Business Law

A party in a Queensland Supreme Court lease dispute tried to use ChatGPT’s answer to“What is the ordinary meaning of the phrase ‘medical centre’?” as evidence. The Courtrejected it outright.It’s a small case, but it highlights a much bigger trend. AI tools are now a normal part of howGold Coast business owners research problems, draft documents and prepare for disputes,and this decision is one of the clearest signals yet from a Queensland court about where thatcan be useful and where it isn’t. What happened in the case? The dispute in Inspired Medical Pty Ltd v S Mohindra Pty Ltd [2026] QSC 78 centred on aregistered lease and what the term “medical centre” actually meant under it. Inspired Medicaltried to support its position by putting before the Court answers generated by ChatGPT inresponse to questions, including what the phrase ordinarily means.The judge rejected this evidence entirely, noting that “medical centre” has no fixed technicalmeaning and is open to different interpretations depending on context, so an AI-generatedanswer wasn’t any more helpful than pulling a definition from a dictionary, a method courtshave long treated with caution for exactly this kind of composite phrase.More importantly, the Court was concerned that the accuracy of an AI-generated answerwas unknown and that, without checking the sources behind it, the answer could beunreliable. Ultimately, interpreting the lease was a task for the Court, applying establishedprinciples of contract law. Why does this case matter for Gold Coast business owners? This isn’t an isolated warning. Queensland’s courts have been building formal guidance ongenerative AI for a while. The Supreme Court’s Practice Direction Number 5 of 2025requires accuracy checks on references used in submissions, and Queensland Courts havepublished separate guidelines for both judicial officers and non-lawyers on responsible AIuse. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) has issued similar guidanceafter several matters involving fabricated case citations or “hallucinated” legal references.The message across the guidance is consistent: using AI does not remove responsibility forwhat is put before a court or tribunal. References to cases, legislation and other authoritiesmust be checked, while factual evidence and legal arguments still need to satisfy theordinary rules that govern court proceedings.In a matter of Reece Hoverd v. M & JD Pty Ltd [2026] FWC 1013 we acted for the employerin submissions successfully making a jurisdictional objection to a general protections claimwhere the applicant’s inappropriate reliance on AI led to his arguments relying on terms ofthe contract and provisions of the award that did not exist. As a result, the Commissioninvited a costs application to be made against the applicant. Where does AI actually help, and where does it create risk? For Gold Coast business owners handling contracts, leases and the occasional dispute, thepractical question isn’t “should I use AI” but “for what”. Here’s a rough guide: Where AI tools can help Where AI tools create risk The common thread is that AI can be useful for preliminary work, but its output should not beassumed to be accurate simply because it sounds confident and authoritative. What should Gold Coast businesses do differently? If you’re negotiating a commercial lease, reviewing a contract or heading into any kind ofdispute, treat an AI tool the way you’d treat a well-read but unqualified friend. It’s fine for afirst impression, but it is not a substitute for a Gold Coast business lawyer who can be heldto their advice.A commercial lawyer Gold Coast businesses actually rely on will tell you the same thing thisjudgment does: the wording of your specific contract, read in its specific context, is what acourt will look at, not a general answer pulled from the internet.A few common scenarios show why:If you’re a tenant or landlord and a lease term is genuinely ambiguous, that’s a job for a GoldCoast property lawyer or property litigation lawyer, not a chatbot. A court decides themeaning by weighing the specific wording, context and legal principle, exactly the kind ofjudgement this case confirms AI can’t be trusted with.If you’re assigning, exiting or negotiating a lease, commercial lease solicitors can assessthose issues in the context of your specific building, the wording of the particular clause andthe way courts have interpreted similar provisions, rather than relying on a general AI-generated response.If a disagreement is heading towards QCAT or the courts, a civil litigation lawyer needs realevidence and a real legal argument, not something generated by AI that you can’t standbehind or verify if it’s challenged. What happens next? As AI tools get better at sounding confident, Queensland courts are making clear thatconfidence isn’t the same as accuracy. For Gold Coast businesses, the lesson isn’t to avoidAI altogether, it’s to know which jobs it’s actually suited for and to bring in a Gold Coastlawyer before an AI-assisted assumption becomes the basis of a decision you can’t undo.Early