The Civil Partnerships Act not only has implications in the  area of  family  law, but  also in in the area of Wills, Powers of Attorney and Succession planning.  For example, entering a civil union may impact on a person’s will or enduring power of attorney. If  you would like further information on the implications of a civil union,  contact Farrellys.

glen.rolley@farrellys.com.au

Glen was born and raised in Cairns and after completing high school at Trinity Bay High, he received a scholarship to study law and international relations at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Glen completed his tertiary studies in an accelerated programme which took him just over three years, and since then he has gone on to complete his Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice before returning to Cairns and joining Farrellys in 2010.

Glen is involved across all of the firm’s practice areas, and is committed to broadening his legal skills to ensure the best outcome for clients.

Outside of practice Glen has a keen interest in sports and the community, and is a member of various social and sporting groups.

tony.smith@farrellys.com.au

Tony was born in Ingham and aside from brief stints in Canberra and Sydney all his working life has been in North Queensland. His CV includes time spent driving trucks and aircraft for a living, a relatively long time as a public servant and running his own office support consultancy whilst studying at university.

Tony came to university study as a mature age student. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Degree in Law, both gained at James Cook University in Cairns. He followed this up by completing a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Australian National University, resulting in his admission as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT. His introduction to professional practice was on the Sunshine Coast, possibly the only area in Queensland with a greater pace of development than Cairns, where he worked in a small three person practice.

Returning to Cairns to join Farrellys Lawyers, Tony brings with him his life experience combined with a down-to-earth practical approach and recognition of the need to build long term relationships with his commercial clients.

clem.taft@farrellys.com.au

Clem holds degrees in both Law and Economics. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1979 and has been a Partner of the Firm since 1983. Over the years, Clem has created a large commercial practice with a particular emphasis on property development, leasing, business law and commercial conveyancing.

Clem has practiced in all areas of litigation (both civil and criminal law) in the District and Supreme Courts, although he ceased criminal practice some years past. He is a past president of the North Queensland Law Association and continues to be a member of the North Queensland Law Association, as well as the Far North Queensland Law Association.

About Farrellys Lawyers

Farrellys Lawyers is a flourishing mid tier regional law firm. We offer an environment with a good balance between work and life, a supportive culture in line with our vision and values which reflect respect. We are dedicated to achieving excellence in meeting both our staff and client needs. We strive for open communication and encourage our staff to be the best professionals they want to be.

At Farrellys Lawyers, you will find us large enough to provide the challenge of diverse, high-quality work and clients, yet in an environment that is small enough to give you the personal attention that will help you achieve your full potential.

Professional Development:

We actively promote professional development in our practitioners. We are committed to providing an excellent service to our clients, and are always looking for means to continue to update and improve the skills of both our professionals and our support staff to help us meet this goal. We believe this will be of benefit to our clients and will have the added benefits of motivating and satisfying our staff, and ensure we continue to grow, professionally, emotionally and intellectually. Our junior lawyers have early exposure to clients, which enables them to develop confidence and skills quickly. Junior lawyers are mentored by senior experienced lawyers ensuring continued growth and development as a professional.

We encourage further qualifications, including professional and postgraduate studies. We support this with study leave and assistance with course fees. We offer our practitioners the opportunity of attending regular seminars, conferences and encourage our practitioners to deliver seminars to our colleagues and clients.

What we look for in our lawyers:

Farrellys is a firm that is prepared to invest in its people. We look for lawyers who share our values. We seek professional, forward thinking, and energetic individuals who are honest, hard working and enjoy building meaningful, long term relationships with clients

Applying for positions at Farrellys:

In striving to become the pre-eminent medium sized law firm in Cairns, vacancies arise from time to time. We review acquisition opportunities regularly.

While much of our recruitment is conducted via recruitment agencies we do accept direct applications/enquiries and we welcome those applications. Applications letters should be 1 page in length, attaching your resume, clearly setting out education, qualifications, achievements and work experience, with copies of academic transcripts.

If you are interested in pursuing opportunities at Farrellys, you should forward your enquiries to our Practice Manager at first instance as follows:-

The Practice Manager
Farrellys Lawyers
PO BOX 604
CAIRNS QLD 4870

OR

E-mail our Practice Manager:
at legal@farrellys.com.au

The paper, Elder Abuse: How well does the law in Queensland cope?, is a joint initiative of the Public Advocate of Queensland and the Queensland Law Society, and kicks off a two-month consultation period on the issues and how laws might be improved.

Brian Herd, the Chair of the Elder Law Section at the Queensland Law Society, said while Queensland’s laws provide some protection against certain forms of elder abuse, some older people are left vulnerable, particularly those who may be dependent on others, frail, of limited mobility, or who have impaired capacity.

“With the increasing awareness of elder abuse in Queensland, we need to explore whether the state’s laws sufficiently deter physical or psychological harm, or financial exploitation,” he said.

“Queensland law does not criminalise the abuse of older people in the same way as the abuse of other vulnerable minorities such as children or those with an intellectual impairment.”

Lindsay Irons, Queensland’s acting Public Advocate, said that while many older persons are independent and able to manage their own affairs, others are highly vulnerable, particularly those whose capacity to make their own decisions is impaired.

“A range of measures needs to be in place to deter abuse and respond appropriately when it does occur,” he said. “The legal system is a key part of this process.

“This paper acknowledges the legal measures already in place to protect older people, and asks the question of whether these protections, both civil and criminal, could be strengthened.

“It is hoped that this paper will encourage discussion about how the community can better protect our ageing population from abuse.”

The paper argues for a multi-agency approach to the issues, and consideration of legal reform where appropriate.

While there are various protective measures in place, a number could be strengthened to take into account the physical or mental frailty that older people can experience.

“One example of elder abuse could be an elderly woman under the care of a son or daughter who is taking money from their mother for their own use. The mother may suspect something is going on but be too frightened to say anything because she fears losing her care and housing if she complains,” Mr Herd said.

“The woman could be infirm or unable to leave the house, and may have no idea who to turn to or what she can do to address this situation.

“A number of other countries have introduced specific laws and changed others to make it easier for such people, and those suffering other forms of elder abuse, to not only access help but to assist them through any legal process that may follow.

“The aim of this paper is to get people talking and thinking about these sorts of issues and how our laws can be changed to make them more relevant and accessible to the elderly,” Mr Herd said.

The paper asks a number of specific questions, including:

Should Queensland law define the meaning of “elder” or the concept of abuse?
Can civil laws make it easier for the elderly who are victims of financial abuse to seek justice?
Does the law which allows gifts to be made to adult children by parents provide adequate protection for elderly parents who have impaired decision-making capacity?
Does the Civil Liability Act contain adequate compensation provisions for the elderly?
How can banks be encouraged to report suspicions that an elderly account holder may be subject to financial abuse?
Should Queensland’s criminal laws contain specific offences relating to elder abuse?
Should the advanced age or infirmity of victims be taken into account when sentencing offenders?
Should domestic violence protection orders and other similar safeguards be extended to cover carer relationships and all forms of elder abuse?
The issues paper, Elder Abuse: How well does the law in Queensland cope?, is now available at qls.com.au.

Submissions or comments on the issues raised by the paper are encouraged and should be emailed to policyreform@qls.com.au or posted to Patrese McVeigh at the Queensland Law Society, GPO Box 1785 Brisbane 4000.