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It was a simpler time. Men’s trousers sat exceptionally high, about 3 inches above their belly buttons. Their ties were only around 6 inches long and just as wide. Smoking was still cool and Fedoras, mandatory. Don Bradman was the biggest name in sport and the latest technical advancement was the refrigerator. It was in this era that Ticli Blaxland was born. Founded by sole practitioner John Eyles on 15 November 1940, it was the first law practice established in the small fishing and banana growing town, existing today. Forged by the flames and steeled by the floods that ravaged the town that year, John [...]

FOCUS: Alison Worldon, Practice Manager of Ticli Blaxland Lawyers, celebrates her decade of service to the Coffs Harbour community. How long have you worked at TBL and why? In March this year, I celebrated my 10-year anniversary with TBL. I have seen first-hand the dedication that is required to manage a successful small business. It was instilled in me early-on, that providing the highest level of service is crucial, particularly in a regional community. Ticli Blaxland is Coffs’ longest serving law firm and I am proud to be a part of the team. How did you get into this line of work? I had a passion [...]

The Workers Compensation Act was recently amended by the Covid-19 Legislation Amendment [Emergency Measures – Miscellaneous] Bill 2020 (NSW), allowing workers in certain industries to gain easier access to workers compensation benefits if they contract COVID-19 in the course of their employment. Prior to the changes, workers who contracted COVID-19 had to prove that it was causally related to their workplace and that employment was a substantial contributing factor to the disease. This proved difficult given the scope of potential sources of infection outside of the workplace environment. The law now provides that if a worker in prescribed employment contracts COVID-19, there is a presumption that [...]

There are two main reasons employers seek our advice about existing employees. The first is that an employee has engaged in some form of misconduct, the other is that an employee is underperforming. Both issues should be approached very differently. In cases of misconduct, employers should seek the advice of a lawyer before taking any action, particularly in cases of serious misconduct. However, when addressing underperformance, employers should follow these simple steps to ensure they comply with their legal obligations: 1. Identify the issue Is the employee not meeting targets? Are they not performing in line with other employees?  It is important to identify the problem [...]

FOCUS: We sit down with Antonela Josipovic, the newest solicitor to join Ticli Blaxland Lawyers, Coffs Harbour’s longest-serving law firm. Where are you originally from? I was born in Germany in 1993, where my parents had temporarily relocated after fleeing civil war in Bosnia. Due to Germany’s strict refugee policy, we were forced to emigrate and were fortunate to be accepted by Australia in 1998. I grew up in Western Sydney and moved to Coffs Harbour in 2019. Why did you choose law? The legal system underpins all aspects of society. Unfortunately, it’s a system that many individuals find themselves having to navigate alone in times [...]

COVID-19 has had a dramatic effect on businesses, particularly in the Retail Industry. In an attempt to mitigate these effects, the NSW government introduced National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct (Code) and the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation 2020 (Regulation). A recent decision of the Supreme Court of NSW gives landlords and tenants some guidance on how to apply the Code and the Regulations. The Code and Regulations require landlords and tenants to negotiate, in good faith, reductions in rent during the pandemic period. Reduced rents negotiated under the Code must continue for a “reasonable recovery period” after the end of the COVID pandemic. [...]