advice often provides the clearest path forward. Whether you’re negotiating a lease, reviewing a contract or already in a dispute,contact the team at QBM Lawyers to speak with an experienced commercial lawyer onthe Gold Coast. Frequently Asked Questions Can you use ChatGPT as evidence in court in Queensland? Not on its own. In Inspired Medical Pty Ltd v S Mohindra Pty Ltd [2026] QSC 78, the Supreme Court rejected ChatGPT answers a party tried to rely on to argue what a lease term meant, because there was no way to check whether the answers were accurate. AI- generated material isn’t automatically ruled out, but it can’t be treated as reliable just because an AI tool produced it. Can I use AI tools like ChatGPT for legal research in Australia? Yes, using AI for general legal research is not illegal, and it can be a starting point for background reading or drafting. The risk is relying on it for anything that needs to be accurate and verifiable, such as case citations, legislation or contract interpretation, without checking it against a real source. Can AI make up fake legal cases or citations? Yes. AI tools have been found to generate (“hallucinate”) case citations, legislative references and legal authorities that look genuine but

Unpaid invoices are one of the most persistent headaches for businesses on the Gold Coast. They tie up cash flow and put strain on otherwise healthy operations. A tradie in Southport waiting on a $15,000 invoice feels it just as much as a commercial operator in Robina chasing a six-figure account. Debt recovery lawyers can guide you through the legal process under Queensland law and help recover what your business is owed. Why Gold Coast businesses are chasing more unpaid invoices The Gold Coast’s economy relies heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises across construction, hospitality, retail and professional services. Queensland small businesses posted sales growth of 8.2% year-on-year in the June 2026 quarter, according to Xero Small Business Insights, with construction remaining a consistently solid performer at 10.8% growth nationally. That growth hasn’t necessarily translated into faster payment, though. Australian small businesses waited an average of 22.9 days to be paid after issuing an invoice in the June 2026 quarter, and were paid 6.0 days late on average. With three interest rate rises and elevated fuel prices squeezing margins, even businesses with strong sales can end up carrying the shortfall while they wait to be paid. When a client stalls on payment, or stops paying altogether, the effects show up fast: wages get delayed, supplier accounts fall behind, and the pressure compounds. That’s usually the point where local business owners call a Gold Coast business lawyer to talk through their options. The debt recovery process in Queensland Recovering a business debt in Queensland generally follows a structured path, though every matter is different. Step 1: Letter of demand The first step is usually a formal letter of demand, setting out the amount owed, the reason for the debt and a deadline for payment. This letter can also act as evidence should the matter later proceed to court. A commercial lawyer can help ensure the demand accurately sets out the basis of the debt, the amount outstanding and the action required from the debtor. In some cases, receiving a formal demand is enough to prompt payment or meaningful negotiations. Step 2: Negotiation and payment plans Many debts are resolved before litigation becomes necessary. Negotiating a payment plan or reaching a settlement can save both parties time and money. Debt recovery lawyers often act as an intermediary during this stage, helping to negotiate workable terms while protecting your commercial interests. Step 3: Filing a claim If informal recovery attempts fail, the next step may be to lodge a formal claim. Depending on the amount owed, this could be through the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), the Magistrates Court, or, for larger debts, the District Court or Supreme Court of Queensland. As a general guide, here’s how debt claim values are typically split across the Queensland court and tribunal system: Court or tribunal Approximate claim value QCAT – Minor Civil Dispute involving a fixed or agreed amount Up to $25,000 Magistrates Court of Queensland Up to $150,000 District Court of Queensland $150,001 to $750,000 Supreme Court of Queensland More than $750,000 or complex cases At this stage, it can help to contact lawyers for litigation, as court proceedings involve strict rules around evidence, procedure and timing that are easy to overlook without proper guidance. Step 4: Enforcement Winning a judgment doesn’t always mean the debt is paid. If a judgment debt remains unpaid, enforcement options may include an enforcement hearing, an order for payment by instalments or an enforcement warrant, such as a warrant for seizure and sale or redirection of a debt or earnings. Separate insolvency options may also be available in appropriate cases, including bankruptcy proceedings against an individual