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101 Costs Answers – ALL STATES

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101 Costs Answers is the latest addition to the By Lawyers ‘101’ series of helpful reference materials.

Located in the Reference materials folder on every By Lawyers matter plan, this publication contains valuable commentary and precedents on all aspects of legal costs.

The precedents include all of the By Lawyers costs agreements/client services agreements and costs disclosures, drawn together from all By Lawyers publications into a convenient single publication.

The By Lawyers costs agreements are compliant with the strict requirements of the various state laws. They cater for all areas of law, with detailed recitals of the scope of work usually undertaken in each type of matter. This not only defines the retainer but makes it easy for practitioners to produce documents quickly upon engagement.

The 101 Costs Answers commentary includes:

Disclosure requirements

The commentary helps practitioners to navigate some of the more complicated disclosure requirements including regulated costs and the specific obligations for different types of litigation matters. The effect of non-disclosure is also covered.

Disbursements

Commentary on defining and recovering disbursements includes relevant case law and examples. The By Lawyers costs agreements are drafted to clearly identify usual disbursements.

Counsel’s fees

The commentary deals with the contractual relationship between solicitors and barristers as well as disclosure requirements. With the solicitor responsible for payment of counsel’s fees regardless of the solicitor’s agreement with the client, the By Lawyers costs agreements include counsel’s fees as specific disbursements which the client is obliged to pay.

Debt recovery

Where debt recovery is necessary, 101 Costs Answers contains letters of demand and example pleadings to assist with the recovery of costs. There is also detailed commentary on costs assessment procedures and the relevant forms for each state are available on the matter plan.

Like all By Lawyers publications, 101 Costs Answers contains interactive links to relevant legislation and cases, which are always kept updated.

Immigration – FED

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Two important changes to Australian immigration law commence on 16 November 2019.

  • The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa 494 is replacing the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa 187.
  • The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa 491 is replacing the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa 489.

The new visas allow skilled workers to work in regional Australia. They can be a pathway to permanent residency, via the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa 191, which commences in November 2022.

Applicants for the Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional) visa 494 must be under the age of 45 at the time of application, have competent English and at least three years full-time relevant work experience in the nominated occupation, or a related field, at the same level of skill. The visa is for a five-year period.

Applicants for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa 491 must be under the age of 45 at the time of application, complete a positive skills assessment, be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency, or be sponsored by an eligible family member residing in the regional area and be invited to apply for the visa after the submission of an expression of interest through SkillSelect. The visa is also for a five-year period.

The By Lawyers Immigration publication will be updated accordingly.

New sponsored parent visa – Immigration – FED

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A new Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)has been created.

Applications for the new visa will open on 1 July 2019.

This visa allows biological parents, adoptive parents, step-parents or parents-in-law of an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen to visit Australia for periods of 3 or 5 years at a time, but with a maximum combined period of 10 years.

Applications for the new visa can only be made outside Australia and online through ImmiAccount.

An applicant must be sponsored by an ‘approved parent sponsor’.

The application must be lodged within 6 months of approval of the applicant’s sponsor as an approved parent sponsor. The criteria for an approved parent sponsor is set out in Division 2.13A – Criteria for approval of family sponsor, of the Migration Regulations 1994.

The sponsored parent visa will only be granted to maximum of 15,000 applicants each year.

Because of the advance warning regarding the commencement date for the new visa, practitioners might expect to commence receiving enquiries about it now, so the commentary in the By Lawyers Immigration guide has been updated accordingly. The expected average processing times for the new sponsored parent visa are currently unknown.

Costs disclosure – Increase of legal rates during a matter

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Increase of legal rates during a matter

All By Lawyers Costs Agreements and Client Service Agreements have been updated to include a clause notifying a client that legal rates may increase during the course of a matter requiring a revision of the costs estimate provided. This clause provides for 30 days written notice of any proposed changes to legal rates. While such a clause is not required by Legal Profession legislation concerning costs disclosure requirements, providing such notice on initial costs disclosure is considered best practice.

All of our Guides contain Costs Agreements (Client Service Agreements for QLD Guides) within the folder ‘A. Getting the mater underway’. All of our agreements are compliant with the relevant Legal Profession legislation and are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure compliance.

Immigration – amendments delayed – FED

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Amendments under the proposed Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2018 (Cth), currently before the senate, lawyers will be able to conduct immigration matters as part of their usual practice, will no longer have to register as migration agents and will not be subject to regulation by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). An implementation date of 19 November was originally set for this change.

Unfortunately the senate has not been able to find the time to consider or pass the amending legislation and the intended implementation date of 19 November 2018 will therefore no longer be possible. A new proposed implementation date will need to be determined when and if the legislation passes.

