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Most people put off writing their will because it feels complicated and expensive. When the time comes, the temptation is to keep it simple – download a free template, ask an accountant, avoid the lawyer’s bill. While it is understandable to want to save money, a 2026 Queensland Supreme Court decision showed that this instinct can cost a family far more than the legal fees they were trying to avoid. The Di Trapani case In Di Trapani & another v Di Trapani & others [2026] QSC 20, the Supreme Court of Queensland was asked to make sense of a will prepared not by a lawyer, but by an accountant who had known the deceased and her late husband for many years. Elizabeth Anne Di Trapani died in November 2023. Her will had been executed in 2010 and drafted by an accountant who, in his own words, had been entrusted with the task partly because the Di Trapanis believed that engaging lawyers would be expensive and time – consuming. The irony of that reasoning was not lost on the Court, as by the time the matter came before Justice McCafferty, the proceedings involved the executors of the estate, four of Mrs Di Trapani’s children, two grandchildren, a family construction company and a corporate trustee – nine parties in total, represented by multiple law firms and counsel. What went wrong? The core problem was one that an experienced wills and estates lawyer would have identified immediately: Mrs Di Trapani’s will seemed to give away assets she did not legally own. The Di Trapani family had structured their financial affairs – which included property development and construction – through a discretionary family trust. The trustee of that trust was a company called Glutolo Pty Ltd. The properties in Kedron and Chermside that Mrs Di Trapani intended to leave to her children and grandchildren were owned by Glutolo as trustee, not by Mrs Di Trapani personally. A will generally can only dispose of assets that form part of the deceased’s estate. When the will used phrases like “I give all my estate and interest” in those properties, the intended gifts failed, because Mrs Di Trapani had no estate or interest in them to give. The Court therefore found that the gifts assigned in the will had no legal effect. There were further problems. A clause that attempted to prevent two corporate entities from making claims on intercompany loans was found to be unenforceable. A clause appointing the accountant himself as arbitrator in disputes between the trustees was ordered to be disregarded, in part because it effectively purported to restrict the Court’s supervisory role. And ambiguous drafting around two separate $400,000 gifts to one of the sons required detailed judicial analysis to resolve. Every one of these problems had the same root cause: the will was drafted by someone without legal training. Why Gold Coast families are particularly exposed According to the City of Gold Coast Council, about one in six Gold Coast residents is a retiree, many of whom hold assets through family trusts, companies or self-managed superannuation funds. These are precisely the asset structures that a standard will template, or a will drafted without specialist legal advice, is most likely to handle incorrectly. The Di Trapani family’s situation was not unusual, with its family trust, a small business and multiple investment properties. The problem was not the assets – it was the will that failed to account for them properly. Getting a will right starts with asking the right questions. Here are some of the questions that every Gold Coast resident with property, a business or a trust should be able to answer before they sign anything, and that any experienced Gold Coast solicitor or estate lawyer will work through with you: Do you actually own the assets you intend to leave, or are they held in a trust or company? Does your will account for superannuation, which does not automatically form part of your estate? Do you have a binding death benefit nomination in place, and is it current? Have you chosen the right executor for the complexity of your estate? Could your will be vulnerable to a family provision claim? What a properly structured Queensland will actually involve Under Queensland’s Succession Act 1981, a will must satisfy strict formal requirements to be valid. But formal validity is only the beginning. A will that is validly executed can still fail to achieve what the testator intended – as the Di Trapani case demonstrated – if the underlying drafting does not account for the legal realities of how the deceased’s assets are held. For Gold Coast residents with any complexity in their financial affairs, a properly structured estate plan typically involves: Notably, Queensland’s new Trusts Act 2025 commenced on 28 April 2026 and introduces mandatory statutory duties and rules that can override inconsistent provisions in existing trust deeds. Critically, the new Act applies retrospectively to all Queensland trusts, not just those created after commencement. If your estate plan involves a trust, your will and trust structures should now be reviewed together as amatter of priority. Cutting corners costs The Di Trapanis thought they were being practical. They chose an accountant over a lawyer to avoid the cost and perceived complexity of legal advice. Instead, their estate ended up before the Supreme Court, their intended gifts to their children and grandchildren failed, and the costs of the litigation fell to the estate they were trying to protect. This is not an unusual story. Estate lawyers and lawyers for litigation who work in Queensland’s succession law space see the consequences of poorly drafted wills regularly. The cost of getting a will right, with a Gold Coast lawyer who understands how your assets are structured, is a fraction of what it costs to litigate the consequences of getting it wrong. Whether you are creating a will for the first time or reviewing an existing one, contact the team at QBM Lawyers to speak with an

