The First Day of Christmas – A Partridge in a Pear tree
From our criminal law team – a reminder that double demerit points are in force from before Christmas until after the New Year.
The Second Day of Christmas – Two Turtle Doves
From our family law team – decide on handover times and places as well as times that the children spend with each parent well in advance, and confirm the arrangements in writing.
The Third Day of Christmas – Three French Hens
From our commercial law team – read the fine print – particularly on travel insurance – are you covered for volcano eruptions?
The Fourth Day of Christmas – Four Calling Birds
From our employment law team – office parties can easily get out of hand – employers should take precautions to avoid this, such as clearly defining the time and place for the event, and providing safe travelling options to and from the event.
The Fifth Day of Christmas – Five Gold Rings
From our wills & estates team – Christmas can be the time of year for all things joyous, including marriage proposals, or surprise weddings. If this is your thing remember that a marriage will invalidate any will that you have in place and a new will should be made after a wedding, or even beforehand, so long as it is clearly made in contemplation of the marriage.
The Sixth Day of Christmas – Six Geese a-Laying
From our dispute resolution team – tempers can run high over the festive season, which can lead to all sorts of disputes that can be avoided with a level head, and some time to calm down – if you find yourself or see someone else potentially getting into this situation try to diffuse things (without getting into harm’s way).
The Seventh Day of Christmas – Seven Swans a-Swimming
From our criminal law team – drive sensibly, and if in doubt call a cab, or an Uber, or better still, have a designated driver to avoid the wait or surge prices.
The Eighth Day of Christmas – Eight Maids a-Milking
From our family law team – if you are taking the kids on holiday, make sure that you provide the other parent with contact details and a written itinerary of where you will be – there is nothing worse for a parent than not knowing if their child is safe.
The Ninth Day of Christmas – Nine Ladies Dancing
From our commercial law team – if you are shopping, especially online, make sure that you are aware of return policies (keep your receipts for off-line exchanges) and delivery time frames. Remember – most retailers don’t need to accept a returned gift, even if you have a receipt, unless the item is not fit for its purpose.
The Tenth Day of Christmas – Ten Lords a-Leaping
From our employment law team – many offices will close for some time over the Christmas season, and different awards deal with how employees’ leave entitlements are affected by the closure – if you need some advice about this, give us a call.
The Eleventh Day of Christmas – Eleven Pipers Piping
From our wills & estates team – planning on an addition to the family for Christmas? Don’t forget to make sure that your will reflects your family’s circumstances. Some people like to make provision for pets in their wills too – often the new addition at Christmas time may not be a baby, but a new furry member of the family.
The Twelfth Day of Christmas – Twelve Drummers Drumming
From our dispute resolution team – before Christmas and the sales after Christmas are when most retail sales are made during the year – try to stick within a reasonable budget – no-one wants to have debt collectors following them in the New Year for the excesses of over-spending at Christmas, or worse still have proceedings commenced against them.
From the whole team:
Most of all, enjoy the festive season.
A merry, safe and happy Christmas to all, and to all a wonderful 2018!
About the author:
This article has been authored by Jacqueline Brown who is a Perth lawyer and director at Lynn & Brown Lawyers. Jacqui has over 20 years’ experience in legal practice and practices in family law, mediation and estate planning. Jacqui is also a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a Notary Public.