In the meantime double regulation continues and Australian Legal Practitioners must continue to register as Migration Agents with OMARA before they can conduct immigration work.

By Lawyers will keep you updated on the progress of this Bill. The By Lawyers Immigration Guide is available to assist lawyers who conduct immigration matters.

FED – Immigration – Labour Market Testing

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The recent changes to Labour Market Testing requirements for Temporary Skill Shortage visa nominations have been incorporated into the commentary in the By Lawyers Immigration Guide.

The testing time before a nomination is lodged has changed from 6 months to 4 months. At least two advertisements are still required for the nominated position, however the information that needs to be included has become:

  1. the title, or a description, of the position;
  2. the skills or experience required for the position;
  3. the name of the approved sponsor or the recruitment agency being used by the sponsor; and
  4. the annual earnings for the position unless the annual earnings will be lower than AUD96,400. It is acceptable to publish a salary range, e.g. AUD80,000 to AUD90,000.

Advertised positions must remain open for application for at least 4 weeks from first publication, regardless of the medium used. General classified sites and social media platforms are still not suitable media for Labour Market Testing purposes, however LinkedIn’s online recruitment platform is acceptable.

Alternative requirements apply for ‘select occupations’ and ‘select positions’ such as for outstanding and internationally recognised talent in sport, academia or as a top chef. Also included are changes due to business restructures, or where the annual earnings are not less than AUD250,000, or for particular medical personnel.

It is still mandatory under the Migration Act to provide evidence with the nomination application of the sponsor’s efforts to find suitably qualified and experienced Australian citizens or permanent residents to fill the position/similar positions. This entails copies of advertisements and a receipt for any advertising fees being provided and/or a written submission for ‘select’ nomination applications.

FED – Immigration – New charge

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The Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Act 2018 introduces a new charge.

Employers who wish to sponsor employee visa applications must pay a Nomination Training Contribution charge for all nominations after 12 August 2018.

The visa subclasses that will initially be affected are 482, 186 and 187.

Commentary has been added to the By lawyers Immigration publication accordingly.

By Lawyers always keeps you up to date!

 

Fed – Immigration – Visa application fees

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A new section  has been added to commentary in the By Lawyers Immigration Guide which deals with calculating visa application fees and charges.

The new commentary includes a link to the interactive ‘Fees and charges for visas’ page produced by the Department of Home Affairs. This page contains a visa pricing estimator as well as a visa pricing table, which is divided into the following categories: visit, study, work, live, other and repealed or closed visas.

By Lawyers Immigration Guide assists practitioners with every step of the process and streamlines the work involved in acting for clients who need help with immigration matters.

Immigration work to become easier for lawyers

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With the impending removal of dual regulation, immigration practice becomes more accessible for legal practitioners.

Currently, lawyers practising in immigration law are subject to dual regulation: the regulation already applicable to Australian legal practitioners, plus the requirement to be registered as migration agents and subject to the Migration Agents Regulatory Authority (MARA).

Under the proposed Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2017 (Cth), currently before the senate, this barrier to lawyers conducting immigration matters will be removed. Lawyers will no longer have to register as migration agents and will not be subject to regulation by MARA.

This means lawyers will be able to conduct immigration matters as part of their usual practice, with no additional registration or regulatory requirements.

The proposed commencement date, for lawyers holding practising certificates without a supervised legal practice condition, is 19 November 2018.

Further information about the Bill, including proposed consumer education on the changes, is available on the MARA website.

By Lawyers Immigration guide allows lawyers to take advantage of these changes

By Lawyers continually reviews and updates all publications in line with legislative and procedural changes, ensuring publications are current for every matter undertaken.

Whether acting for an employer who wants to sponsor a temporary overseas worker or a family seeking to bring an older relative from another country, the By Lawyers Immigration publication assists practitioners from start to finish.

Immigration – New letters added to Guide

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Seven helpful new precedents have been added to our Immigration Guide to make common communications quicker and easier:

–              Cover letter – Skilled visa (BLFL:FED:IMM:045)

–              Cover letter – Visitor visa (BLFL:FED:IMM:051)

–              Letter of advice – Employer Nomination Scheme visa (BLFL:FED:IMM:049)

–              Letter of advice – Prospective marriage (BLFL:FED:IMM:050)

–              Letter of advice – Temporary skill shortage visa (BLFL:FED:IMM:047)

–              Letter to client – Request for further information (BLFL:FED:IMM:048)

–              Response to request for further information (BLFL:FED:IMM:046)

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