Buying property on the Gold Coast can move quickly, especially in competitive areas like Burleigh Heads, Broadbeach or Southport. Behind that pace is a structured legal process designed to keep the transaction on track. That framework is property conveyancing. It is the process that ensures you are not just buying a property, but actually receiving the legal rights you expect when settlement occurs. Once a contract is signed in Queensland, it is generally binding. From that point, your position is shaped by the contract terms and legislation such as the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld) and the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld). Understanding how those pieces fit together early can make the difference between a smooth transaction and a stressful one. That is where working with a conveyancing lawyer or experienced conveyancing solicitors on the Gold Coast becomes valuable. What property conveyancing really involves At a surface level, property conveyancing is the transfer of ownership from seller to buyer. But in practice, it is less about the transfer itself and more about verifying what is actually being transferred. This means ensuring the buyer receives clear title and understands all legal and physical risks attached to the property. Queensland contracts operate under a strong “buyer beware” system, making thorough due diligence especially important. A lawyer conveyancing professional is effectively stress testing the transaction. They review the contract, investigate the legal title and carry out searches to confirm that what you think you are buying aligns with what legally exists. This becomes particularly important once you look beyond the physical property and start to consider what sits behind it.vices. The focus is not just on legal correctness, but on how the advice fits within your commercial reality. Title, easements and hidden property interests One of the first places that deeper issues can emerge is with the title. When you purchase property, you are not just buying land and improvements. You are also taking the property subject to any registered interests. These can include easements, covenants and encumbrances that affect how the land can be used. Easements are especially common on the Gold Coast, where properties may share accessways, drainage or service infrastructure. They can give other parties rights over part of your land and, in some cases, impose ongoing obligations on you as the owner. Under Queensland law, these obligations can bind future owners, not just the original parties. That means they continue after settlement, whether or not you were initially aware of them. This is why a Gold Coast property lawyer or other property lawyers Gold Coast encourage a review of the contract prior to signing. It allows you to understand not just what you are buying, but what comes with it. From title to disclosure: what sellers must tell you While the title reveals registered interests, it does not tell the whole story. That is where disclosure comes in. Queensland introduced a mandatory disclosure regime from 1 August 2025 under the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld). Sellers are now required to provide prescribed disclosure documents before a contract is signed. These documents are designed to give buyers more visibility over the property. However, disclosure is not a guarantee that every issue will be identified, and the responsibility is still on a buyer to do their own due diligence on what is being disclosed. It is also technical, and the consequences of getting it wrong are not always straightforward. If disclosure is missing or materially inaccurate, a buyer may have rights to terminate before settlement and claim compensation. In practice, those rights depend on timing, the nature of the issue and whether the buyer was aware of it before settling. For that reason, disclosure is not something most buyers can assess in isolation. It sits alongside the contract, and both need to be considered together. Contract terms that shape your risk The contract itself is central to property conveyancing. Standard REIQ contracts are widely used in Queensland, but they still require careful review. They deal with matters such as: These terms are not just administrative. They determine what happens if something goes wrong and what rights the parties have. For example, failing to pay the deposit on time may entitle the seller to terminate the contract and potentially retain the deposit. Delays in settlement can trigger penalty interest or give the other party rights to take further action. Due diligence and what searches can uncover Once the contract is signed, the next step is to verify the assumptions underlying the transaction. This is where searches and due diligence come in. They sit between signing and settlement and are designed to uncover issues that are not obvious from the contract or initial inspection of the property. On the Gold Coast, where properties can sit within rapidly changing areas, searches can reveal matters such as zoning constraints, unapproved structures or upcoming infrastructure projects. These findings do not always stop a transaction, but if caught early enough, there may be rights to renegotiate or seek compensation at a later date. It is critical that due diligence is conducted within strict contractual timeframes. That is why this stage is not just about gathering information. It is about understanding what that information means for your position under the contract and the risk attached to the property. Where expectations and legal obligations can diverge Even when title, disclosure and searches have been addressed, issues can still arise closer to settlement. A common example is the condition of the property. Buyers often expect the property to be handed over in the same presentation as when it was inspected. Legally, the standard obligation is narrower. In most cases, the seller is required to provide vacant possession and ensure the property is in substantially the same condition as at the contract date, allowing for fair wear and tear. This distinction often becomes clear during the pre-settlement inspection. It is also where expectations and legal reality can diverge, particularly if something has changed since the contract was signed. There isn’t

