Posts by Websters Lawyers
UNDERPAYMENT OF WAGES: CAN YOU CLAIM IF YOU’RE JUST “HELPING OUT”?
Have you ever done some voluntary work experience for a business? Or just put in a bit of your own time to help out? This type of unpaid work is great to get experience in your chosen field, but it can also create legal problems if you thought you were going to be paid but…
Read MoreSEPARATED BUT LIVING TOGETHER: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I FINALLY MOVE OUT?
Sometimes, even though a couple separates or divorces, they continue to live under the same roof. They may be financially better off in doing so, or the arrangement may be in the best interests of their children. For whatever reason, the arrangement suits them. But what happens when they finally move into separate accommodation? How…
Read MoreWORKERS COMPENSATION: DOES MY EMPLOYER HAVE TO GIVE ME WORK?
If you’ve been injured at work and as a result you’re subject to restrictions, what is your employer’s obligation to provide you with work? Must the employer provide any duties, however random, or must the duties be suitable to the worker’s abilities and restrictions? This was the issue in a case concerning a nurse who…
Read MoreCRIMINAL LAW: CAN THE GOVERNMENT TAKE MY PROPERTY?
Have you been charged with a criminal offence and then been served with an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions who is seeking a Restraining Order over your property? Whilst many people know that a Court has the authority to sentence someone who pleads guilty or is found guilty of a criminal offence, what…
Read MoreINDUSTRIAL HEMP LAWS: A LICENCE TO GROW DRUG CROPS IN YOUR BACKYARD?
New laws in South Australia make it legal to produce industrial hemp. But does this mean that South Australians are now free to grow their own hemp crops at home? Here’s what you need to know. Hemp: What’s the big deal? The debate around legalising hemp and cannabis has continued for years. On the one…
Read MoreFAMILY SEPARATION AND SHIFT WORK: HOW MUCH TIME CAN I HAVE WITH MY CHILDREN?
When there’s a family separation, parenting arrangements can get complicated if one parent is a shift worker. Is it possible to have an equal division of parenting responsibilities if one party is working unusual hours? The Family Court recently considered these issues when it had to decide how to divide a child’s time between his two…
Read MoreCHAIN REACTION: ONE WORK ACCIDENT CAN LEAD TO MULTIPLE INJURIES
When a woman fell off a chair at work, she suffered a lower back injury. But then a series of other injuries followed and she claimed workers compensation for multiple impairments, securing an entitlement to lump sum compensation that probably amounted to more than $145,000. This case shows how important it is to consider all…
Read MoreCRIMINAL LAW: WHAT IF A POLICE SEARCH IS UNLAWFUL?
What happens when a police search is unlawful? Does it mean that the evidence will always be excluded, or are there exceptions? These questions were the subject of two recent decisions on stop and search issues. R v Armistead – unlawful police search Police were called to a suburban neighbourhood after residents reported a large van…
Read MorePERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS: IF YOU SUE, WILL YOU GET YOUR MONEY?
After a co-worker assaulted him without warning, a man was seriously injured. His injuries were extensive and ongoing, meaning that he could no longer work. After his workers compensation payments ended, he successfully took legal action against his co-worker, securing an award of $815,000 in damages. The problem was that the co-worker was a declared…
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