PCL Lawyers

15/10/2026

Is your company struggling to pay its debts? 🏢

Maybe creditors are threatening action, cash flow problems won't go away, or you're unsure about your duties as a director.

Here's something many directors don't realise: administration is not the same as liquidation.

Administration is a temporary process. An independent administrator takes control, investigates the company's affairs and reports to creditors. The aim is to keep the company, or as much of its business as possible, going. If that's not possible, the aim is a better return for creditors than an immediate winding up.

Directors stay in office but can't exercise their powers without the administrator's written approval.

Acting early may preserve options that won't be available if the company's financial position gets worse. 👇

📞 Read the full guide on our website: https://buff.ly/1QDsMsr

11/10/2026

How long does it take to recover a debt through a lawyer? It depends on how the debtor responds. 💬

Undefended: if the debtor pays after a letter of demand, or doesn't respond once proceedings are filed, resolution can happen within days or weeks.

Defended: if the debtor files a defence, the matter usually moves to dispute resolution such as mediation, then to a hearing. In the Magistrates or Local Court, that typically takes several months.

One thing that speeds it up is having your paperwork ready: invoices, contracts, delivery records, correspondence and a clear timeline of events.

If a debtor doesn't respond in time, a default judgment can open up enforcement options such as garnishee orders over bank accounts or wages.

👇 Get in touch with our dispute resolution team.
https://buff.ly/TCljT2K

General information only. For advice specific to your situation, speak with a lawyer.

09/10/2026

If your business is under financial pressure, a "DOCA" might be the most important four letters you've never heard of.

A Deed of Company Arrangement is a formal restructuring tool under Australian law. It's a legally binding arrangement between a company and its creditors — and it's often used to keep viable businesses trading rather than winding them up.

A well-structured DOCA might allow you to:

✔️ Continue operating
✔️ Pay creditors a better return over time
✔️ Preserve key contracts and projects
✔️ Restructure the business or bring in new investors
✔️ Compromise disputes

The key word is "well-structured." Many DOCAs fail because they're rushed, generic, or attempted too late.

👇 Read the full article: https://buff.ly/9hzGswX

07/10/2026

When might the child support formula not fit? ⚖️

In the special circumstances of a case, the grounds for a Departure Order include, but aren't limited to:

• A parent's capacity to support the child is significantly reduced, for example by a duty to maintain another child or person
• The costs of maintaining the child are significantly affected by special needs, high child care costs, or high costs of spending time with the child
• The formula would be unjust given the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of either parent or the child

Having a ground is only the first step. The Court must also be satisfied that the order is just and equitable, and otherwise proper.

👇 Get in touch with our family law team, or read the full article:
https://buff.ly/lCBsSHR

03/10/2026

Signing, renewing or reviewing a lease for your business? 📄

Download our Commercial Leasing Guide and Retail Leasing Guide here: Retail Leasing Guide
https://buff.ly/TCOu8xy

Commercial Leasing Guide
https://buff.ly/kjt0aiN

02/10/2026

Notified your insurer late? Don't assume the claim is dead. 👇

Most policies require notification "as soon as is reasonably practicable". Miss that, and a lot of business owners assume the insurer can simply refuse to pay.

Section 54 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 may say otherwise. It can apply where a policy permits an insurer to refuse a claim because the insured did — or didn't do — something after the policy was issued.

The real question becomes: to what extent, as a monetary sum, were the insurer's interests actually prejudiced by the late notification?

If the late notification hasn't caused any prejudice, the insurer can't reduce the amount it has to pay because of it.

We're highly experienced in this area and we can help you deal with your insurer. ⚖️

Read the full guide on our website 🔗 https://buff.ly/JkVxgIB

General information only — for advice specific to your situation, speak with a lawyer.

Section 54 of the Insurance Act Insurance policies often require that any claim under the policy be notified to the insurer “as soon as is reasonably practicable” (or something similar). What happens…

30/09/2026

Got an invoice that's months overdue? 💬

For many Australian businesses, there's a point where unpaid accounts stop being an admin nuisance and start hitting cash flow.

A debt collection agency can work for smaller, fresh debts where the debtor has simply gone quiet. But agencies can't take court action. If they're ignored, that's where it ends.

A letter of demand on law firm letterhead is different. It sets a deadline to pay, commonly 7 to 30 days depending on the jurisdiction, and makes clear that court proceedings come next. Many debts resolve at this stage, with debtors often getting in touch within days.

👇 Our guide covers when to use each option, what it costs and how long it takes.
https://buff.ly/TCljT2K

15/09/2026

Buying commercial or industrial property in Victoria?

The Commercial and Industrial Property Tax (CIPT) is designed to gradually replace upfront stamp duty with an ongoing annual tax.

How it works: stamp duty is still paid on the first qualifying transaction that brings a property into the scheme. After that, future qualifying transfers may be exempt from duty. The annual tax then begins after a 10-year transition period, at 1% of the land's site value. Certain eligible build-to-rent developments pay a concessional 0.5%.

Retail premises, offices, warehouses, factories and some vacant commercial or industrial land commonly fall within the regime.

Worth knowing: CIPT is separate from land tax. A property may be liable for both. ⚖️

So this impacts not only landholders but tenants of commercial and industrial properties.

General information only — for advice specific to your situation, speak with a lawyer.

Read the full article here👇
https://buff.ly/4adayZp

08/09/2026

Three moments where a Fair Work claim is either made or avoided.

Our litigation specialist Roland Müller sat down with Employment Hero for their article on AI-assisted unfair dismissal claims. The FairWork Commission's workload is up 70% in three years, and it's pointing squarely at AI.

But AI part isn't where most SMEs actually come unstuck. It's the ordinary stuff:

1️⃣ Hiring — get the classification wrong and it can follow you for years. With 120+ modern awards, it can easily happens.
2️⃣ Performance management — no clear process means no evidence when you need it.
3️⃣ Termination — where everything unresolved arrives at once.

Most owners call a lawyer at stage three, often after a problem has surfaced.

We outline how business owners and stakeholders can get better employment processes in their business to deal with increased litigation in this area.

Read the full article by Employment Hero 👉 https://buff.ly/Kb9lJD9

02/09/2026

Own a rental, a holiday home or a vacant block in Victoria? You may be paying land tax for the first time even if the value of the land is low. 🏢

Land tax is an annual tax on land you own in Victoria, based on the unimproved value of the land — not the buildings on it. Your own home is exempt.

From 2024 the tax-free threshold dropped to $50,000 of land value, and $25,000 for land held in trust. It was previously $250,000. That means even a small block of land or a parking spot can now trigger an assessment.

If you own more than one property, the site values are added together.

Assessment notices usually arrive between January and May. If yours doesn't look right, you have the right to object. ⚖️

Read the full guide 👇
https://buff.ly/BUAMv5W