Searching for a “lawyer for business near me” is often triggered by a specific need. A contract needs reviewing. A dispute has emerged. A lease is about to be signed. But choosing the right legal partner is not just about solving a single issue. For many businesses, it is about building an ongoing relationship with advisers who understand how your business operates and where risk tends to arise. On the Gold Coast, where businesses operate across property, construction, hospitality and professional services, that choice can have a direct impact on how confidently you make decisions. What businesses are really looking for when they search When business owners search for a lawyer for business near me, they are rarely just looking for proximity. More often, they are looking for someone who can: This is where Gold Coast business lawyers differ from general legal services. The focus is not just on legal correctness, but on how the advice fits within your commercial reality. Start with the scope of legal support you actually need One of the most common mistakes is engaging a lawyer for a single issue without considering the broader picture. A Gold Coast business lawyer may assist across several areas, including contracts, employment, leasing and disputes. While not every business needs support in all of these areas at once, most will encounter them over time. For example, a growing business might initially need a commercial lawyer Gold Coast businesses rely on to review contracts. As it expands, the same business may need advice from a Gold Coast employment lawyer or support from commercial lease solicitors when entering new premises. Looking at your legal needs in stages can help you choose a firm that can grow with you. Commercial awareness matters Legal advice only works if it can be applied in a real-world context. A strong commercial lawyer will not just explain what the law says. They will explain how it affects your position, what your options are and what the likely outcomes might be. This is particularly important in areas such as contracts, leasing and business transactions, where decisions often involve balancing legal risk against commercial reality. On the Gold Coast, where timing and cash flow can be critical, practical advice often matters as much as technical accuracy. Legal issues rarely sit in one box Another factor to consider is how different areas of law overlap. A lease issue, for example, might start as a commercial matter but quickly involve property law. If it escalates, it may require input from a civil litigation lawyer or other lawyers for litigation. Similarly, unpaid invoices may begin as a commercial issue but lead to action involving debt recovery lawyers. Working with Gold Coast business lawyers who have experience across both advisory and dispute work means you are less likely to need to switch advisers as issues evolve. It also allows for earlier intervention, which can reduce the risk of matters escalating. Local knowledge on the Gold Coast There is a practical advantage in working with a Gold Coast lawyer who understands the local environment.The Gold Coast has a high concentration of industries such as construction, tourism and property development. Each comes with its own contractual structures, leasing norms and dispute patterns. For example: Local experience helps ensure advice is not just legally correct, but also relevant to how business is in done the region. Communication and clarity Technical knowledge is only useful if it can be applied.A good lawyer for business near me should be able to explain complex issues in a way that allows you to make decisions with confidence. That includes: This becomes particularly important in time-sensitive situations, such as contract deadlines or emerging disputes. When disputes arise Even with careful planning, disputes can occur. These may involve contract breaches, partnership disagreements, unpaid debts or property-related issues. In these situations, early advice is critical. A civil litigation lawyer or property litigation lawyer can assess your position and outline the available options, which may include negotiation, mediation or court proceedings in Queensland courts. The goal is not always to escalate the matter. In many cases, early legal involvement can help resolve issues before they reach that stage. Long-term value over one-off fixes It can be tempting to engage a lawyer only when a problem arises. While this is sometimes unavoidable, many businesses find greater value in an ongoing relationship. Working consistently with Gold Coast business lawyers means your legal advisers become familiar with your contracts, structure and risk profile. That can lead to faster advice and fewer issues over time. It also allows for a more proactive approach, where risks are identified and managed before they develop into disputes. How to assess the right legal partner Choosing the right legal partner comes down to a combination of factors. Look for a firm that: A strong working relationship is often just as important as technical expertise. Conclusion Searching for a “lawyer for business near me” is often the first step. Choosing the right legal partner is what shapes the outcome. For businesses on the Gold Coast, that means finding advisers who can move beyond one-off issues and provide practical, commercially grounded support across contracts, operations and disputes. Working with experienced Gold Coast business lawyers can help you navigate legal requirements with greater clarity, whether you are managing day-to-day operations or dealing with more complex challenges. If you are looking for legal support on the Gold Coast, QBM Lawyers can assist across commercial, property and dispute matters. Contact the team to discuss your business and how legal advice can support your next steps. Frequently Asked Questions What does a lawyer for business near me typically do? A lawyer for business near me provides advice on contracts, compliance, disputes, employment matters and commercial transactions, depending on your business needs. Do I need a commercial lawyer or a business lawyer? The distinction is not always strict. Many Gold Coast business lawyers provide both commercial and broader business legal services, covering contracts, structure and operations. When

Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime is expanding, and property transactions are now a key focus. From 1 July 2026, Tranche 2 reforms will extend these laws to professions involved in property dealings, including lawyers, conveyancers and real estate agents when they work in “designated services” including the buying and selling of real estate but at this stage most likely not leasing real estate for terms less than 30 years. While proper identification of the client was already necessary for lawyers at least (for example, taking copies of a passport and driver licence to establish identity for electronic conveyancing purposes), these professionals will now be required to carry out further client due diligence as part of everyday property transactions, bringing the process closer to what borrowers already experience with lenders. Buyers and sellers on the Gold Coast will still be able to transact as usual, but the processwill involve more upfront verification. A conveyancing lawyer will need to inspect more documentation, with closer scrutiny of how funds are sourced and used. Businesses involved in property transactions should note that the AUSTRAC enrolment window has already opened as of 31 March 2026. It is important to act now ahead of the 1 July 2026 compliance deadline. Why are property transactions being targeted? Property has long been identified as a potential channel for money laundering due to the high value of transactions and the ability to structure ownership in different ways. Extending AML/CTF obligations to property-related services is also part of Australia’s broader effort to align with international standards. The reforms aim to improve transparency across the Australian property market, which directly impacts clients working with property lawyers on the Gold Coast. On 1 July, 2026 an estimated 80,000 to 90,000 new reporting entities are expected to enter the AML/CTF regime nationally. What the new laws require Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, businesses providing “designated services” must meet a series of compliance obligations. From 1 July 2026, this will include property-related services in Queensland. The designated services include: Customer due diligence Professionals must verify the identity of clients and understand who they are dealing with. Additional checks may apply where a transaction is considered higher risk, such as where complex ownership structures are involved. This shifts the role of legal and property professionals from purely transactional to actively assessing risk. In practice, this will often include VOI requirements, where clients must provide identification documents and, in some cases, complete face-to-face or electronic identity verification processes before work can commence. Where the client is a company or acts as a trustee, the “owner” of the client has to be identified and their identity verified. This means that the constitution of the company may be examined together with any trust deeds, and the VOI is likely to be required on: A fairly typical structure would be a company either acting as a trustee for a discretionary trust, or having a shareholder that is a trustee for a discretionary trust. The VOI is likely to require: What is VOI and what does it involve? VOI is a key part of the due diligence process and will become a standard requirement in most property transactions. VOI can be completed in several ways. In some cases, it is carried out face-to-face, where original identification documents such as a passport or driver licence are sighted and verified. Electronic VOI is also commonly used through secure digital platforms. Clients may be asked to provide multiple forms of identification. Where there are discrepancies, further verification may be required before the transaction can proceed. VOI is typically required early in the transaction process. Delays in completing VOI can slow transactions, so having valid and up-to-date identification ready is important for buyers and sellers on the Gold Coast. Ongoing monitoring and reporting Transactions must be monitored for unusual or suspicious activity. If concerns arise, professionals are required to submit reports to AUSTRAC, including suspicious matter reports and threshold transaction reports for cash payments of $10,000 or more. The professional is not permitted to inform their client that the report has been made. This means transactions are not just checked at the start. They are assessed throughout the process. These reporting obligations are designed to support law enforcement and protect the integrity of the financial system, including transactions overseen by a Gold Coast lawyer. Record keeping and compliance programs Businesses must maintain detailed records of transactions and client information, generally for at least seven years. This applies across legal services, including those provided bycommercial lease solicitors and professionals involved in property conveyancing. How will due diligence obligations apply to lawyers? Legal professionals will now be required to carry out similar AML/CTF checks when providing designated services. This means lawyers must take active steps to identify their clients, understand the nature of the transaction and assess whether there is a risk of money laundering or other financial crime. In practice, this may include verifying identity, confirming the source of funds, and understanding the ownership structure behind a purchase. Lawyers must also monitor transactions for inconsistencies or unusual activity. How this will affect property transactions in Queensland The introduction of these laws will not prevent property transactions from proceeding, but it will change how they are managed.More documentation will be required throughout the process. Evidence showing the source of funds may be requested before a transaction can move forward. Transactions involving trusts, companies or international funds are likely to require additional review, which can extend the timeline compared to more straightforward purchases. Legal professionals and agents will take on a more active role in compliance. Disputes that arise in this context may involve a property litigation lawyer or lawyers for litigation. Property developers may also be captured under the Tranche 2 reforms where they provide designated services connected to property transactions. Legal professional privilege remains The reforms include safeguards for legal professional privilege. This is particularly relevant in Queensland property transactions where legal advice forms part of the