planning lawyers donated their time to prepare simple Wills for the community, with their fees going directly to the Salvation Army to support the important work they do, helping individuals and families in need across Australia.

Wills Days provide a wonderful way to make sure you have a legally valid and up-to-date Will that reflects your wishes, whilst also supporting a hard-working local charity.

Pictured here are Attwood Marshall Lawyers' Chloe Wilson and Rhiannon Garrett, with Saman Mall, Relationships Manager Wills & Bequests from the Salvation Army.

21/09/2026

We love attending local events, and this weekend was extra special because this particular one was hosted by our retired founding partner, Bob Marshall, and his wife Evelyn.

Bob and Evelyn opened up their 11-acre estate, Tani Tei En in Currumbin Valley for the weekend, so the public could wander through their stunning gardens and old dairy. There were scavenger hunts for the kids, food stalls, local gardening groups, pop-up plant stalls, a specialist bonsai booth, and representatives from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Every dollar from ticket sales went to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital and Southern Beaches Community Gardens. As corporate partners of the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, we were glad to see so many people come along to support them.

Bob and Evelyn spent the day walking the grounds and chatting with guests about how they have transformed the land since buying it over three decades ago.

Well done to both on a successful event, all for charity!