Friday 29th April 2022 from 9am

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LIVE ON RADIO 4CRB:
Wills & Estates Senior Associate Debbie Sage will join Robyn Hyland to talk about the importance of planning for end-of-life care and what options are available.

Attwood Marshall Lawyers remains open during the 3-day lockdown

News

As an essential business, we remain open during the current QLD 3-day lockdown and have taken the necessary steps to continue to adhere to our COVID Safe Plan at all our offices.

While we remain open, the three-day lockdown will result in a number of changes where necessary, including switching our face-to-face appointments with phone or video consultations during this time. Our offices are open, and our staff are on-site (while adhering to social distancing rules) to ensure we can continue to help you with all your legal needs. Some of our lawyers are working from home or remotely, but we have the appropriate IT systems in place to ensure the security and confidentiality of our client’s matters and their information.

The health and wellbeing of our clients and staff is our top priority. We are dedicated to upholding stringent health protocols and social distancing methods in line with the most recent health authorities’ advice.

We want to assure our clients that we will continue to support you, as we always have, during these challenging times.

Border Crossing and current COVID-19 rules

For your convenience, we have offices located on either side of the QLD-NSW border. Our New South Wales clients are able to attend our Kingscliff office to access all our legal services as normal. Clients in Queensland are able to access our offices at Coolangatta, Robina Town Centre and Brisbane.

Anyone travelling from NSW to QLD:

From 1am Monday 28 June, New South Wales border zone residents are required to complete a travel declaration to enter Queensland. The pass is valid for 14 days.

People who have been in a hotspot in the last 14 days or since the start date identified for the hotspot (whichever is shorter), will only be able to enter Queensland if they are a returning Queensland resident or required to enter for a limited range of essential reasons.

Queensland residents returning to Queensland from a hotspot must quarantine for 14 days on entering the state in a government arranged accommodation at their own expense.

  • From 10am on Sunday 27 June, anyone who has been in any of the 35 Local Government Areas of Greater Sydney must follow the requirements of the Interstate Places of Concern Direction that specifics the stay-at-home requirements you must follow.

For a complete list of hot spots, click here.
Read the latest Queensland border restrictions.

Queensland rules currently in place:

  • Face masks must be worn in indoor spaces where you can’t physically distance. You must carry a face mask with you at all times, unless you have a lawful reason not to. If anyone needs to visit our offices, we have face masks and hand sanitizer available.
  • Although most shopping centers remain open during this time, some businesses such as entertainment venues, beauty and personal care services will temporarily close.
  • Restaurants and cafes are permitted to serve takeaway or delivery only.
  • Indoor premises and indoor events allow 1 person per 4m2 inside and 1 person per 2m2 outdoors.
  • Indoor wedding ceremonies can allow up to 100 people. Only 20 people are allowed to dance.
  • Indoor funerals can allow up to 100 people.
  • Private residence gatherings are restricted to 30 people.

Any of our Sydney or Melbourne clients can arrange telephone or video consultations during this time, until such time as travel restrictions are lifted and we can arrange face-to-face appointments once more in these locations.

Support Packages Announced in NSW

The NSW Government has announced new grants and changes to the Dine & Discover program to help tens of thousands of small businesses and people across New South Wales that are impacted by the current COVID-19 restrictions.

The grants package includes:

  • Between $5000 and $10,000 for small businesses
  • Payroll tax deferrals for all employers
  • Extension of the Dine & Discover program to 31 August 2021

The package is intended to help small businesses by alleviating cashflow constraints while trading is restricted.

Three different grant amounts will be available for small businesses depending on the decline in their turnover during the current restrictions:

  • For a 70% decline, $10,000 is available
  • For a 50% decline, $7,000 is available
  • For a 30% decline, $5,000 is available

The small business grants are available for sole traders and non-for-profit organisations, with expanded criteria to assist most hospitality and tourism operators impacted by the restrictions during school holidays.

Click here to read more about the grants and criteria that needs to be met to be eligible to receive this support.

Look after your mental health during this challenging time

Understandably, many small business owners are reporting that COVID-19 has negatively affected their mental health. To address the need to support small business owners during this challenging time, Beyond Blue has developed a support program called “NewAccess for Small Business Owners Program”.

If your business has been impacted and you are struggling during this time, there is free and confidential mental health support for small business owners available.

The mental health and coaching program allow participants to recognize the way they think, act and feel and provide strategies to help break unhelpful thought patterns.

Over six sessions, coaches with a small business background will work with small business owners to overcome difficult issues, providing them with practical skills to manage stress and get back to feeling like themselves.

As all the coaches have a small business background, they are well-equipped to understand the challenges small business owners may face. Together, they will develop an understanding of what is causing you distress and can work on practical tools that can be used in day-to-day life.

The program is tailored to your individual needs and is available nationally by phone or video call.

No doctor’s referral or mental health treatment plan is required. The program is currently available until March 2022.

To find out more, call 1300 945 301 or complete Beyond Blue’s enquiry form by clicking here.

Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney

Many clients have contacted our offices recently to enquire about having their Will prepared and an Enduring Power of Attorney.

Our dedicated Wills and Estates department has lawyers who practice exclusively in this area and are available to provide you with proper legal advice on your estate planning needs. We can carry out this consultation while you are in lockdown and, if needed, sign and witness the documents electronically.

Just give us a call! To discuss your estate planning needs, contact Wills and Estates Department Manager, Donna Tolley, on direct line 07 5506 8241, mobile 0423 772 555, email dtolley@attwoodmarshall.com.au or free call 1800 621 071 at any time.

Attwood Marshall Lawyers are here to help

We understand that this lockdown is disruptive and disappointing for many people. We are here to support you in any way that we can and to maintain our consistent service offering so that your legal matters can continue to be resolved as quickly as possible.

We continue to offer phone, Skype or FaceTime appointments to clients as an initial form of communication. Subsequent meetings requiring document signing are conducted following all health protocols in our spacious meeting rooms which are meticulously cleaned and sanitized after every meeting.

If you need any support or legal advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out and phone our 24/7 phone line on 1800 621 071 at any time, or email info@attwoodmarshall.com.au

Read more about the current COVID-19 situation and case numbers here.

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Jeff Garrett - Legal Practice Director - Wills & Estates, Estate Litigation, Property & Commercial, Compensation Law, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Law, Racing & Equine Law

Jeff Garrett

Legal Practice Director
Wills & Estates, Estate Litigation, Property & Commercial, Compensation Law, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Law, Racing & Equine Law

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Disclaimer
The contents of this article are considered accurate as at the date of publication. The information contained in this article does not constitute legal advice and is of a general nature only. Readers should seek legal advice about their specific circumstances. 

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