For most purchasers, transfer duty is the largest cost of buying property after the deposit itself. It is also one of the least understood.

Transfer duty is not a fee charged by your conveyancer, your lender or the selling agent. It is a state tax imposed under the Duties Act 1997 (NSW) and assessed by Revenue NSW. Because the rates are applied on a sliding scale that is re-indexed every financial year, a rule of thumb from even twelve months ago can produce the wrong number.

This guide explains how transfer duty works under the current 2026–27 rates, when you become liable to pay it, and the situations where legal advice before you sign makes a real financial difference.

When you're worried about your child's safety, your first instinct may be to stop them from going to the other parent. That instinct is understandable, but the decision has legal consequences, and how you handle it now can shape the outcome of any parenting case that follows.

Recording a conversation without the other person knowing can feel like the only way to be believed. But is it legal, and will the Court consider it?

In August, the High Court of Australia decided Potter (A Pseudonym) v The King, its most significant ruling yet on secret recordings. It found that a woman’s recording of her husband’s admission was lawfully made, because it was reasonably necessary to protect her bodily autonomy and safety.

For anyone going through a separation, the decision raises important questions about recordings in parenting and property matters, family violence proceedings, and what the Family Court will and won’t rely on.

Separation changes a lot of things, but it doesn't change your responsibilities as a parent. Whether you and your ex-partner separated amicably or not, the law expects you to keep working together on the decisions that matter most for your child, if safe to do so. At Evans & Wislang, we help parents understand exactly where they stand — and what to do when an agreement isn't easy to reach. Here's a practical guide to the key issues that come up after separation.

Buying property is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will ever make — and one of the least understood. From reviewing a contract before you sign, to the searches, timing, and paperwork most buyers never see, this is what solicitor-led guidance actually looks like at every stage of a purchase. Read on to find out where the real risks sit, and why the best time to talk to a solicitor is before you're locked in.