We remain open for business and continue to provide our usual legal services to our clients. As an essential business, we are able to help you during lockdown.
Queensland
South-East Queensland has seen many businesses stand down their workers as the lockdown has been extended until 4.00pm Sunday 8th August 2021, with anticipated further announcements that the lockdown may extend beyond Sunday, following the rising number of cases and affected sites.
The following areas in South-East Queensland are subject to lockdown direction:
- Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Ipswich
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Logan City
- Moreton Bay Region
- Noosa Shire Council
- Redland City
- Scenic Rim
- Somerset
- Sunshine Coast
The directions state that you can only leave your home for essential purposes including:
- Obtaining essential goods or services, including healthcare
- Exercising in your local area which must be within 10km from your home, or within 10km from your personal trainer’s home if you are exercising with a trainer
- Attending essential work or school and childcare for the children of essential workers or vulnerable children
- Assisting a vulnerable person or family member
- Obtaining a COVID-19 test or vaccination
- Attending a funeral or wedding. Funerals and weddings can have up to 10 people including the celebrant and two witnesses for weddings and including the person conducting the service or funerals.
- Attend any court or tribunal of Australia or to comply with or give effect to orders of the court or tribunal of Australia
- Visit a terminally ill relative
- Assist with or participate in an investigation or other action by a law enforcement authority
- Complete a court-ordered or court-directed shared parenting arrangement as long as this does not include contact with people who are vulnerable to COVID-19
- To avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm, for example escaping risk of harm related to domestic and family violence or accessing support from a domestic and family violence support service
You must continue to wear a face mask and carry a face mask on you at all times when leaving your home.
During this time, visitors are not allowed at your home. You are allowed to have someone enter your home if they are providing assistance or support, such as medical care. That person must wear a face mask when visiting.
- For more information on the Queensland restrictions, click here.
- For a complete list of the business and events that are not permitted to open or operate during the lockdown, click here.
Entry to Queensland
Entry to Queensland is temporarily restricted by the Chief Health Officer. Entry requirements will depend on where you are travelling from and where you have been in the last 14 days. If you have been to a COVID-19 hotspot or any exposure venues, you will be required to quarantine at a government nominated accommodation at your own expense if you are permitted to enter the state.
Everyone entering Queensland must complete a Queensland entry pass, including returning Queensland residents.
If you are a New South Wales border zone resident, you will be required to complete a Border Zone Travel (X Pass) to be able to enter the state for permitted purposes.
Our Queensland offices remain open during this time. You can make an appointment to see your lawyer at either our Robina Town Centre, Coolangatta or Brisbane offices. To arrange an appointment at any time please call 1800 621 071 or jump on our website and book your appointment instantly using our live booking app. Alternatively, if you are housebound, we are always able to arrange a telephone or video consultation to ensure there is no delay to resolving your legal matter.
For anyone in the NSW border bubble, you are able to cross the border for an appointment for a legal matter, however we have our fully staffed Kingscliff office available for your convenience which you can make an appointment to visit if you do not wish to run the border checkpoint gauntlet.
Victoria
Victoria entered its sixth lockdown at 8pm on Thursday 5th August 2021. The lockdown is set to last for seven days and there will be only five reasons people are able to leave their home including:
- getting groceries and essential supplies;
- exercise;
- care or caregiving;
- authorised work or education that cannot be done from home; or
- to get vaccinated.
Shopping and exercise must only be done within five kilometres from your home.
Mask rules remain in force and are mandatory in all indoor and outdoor settings, except for inside your home.
As we cannot currently visit our Melbourne office, we continue to offer telephone and video conference calls to all our clients in Victoria. To arrange an appointment at any time please call 1800 621 071 or jump on our website and book your appointment instantly using our live booking app.
New South Wales
The number of COVID-19 cases in New South Wales continues to rise and there have been several recent updates to public health orders in New South Wales.
With outbreaks impacting some aged care facilities and infection spreading amongst hospital workers, there is a large number of health care staff in isolation.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stated that there have been very low numbers of positive cases reported in regions such as the Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong, and if the health advice allows, these areas could emerge from lockdown ahead of the expected end of August date.
For Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong, and Shellharbour, stay at home orders currently apply.
You must only leave your home if you have a reasonable excuse, including:
- Obtaining food or other essential goods and services within 10km of your home if reasonably practicable.
- Leave home to go to work if you cannot reasonably work from home and your business is allowed to be open.
- Leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home, or to access childcare if you are an essential worker
- Exercise and take outdoor recreation within your local government area or up to 10km from your home
- Go out for medical or caring reasons, including obtaining a COVID-19 test or vaccination.
- Undertake legal obligations
If you leave your home, you must carry proof of your address and wear a face mask in all indoor areas of non-residential premises and at certain outdoor gatherings.
If you live alone, you can nominate a visitor which is one person you can socialise with at your home.
The stay-at-home order is currently in place until Sunday 29 August 2021.
As we cannot currently visit our Sydney office, we continue to offer telephone and video conference calls to all our clients in New South Wales. For clients in Northern New South Wales, our staff continue to operate out of our Kingscliff office, and you can arrange a face-to-face appointment with your lawyer at Level 2, Suite 24, Kingscliff Professional Centre, 42 Pearl St, Kingscliff. To arrange an appointment at any time please call 1800 621 071 or jump on our website and book your appointment instantly using our live booking app.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers are here to help
Family Law advice
We understand that government mandated lockdowns have a significant impact on separated families who may be facing parenting issues, particularly families who need to cross the NSW-QLD border.
Our family lawyers received an influx of complicated and serious family related enquiries during previous lockdowns, including matters relating to domestic and family violence. We are ready to assist you as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and help you understand your rights and obligations. If you are housebound, we are able to arrange telephone or video consultations to ensure there is no delay to tending to your family matter.
Click here to go to our Family Law section on our website and book a phone or video appointment online. Our friendly staff will arrange this for you.
Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney
During previous lockdowns, we also observed a spike in demand for people wanting to update their Will and Enduring Power of Attorney documents. During lockdown, it can be an opportunity to ensure these most important legal documents are up to date for your peace of mind.
If you would like to get your Will done, you can complete our simple questionnaire online and one of our helpful estate planning lawyers will contact you to discuss your estate planning needs over the phone before preparing your documents and having them signed. The Will and Enduring Power of Attorney can be signed and witnessed by audio visual means if necessary under the COVID related legislation introduced in all states and territories.
For all Family Law and Wills & Estates related matters, contact Department Manager, Donna Tolley on direct line 07 5506 8241, email dtolley@attwoodmarshall.com.au or phone 1800 621 071.
Legal services across all areas of law
The same applies for all other areas of law; our lawyers across personal injury and compensation, estate litigation, dispute resolution, property and commercial, aged care, and employment law, remain available and can arrange face to face appointments where required at our Coolangatta, Robina Town Centre, Kingscliff, and Brisbane offices. Or alternatively, we can also arrange telephone, Skype, or FaceTime consultations if you are unable to visit our offices. We follow all health protocols in our spacious meeting rooms which are meticulously cleaned and sanitized after every meeting and operate as a COVID Safe workplace.
We understand that this lockdown is frustrating and disruptive 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.
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
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