Veterans First Legal

Property & Conveyancing

Buying, Selling, Leasing or Transferring Property

Buying, selling, leasing or transferring property can be one of the largest financial decisions most people make. For veterans and their families, that decision is often shaped by postings, deployment timelines, and the realities of service life. Veterans First Legal provides clear, plain-English property and conveyancing services across New South Wales and Queensland, with an understanding of how Defence service shapes the transaction.

Whether you are purchasing your first home, investing while posted away from home, or arranging a transfer between spouses or family members, we are here to assist.

What We Help With

• Conveyancing for purchases and sales - end-to-end conveyancing for residential and small commercial transactions, from contract review and exchange through to settlement.
• Contract review - reviewing contracts for sale and special conditions before you sign, so you understand exactly what you are committing to.
• Off-the-plan and new builds - reviewing off-the-plan contracts, sunset clauses, and disclosure requirements that can disadvantage purchasers.
• Transfers between family members - transferring title between spouses, family members, or as part of a separation, including stamp duty exemption considerations.
• Lease and tenancy issues - reviewing residential leases and advising on rights and obligations during the tenancy.

Military-Specific Considerations

Veterans and their families face property situations that civilians typically do not encounter:

• Postings and short-notice moves - postings can require selling, leasing out, or buying a property on short timelines. Contracts and settlement dates need to be structured around posting cycles, not the other way around.
• Defence Housing Australia (DHA) - DHA tenancy and leaseback arrangements involve unique terms that differ from standard residential tenancy law. We help you understand what you are signing before you commit.
• Breaking a lease on posting - serving members posted away from a leased property may have rights to break the lease that civilian tenants do not. Understanding those rights matters before you sign.
• Buying interstate while posted - inspecting, signing, and settling on a property in a state where you do not live brings practical and legal complications. We can act on your behalf and arrange for documents to be executed remotely where appropriate.
• Settlements during deployment - if a deployment falls during the contract period, powers of attorney and pre-arranged signing protocols can keep the transaction on track without forcing you to choose between the deal and your service obligations.

Wills & Estates

Estate Planning for Veterans and Their Families

Estate planning is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family and ensure your wishes are carried out. For veterans and serving members of the Australian Defence Force, estate planning involves considerations that go beyond the standard will, from superannuation nominations and DVA entitlements to the practical realities of deployment and service life.

Veterans First Legal provides estate planning services that account for these military-specific factors. We work with you to create a clear, legally sound plan that reflects your circumstances and protects the people who matter most to you.

What We Help With

• Wills - drafting new wills and updating existing ones to reflect your current family structure, assets, and wishes. We take care to ensure your will is valid, clearly worded, and considers all relevant entitlements.
• Powers of attorney - appointing someone you trust to manage your financial or medical decisions if you are unable to do so, including during deployment or periods of service away from home.
• Enduring guardianship - nominating a guardian to make lifestyle and medical decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity.
• Estate administration - assisting executors with the legal process of administering an estate after someone passes, including applying for probate and managing asset distribution.

Military-Specific Considerations

Veterans and serving ADF members encounter estate planning situations that civilians typically do not experience:

• Deployment planning - ensuring your legal documents are in order before a deployment, including powers of attorney that cover the period you are away and unable to manage your own affairs.
• DVA entitlements and your estate - understanding how Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) pensions, compensation payments, and other entitlements interact with your estate and whether they form part of your distributable assets.
• Superannuation nominations - military super schemes (DFRDB, MSBS, and ADF Super) allow you to nominate beneficiaries for your death benefit. Understanding the difference between binding and non-binding nominations is essential to ensuring your super goes where you intend.
• Blended families - military service often involves relocation, separation, and the formation of blended family structures. Your estate plan should clearly address the needs of children from different relationships, current and former partners, and dependants.

Serving Veterans Across Australia

Veterans First Legal provides Wills and Estate Planning services to veterans and their families across Australia. Whether you are currently serving, recently transitioned, or long retired from the ADF, we can help you put a plan in place that accounts for your unique circumstances.

We take the time to understand your situation and explain every step of the process in plain language, so you can make informed decisions about your estate with confidence.

Small Business

Legal Support for Veteran-Owned Businesses

Many veterans build a business after leaving service, often around skills and relationships developed during their ADF career. Veterans First Legal provides practical, plain-English legal support for those businesses, from setting up the right structure to handling the commercial issues that arise as the business grows.

We act for sole traders, family-run operations, and incorporated small businesses. Our focus is on getting the legal foundations right so you can spend your time running the business rather than worrying about whether the paperwork is in order.

What We Help With

• Business structures - choosing and setting up the right structure for your circumstances, whether sole trader, partnership, company, or trust, with attention to liability and tax considerations.
• Commercial contracts - drafting and reviewing customer agreements, supplier terms, services agreements, and confidentiality agreements.
• Employment and contractor arrangements - employment contracts, contractor agreements, and advice on classifying workers correctly under Australian law.
• Disputes - acting in commercial disputes, including unpaid invoices, contract breaches, and disagreements between business partners.
• Compliance and policies - privacy policies, terms and conditions, and the everyday compliance documents a small business needs.

Military-Specific Considerations

Veteran-owned businesses face circumstances that other small businesses typically do not encounter:

• Transition from ADF service - setting up a business during or shortly after transition involves timing decisions around discharge dates, accumulated leave, DVA entitlements, and any post-separation employment restrictions tied to your former role.
• Reservist obligations - the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act gives Reservists protections at work, but as a business owner those protections cut differently. We advise on what your obligations are if you employ a Reservist and what cover is available if Reserve service takes you out of your business.
• Commonwealth and Defence contracting - veterans often pursue Defence and Commonwealth supplier work. We advise on procurement terms, security and clearance obligations, and indemnity clauses common in those contracts.
• Spouse-led businesses during postings - many ADF families run businesses through the non-serving partner to provide continuity through postings. Structure, ownership, and asset protection should reflect that reality.
• DVA payments and self-employment - incapacity payments and similar DVA entitlements interact with self-employment income. Decisions about how to draw income from your business should be made with that interaction in mind.

Serving Veterans Across Australia

Most small business legal work is governed by Commonwealth and state law that we can assist with from anywhere in Australia. Veterans First Legal works with veteran-owned businesses across the country, with an understanding of the realities of building a business after service.