Our Services
At lake legal we can help you. Our expert lawyer will guide you through the process.
Criminal Law
We can guide you through all aspects of proceedings including:
- Bail Applications
- Committal Hearings
- Trials and Pleas of Guilty
Our Principal is a former Federal Prosecutor and is experienced across wide range of criminal law maters.
IMMIGRATION
In Canberra, Ralph Managed the Ministerial Intervention and Global Processing Branch at what is now known as the Department of Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship.
He managed some 25 staff processing 4,000 sensitive requests per annum from immigration clients the world over including applications for Distinguished Talent and other work visa applications.
Ralph also worked in the Client Service Delivery Strategies Section and was appointed as one of seven departmental Change Managers to lead the department through significant change resulting from the Palmer and Comrie Reports (enquiries into wrongful deportation processes).
He has hands on experience both as a decision-maker and policy maker in the immigration space
Employment Law
Employers
We can assist employers with the conduct of specialised workplace investigation services. We are one of a handful of firms that actually conduct the workplace investigations and, where appropriate, we can conduct the investigation under privilege.
Specifically we can also assist with:
- Managing employee performance
- Workplace Bullying
- Sexual Harassment
- Unfair Dismissal and unlawful dismissal or discrimination
- Responding to enforcement investigations and prosecutions
Employees
We can assist employees with unfair dismissal advice and applications. We also assist with advice in bullying and making applications for an order to stop bullying you may be experiencing at work.
Personal Injuries
We also deal with worker’s compensation claims as well as product liability.
Have a free initial consultation with us today about your matter. We can offer a ‘no win, no fee’ way to manage your matter.
Wills and Estates
- The preparation of wills
- General and Enduring Powers of Attorney
- Advanced Health Directives
- Estate management
If you or have been chosen to be an Executor of the will of a family member or friend we can assist and guide you to carry out your duties. Sometimes this will include obtaining probate to assist you in carrying out your duties as Executor of the estate. You will most likely require a grant of probate to deal with assets of the estate such as the sale of property or obtaining bank funds.
Commercial Law
When things don’t go according to plan we can also assist with disputes and litigation, as we recognise that these are challenging and stressful for small and large businesses alike. Don’t let a dispute interfere with running your business – let us handle it so you can focus on what you do best.
Our areas of practice include:
- QCAT disputes
- Magistrates Court litigation
- District/Supreme Court litigation
- Debt recovery litigation
Conveyancing
We can provide our clients with a personalised approach to conveyancing. We can assist with:
- Contract drafting
- Drafting special conditions
- A multitude of searches
SPORTS Law
Our Principal has consulted to the International Cricket Counsel Anti-Corruption Unit in Dubai and is well placed to assist governing bodies, players, and participants with legal issues that arise from time to time. We can assist with issues arising from the rules that govern play through to player contracts and commercial agreements.
Our services in sports law include:
- Conducting or assisting in the conduct of investigations
- Advising on conduct of regulatory investigations
- Disciplinary and misconduct issues
- Defamation
- Player contracts
- Competition rules
- Advice on restraints
- Contested hearings and hearings on penalty in Tribunals
VETERAN LEGAL SERVICES
Our Principal is a returned serviceman and Veteran with a total of 32 years service in the Australian Army.
Unlike many ‘paid advocates’ that work in this space, we do not charge a fixed percentage fee based on the value of your claim; indeed, law firms in Australia are prohibited from charging legal fees that are calculated based upon a percentage of the value of your claim or recovery amount. We can only charge for work that has been done or services that have been performed.
We often enter into fixed ‘no win-no-fee’ arrangements with Veterans for our services. In some instances, Veterans may be asked to pay a small up-front fee, which can be paid off by way of instalments.
If you would like to chat about any of our services please make a booking using the links on our homepage.
We offer assistance to Veterans, both current serving and ex-members of the Australian Defence Force in the following areas:
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Notice to Show Cause (NTSC)
- Assistance with responding to a NTSC where members are facing adverse administrative action.
Redress of Grievance (ROG)
- If a member can’t resolve their complaint about an administrative procedure or decision through normal command channels, we can provide assistance with formulating your ROG or a complaint to the Inspector General ADF.
CCDA Claims
- Claims for defective administration – Otherwise known as Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration (CDDA).
DVA & CSC PROCESSES
Application for Retrospective Invalidity (A-RETRO)– Commonwealth Super Corporation (CSC)
- A-RETRO (including retrospective medical discharge) applications to CSC;
- Reconsiderations (Appeals against initial A-RETRO rejection); and
- Reclassifications (Applications for change to Medical Discharge incapacity ‘Class’ at time of discharge).
Veterans’ Review Board (VRB)
- Applications to the VRB for a review of decisions by both the Repatriation Commission (RC) and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (MRCC). Note that both the RC and MRCC do not have staff in their own right; the staff are provided by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and decision-makers operate under a delegation from the respective Commission.
Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)
- Appeals where there is a right to appeal to the AAT for review of decisions made by the VRB, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (MRCC) or the Repatriation Commission.
SRDP – Independent Legal Advice
- Independent legal advice in respect of offers by DVA on compensation eligibility for a Special Rate Disability Pension (SRDP) – Often provided free to Veterans.