debtor or winding-up proceedings against a company. An insolvency lawyer can advise on these further steps where a debtor’s ongoing financial position is in doubt. When do unpaid debts require a civil litigation lawyer? Some unpaid debts aren’t as simple as a missed payment. Disputes may arise over the existence of the debt, the quality of goods or services provided, or an alleged breach of contract. In these situations, businesses often need the support of a civil litigation lawyer to protect their position. Lawyers for litigation can assess how strong your claim is and what it’s likely to cost. From there, they can represent your business through negotiation, mediation or, if needed, a court hearing. How long do you have to recover an unpaid debt in Queensland? Queensland law gives creditors a window, not forever, to act. Under the Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld), a claim for an unpaid debt generally must be commenced within six years from the date the cause of action arose. Determining when that occurred can depend on the terms of the agreement and the circumstances of the debt. Once that period lapses, the debt may become unenforceable through the courts. Different time limits apply once a court judgment has been obtained, so creditors should also avoid unnecessary delay in enforcement Business owners sitting on old invoices should get advice sooner rather than later. A Gold Coast solicitor can confirm where a debt sits against the limitation clock before it becomes a problem. Choosing debt recovery lawyers on the Gold Coast Queensland law, court procedure and local business conditions differ from those in other states, so it helps to work with a Gold Coast solicitor who understands the regional business landscape and is familiar with the local courts and tribunals. The earlier you bring in debt recovery lawyers, the more options you usually have – a payment plan is easier to negotiate on a fresh debt than one that’s been chased informally for two years. Waiting rarely helps. Delay can reduce the practical options available and make recovery more difficult. QBM Lawyers acts for Gold Coast businesses at every stage of debt recovery, from a first letter of demand through to court action. If you’re carrying an unpaid invoice or an overdue account, contact QBM Lawyers to talk through your options. Frequently Asked Questions How

If you have searched online for help with a civil dispute, you may have seen both the terms ‘civil litigation attorney’ and ‘civil litigation lawyer’ used, sometimes on the same page. Despite the different wording, these terms describe the same type of legal professional. The main difference is where the terminology comes from. Attorney is commonly used in the United States, while lawyer is the usual term in Australia. Queensland legislation defines an Australian lawyer as a person admitted to the legal profession under the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) or a corresponding law. An Australian legal practitioner is an Australian lawyer who also holds a current practising certificate.So if you are looking for help with a dispute on the Gold Coast, civil litigation lawyer is generally the more useful search term. What does a civil litigation lawyer do? Civil litigation involves legal disputes between individuals, businesses, organisations or other parties that are dealt with through civil rather than criminal processes. Depending on the dispute, a party may seek payment of money or another legal remedy. Civil litigation lawyers can assist with disputes including: The work is not limited to representing clients at trial. A lawyer may review contracts and other evidence, advise on the strengths and weaknesses of a case, correspond with the other party, negotiate a resolution and prepare court documents. Different disputes call on different specialists. A property litigation lawyer may handle contract-of-sale, boundary and easement disputes, while a Gold Coast caveat lawyer may advise on disputes involving caveats lodged over property titles. Debt recovery lawyers pursue unpaid invoices and an insolvency lawyer deals with bankruptcy, statutory demands, winding-up applications and related disputes. Estate lawyers may act in disputes involving deceased estates, including family provision claims and disputes over the validity or administration of wills.. QBM’s areas of practice cover each of these. Is there a legal difference between an attorney and a lawyer in Australia? In everyday Australian usage, you would engage a lawyer rather than an attorney to handle civil litigation. The Legal Profession Act distinguishes between an Australian lawyer and an Australian legal practitioner, and generally prohibits a person from engaging in legal practice in Queensland unless they are an Australian legal practitioner, subject to specified exceptions. A sharper distinction exists closer to home. The Queensland Law Society explains that a person who has been admitted may use the term lawyer, while using the term solicitor requires both admission and a current practising