Lawfully Explained

As we wrap up Season 2 of Lawfully Explained, Amy is joined by Katie Green, Managing Principal at the Inner City Legal Centre and Kavitha Sivasamy, a Canberra based lawyer, to take a hard look at how our legal system can do better in its support of the transgender community. Through her lived experience as a trans woman, Kavitha gives her thoughts on where our legal system lets the community down,...

Law can be expensive, and often people feel like they either have bear that financial burden, or risk representing themselves court. But there are options available if you can’t afford a lawyer and still want to fight your case, like Legal Aid NSW who provide legal services for free. Amy is joined by Cherie Pittman and Aideen McGarrigle from Legal Aid NSW to answer questions like, “How can I be el...

Domestic violence is often a hidden crime, but if you know someone who is experiencing it, there are safe ways to help. In this episode, Trudie Cameron from Armstrong Legal joins Amy for a candid conversation about domestic violence and the law. They look at the process of reporting cases to the authorities, the legal mechanisms to protect people, and the essential elements for conviction. Whether...

Have you ever heard of the 10% over the speed limit rule? Turns out that’s not a thing. In this episode, Amy teams up with traffic law specialist Mickaela Mate from Mate Lawyers to bust some of the most common driving law myths, as well as shed some light on the road laws you need to know. Can you refuse a breath test? What can I do if someone runs away from an accident? Can I go to jail for a spe...

For many, starting a family isn’t as straight forward as the birds and the bees, and many people might need to turn to surrogacy or sperm donation. With laws that differ substantially from country to country, there’s a lot to unpack with this one. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can be paid to donate your sperm in Australia, or whether a surrogacy is a legally binding contract, then tune in as...

Join Amy as she explores the legal issues surrounding A.I and Chat GPT in the workplace, featuring Simon Burns, Partner at Gilbert + Tobin. This episode looks at data privacy, employee rights, and ethical considerations, and whether you can get into trouble for using A.I at work. (We know you already do). CREDITS Host: Amy Dale Producer: Thomas Thexton and Francisco Silva Executive Producer: Todd...

Last season when speaking with Monica Ross-Maranik from Keypoint Law, Amy promised she’d get a Will done. Well she hasn’t yet, but she does have some more questions about Wills. Monica is back to share her insights into the importance of wills, demystify common misconceptions about how they work, and guide you through the essential steps in estate planning. Whether you're a young adult just starti...

In this episode, Amy dives into the intricacies of the legal system, including why it's deserving of our trust despite its complexity. To help her with this she’s joined by Criminal Law Specialist Andrew Tiedt and the Law Society of NSW’s Anthony Lean. They look at how judges and lawyers earn the right to manage a courtroom, and explore the measures in place to safeguard individuals navigating it....

In this episode Amy is joined by Nicholas Stewart, Partner at Dowson Turco Lawyers, to unpack what you should and shouldn't do if you get into legal trouble while travelling overseas. After experiencing her own legal scare in South America, Amy gets Nicks view on whether she handled it the right way. Plus they answer some common travel law questions like, “Should I always ask for a Lawyer”, or “Wh...

To kick off Season 2, Amy dives into a topic that's relatable for all of us: renting and tenant rights. She chats with Grant Arbuthnot from the Tenants Union to break down the common slip-ups tenants make when dealing with landlords. Plus, they tackle questions like, "Can you actually haggle over a rent increase?" and "What should you think about if you're taking your problem to a tribunal?" If yo...

So, things got a bit heated in your group chat – but can you really be sued for insulting someone on social media? Is it safe to criticise a politician, a celebrity, or a badly cooked restaurant lobster? And does ‘no offence but it’s true’ stack up in court?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moving to a new country is challenging enough, while also having to navigate the maze of our complex immigration system. But what rights do temporary visa holders have, how do you prove your long-distance romance is legitimate, and can lawyers help pave a smooth road to residency? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Going on a date with someone who doesn’t look like their profile pic can be bad enough – but is it a crime to not be who you say you are? From Tinder swindlers and scam callers, to catfishing and global extortion, we explore the laws of deception.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it’s a bricks and mortar small business, or an online side hustle, there is so much small business owners must navigate without the luxury of HR departments or in-house counsel. How lawyers can help register your million-dollar idea, negotiate contracts, and step in if things turn sour.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When signing a contract for a new job, most of us are guilty of skimming over the clauses and fine print: and it can come back to bite us. Whether it’s taking a redundancy, negotiating a salary, cutting shifts, or rejecting requests for annual leave, workers do have rights: and Lawfully Explained is here to guide you through them.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regrettably we couldn’t cancel 2020: and it seems many of us are still struggling to get our money back from postponed holidays and cancelled bookings caused by snap border closures. Can tourism operators refuse to refund bookings when state governments close borders on a single case, and we are urged to stay home if we have a slight sniffle? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

In short, no. Our experts explain the penalties and pathways when facing charges of possessing drugs, how it can impact on job and travel plans and where to find the right advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claiming “worker’s comp” can lead to jokes and raised eyebrows, but workplace injury affects more people than you think (even Kim Kardashian has suffered one). Find out the differences in personal injury across the states and whether you’re covered for everything from lunch break mishaps to psychological trauma. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve received the summons, but what happens next? How do you tell your boss you need several weeks off work? Will you be paid? Is the food good? What do you do when your friends beg for gossip about the case? Our criminal law expert explains what to expect in jury duty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you leave everything to your cat? Do scribbled wishes on a napkin count as a final testament? What if no one finds it? And why, despite the inevitability of death, are so many of us still so bad at building a watertight will? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Knocking on the door to borrow a hammer and laughs over weekend barbeques: for many of us, such friendly neighbour chats are as unrelatable as a soapie script. We are more likely to complain about an overgrown tree branch, or an ear-splitting renovation. What happens when an over-the-fence spat turns into a courtroom summons?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Declaring bankruptcy in movies is often pretty dramatic, so you might think that it means you’re hitting rock bottom.  Lawfully Explained’s  expert is here to explain how declaring bankruptcy sometimes is the thing that can set you free.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘No fault’ divorce means Australian courts will not consider why a marriage has ended: and statistically many once happy unions do. Our expert explains why divorce battles turn ugly, what is worth (and not worth) fighting over, and how you can navigate the Family Court to avoid post marriage messiness.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might seem a simple case of putting forward your case: you’ve seen all the crime dramas on Netflix, you know how it works. But will a judge go easy on you (given you didn’t even go to law school) or yell at you? Will the real lawyers in the room let you look at their notes? And how often do self-represented defendants actually come out on top? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Why is everything measured in six-minute intervals and do you have to pay for your lawyer’s coffee break? And what does no-win, no fee actually mean? Our expert explains what exactly is a billable hour, eligibility for Legal Aid, and how to have a conversation about costs that is (mostly) free of awkward moments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.