certificate. That distinction matters more in Australia than whether a Gold Coast solicitor is described as an attorney or a lawyer. Terminology at a glance United States Queensland What the person does Attorney / attorney-at-law Lawyer Admitted to the legal profession Litigation attorney Litigation lawyer or solicitor Runs civil disputes, from advice through to trial Trial attorney Litigation lawyer or barrister Lawyer involved in courtroom advocacy and trials Attorney (power of attorney) Attorney Appointed to make decisions for someone else Where attorney is the correct word in Queensland Two Australian uses of attorney are genuine, and both arise in ordinary Gold Coast practice.An attorney under an enduring power of attorney is someone appointed to make financial or personal decisions for another person, under the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld). That attorney is often a family member rather than a lawyer. Disputes or concerns about how an attorney has exercised that authority may involve QCAT or the Office of the Public Guardian and can also involve a wills and estates lawyer. Patent attorneys and trade marks attorneys are a separately registered profession, regulated by the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board through IP Australia. They are not required to be admitted lawyers. How does civil litigation work in Queensland? Other than QCAT and various specific courts and tribunals such as the Planning and Environment Court, civil litigation in the Queensland state court system is governed by legislation and procedural rules, including the Civil Proceedings Act 2011 (Qld) and the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld). Rule 5 of the UCPR directs the courts and the parties toward resolving the real issues at a minimum of expense. Which court or tribunal hears your dispute For debt disputes, the forum can depend on the amount claimed. Queensland Courts sets out these monetary jurisdictions. Amount in dispute Court or tribunal Up to $25,000 Generally QCAT Up to $150,000 Magistrates Court $150,001 to $750,000 District Court More than $750,000 or complex cases Supreme Court The right forum can also depend on the nature of the dispute rather than its value alone. Time limits that can affect your claim Timing matters. Under the Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld), many actions founded on simple contract or tort that do not involve personal injury are subject to a six-year limitation period running from when the cause of action arose. Different periods and rules apply to other claims. Working out when the cause of action arose can be quite complicated; for example, the limitation period for recovering a loan where there was no fixed date for repayment (an “on demand” loan) will usually start from when the loan was made, not when it was demanded. It is always best to take legal advice early, particularly for personal injury matters where there are very short time periods and the potential loss of rights for delay. We do not act in personal injury matters. Does hiring a civil litigation lawyer mean going to court? Not necessarily. Lawyers for litigation can assist before proceedings start and throughout a dispute. Early advice can establish what rights and obligations each party has, and whether the disagreement might be resolved without a trial through correspondence, negotiation or another form of dispute resolution such as mediation. If the matter cannot be resolved, your lawyer can advise on commencing or defending proceedings and the steps that follow. Finding a civil litigation lawyer on the Gold Coast Whether you searched for civil litigation attorneys, civil litigation lawyer or litigation solicitor, what matters is finding a practitioner who can

A worker doesn’t need a full year on the books as a permanent employee to be protected from unfair dismissal. A recent Fair Work Commission decision has confirmed that time spent as a casual can count too, provided certain conditions are met. This has real consequences for Gold Coast businesses in hospitality, retail, tourism and other sectors that rely on casual staff during peak periods before offering permanent roles. Local employers who mix casual and permanent staff should understand exactly how this rule works, and it’s a question worth raising with a Gold Coast employment lawyer before a dispute arises. The minimum employment period explained Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), an employee must complete a minimum employment period before they’re protected from unfair dismissal remedies (although they are not protected from general protections remedies). That period is: Overlooking or misunderstanding this calculation (for example by failing to include employees of associated entities in the headcount) is one of the more common and sometimes costly mistakes a business lawyer on the Gold Coast sees among local employers. The question that trips many employers up is how that period is actually calculated, particularly where an employee has moved from casual to permanent employment. Do the casual months count, or does the clock only start ticking once the employee becomes permanent? It’s a technical calculation, and one many businesses only think about once a dispute has already started, which is precisely when advice from a Gold Coast solicitor experienced in employment matters becomes valuable. When casual service counts toward the minimum period Section 384(2)(a) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) provides that a period of casual service will count towards the minimum employment period only if: Both conditions must be assessed carefully, and it’s exactly the type of technical detail an employment lawyer on the Gold Coast is trained to unpack. If both conditions are met, the casual period is added to any later permanent service when working out whether the minimum employment period has been reached. This is a nuance that trips up many small businesses, and it’s one of the more common questions Gold Coast business lawyers field from employers. What happened in Talau v Tegrity Services This exact issue was tested in Talau v Tegrity Services Pty Ltd [2026] FWC 2150, decided on 19 June 2026. Decisions like this are closely watched by any solicitor on the Gold Coast advising employers on workplace risk. Lachlan Talau started as a casual Support Worker and Business Administration employee in October 2023. He converted to a permanent part-time Operations Manager role in February 2025 and was dismissed in September 2025, after roughly seven months as a permanent employee. Tegrity Services, a small business employer, argued that seven months fell well short of the 12-month minimum, and that Mr Talau’s earlier casual service shouldn’t be counted. Tegrity accepted that Mr Talau had been a regular casual employee. The entire dispute turned on whether he had a reasonable expectation of ongoing, regular work during that casual period. This kind of factual dispute is exactly why many businesses turn to a Gold Coast business lawyer early, before matters reach the Commission. The employer pointed to a July 2024 email offering permanent employment, arguing Mr Talau had turned it down because of his university studies and a tutoring job on the side, and that this showed he never really expected steady, ongoing work. Commissioner Walkaden rejected that argument. The email didn’t identify the specific role being offered, so it couldn’t prove Mr Talau had rejected the same job he later accepted. The Commissioner also preferred Mr Talau’s evidence that the two had discussed his future with the company throughout his employment. The payroll records told their own story. Across roughly 16 months, Mr Talau’s fortnightly hours varied, but the pattern of engagement was consistent and ongoing. Cases like this show why accurate payroll data matters, something a lawyer on the Gold Coast reviewing employment records might ask for. The fluctuation in hours didn’t defeat the finding that the period of casual employment should be included. What mattered was the frequency and duration of the engagement as a whole. The Commissioner also confirmed something worth remembering: outside commitments like study or a second job don’t cancel out a reasonable expectation of continuing work. On that basis, the casual period counted, Mr Talau met the minimum employment period, and the jurisdictional objection was dismissed. The matter now proceeds to a case management conference to deal with the unfair dismissal claim itself. This decision is already a reference point that Gold Coast business lawyers are raising with clients managing casual workforces. What this means for Gold Coast employers Small businesses across the Gold Coast, particularly in tourism, hospitality and retail, often build up a casual workforce ahead of peak seasons before converting reliable staff to permanent roles. This decision is a reminder that the eligibility clock for unfair dismissal remedies may have started well before that conversion date. A Gold Coast business lawyer can help review employment contracts and rostering practices to identify this risk before it becomes a dispute. Employers should keep clear records of rostered hours, casual engagement patterns and any conversations about future employment. A short permanent stint isn’t, on its own, a safe basis to assume an employee falls outside unfair dismissal protections, and an ambiguous offer email won’t prove an employee rejected ongoing work. Getting advice from a Gold Coast employment lawyer before dismissing a recently converted casual employee can help avoid an unnecessary and costly dispute. If you’re a Gold Coast business dealing with a casual conversion, dismissal or unfair dismissal claim, QBM Lawyers can review your employment contracts and records, explain how the minimum employment period applies under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and represent you in Fair Work Commission proceedings where required. Contact our team to arrange a confidential discussion about your matter. Frequently Asked Questions Does casual service always count toward the minimum employment period? No.