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A sourced reference on the law we practise in.

Court jurisdictions, time limits, the statutes that actually govern your matter, and what has changed recently in Queensland and Commonwealth law. Every figure on this page carries a citation to a primary or official source.

Reviewed 25 August 2026 27 cited sources Queensland & Commonwealth

How to use this page

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for advice on your circumstances. Statutory numbering, penalty levels and monetary limits change. Where a figure matters to a decision you are about to make, check it against the current reprint on legislation.qld.gov.au or legislation.gov.au — or call us and we will check it for you.

Marked in the text

[n] links to the numbered source list at the foot of the page.

Not yet law flags a Bill that had not commenced when this page was reviewed.

Reference articles

18 sourced articles on Queensland and Commonwealth law.

Grouped by the question you are actually asking. Each article carries its own reviewed date and its own numbered sources, and the master list at the foot of this page covers the hub as a whole.

Courts and procedure

Where a matter is heard, what happens when you get there, and the deadlines that decide whether it can be heard at all.

01 Which court hears your matter QCAT, Magistrates, District and Supreme Court — which body hears which matter. → 02 Going to court: what to expect Security, where to sit, how to address a magistrate, duty lawyers, and asking for an adjournment. → 03 Police powers in Queensland What you must provide, what you need not, searches, move-on directions and interviews. → 04 Time limits that end claims The deadlines that finish a claim before anyone considers its merits. →

Criminal law and its consequences

The offences, and the part that outlasts the sentence.

05 Criminal law in Queensland The Criminal Code, summary and indictable offences, and the coercive control offence. → 06 Criminal history and blue cards Whether a conviction is recorded, the rehabilitation period, and blue card screening. →

Family law and domestic violence

Two systems, two courts, and reforms that made most older material misleading.

07 The 2024–25 family law reforms What changed on 6 May 2024 and on 10 June 2025, and why the dates matter. → 08 Protection orders in Queensland The civil framework: what a court must find, and what contravention means. →

Work and business

Employment is mostly federal. Commercial disputes turn on recoverability.

09 Employment law in Queensland Why the system is mostly federal, which body hears what, and the 21-day clock. → 10 Civil and commercial litigation Partial costs recovery, enforcement as a separate exercise, and whether you could collect. →

Neighbours and property

The disputes that are rarely about money.

11 Fences, trees and neighbours Notice procedures, who pays, tree-keeper duties, and when QCAT decides. → 12 Body corporate disputes Self-resolution, conciliation and adjudication — and why the sequence is the substance. →

Costs and your lawyer

What it costs, and what a solicitor owes you.

13 What legal help costs Fixed fees, hourly rates, disbursements, and what no win no fee does not mean. → 14 Your rights as a client Costs disclosure, challenging a bill, the conduct rules, and how to complain. →

General reference

Dates, definitions, sources, and notes from our own practice.

15 What changed, and when A dated record of recent Queensland and Commonwealth changes, each with its source. → 16 Legal terms explained Plain-English definitions of the terms that appear in court documents. → 17 Official sources and support services Where to read the legislation yourself, and where to get help that costs nothing. → 18 Practice notes First-hand notes from our solicitors on what clients are most often surprised by. →

Citations

Source list

Consulted and current as at 25 August 2026. Where a source is a Bill or a commentary rather than a consolidated Act, that is stated.

1Queensland Law Society — home and about. qls.com.au

2QLS — Register of Solicitors, and the You & The Law Find a Solicitor directory. qls.com.au/register-of-solicitors

3QLS — Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules. qls.com.au

4QLS — Ethics guidance statements. qls.com.au

5QLS Guidance Statement No. 2 — Ongoing Costs Disclosure. qls.com.au

6QLS — Costs (Managing a Practice). qls.com.au

7QLS — Changes to the Legal Profession Act 2007. qls.com.au

8QLS Proctor — "Cost disclosure changes have begun" and "Two major changes to Act", 2024. qlsproctor.com.au

9QLS Proctor — "New legal costs disclosure precedents", July 2025. qlsproctor.com.au

10QLS Proctor — "Major reforms proposed for justice, community safety and youth crime", March 2026. qlsproctor.com.au

11QLS — Domestic and Family Violence resource portal. qls.com.au

12Legal Services Commission — Costs disclosure and costs agreements. lsc.qld.gov.au

13Queensland Courts — Money disputes $150,000 to $750,000; and Queensland Productivity Commission, Uniform Civil Procedure (Fees) Amendment Regulation 2025 — Summary Impact Analysis Statement (jurisdictional limits and QCAT minor civil disputes). courts.qld.gov.au

14Queensland Courts — Magistrates Court Criminal Bench Book, chapter on s 177 contravention of a domestic violence order. courts.qld.gov.au (PDF)

15Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld). legislation.qld.gov.au (PDF)

16AustLII — Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld) s 177. austlii.edu.au

17AustLII — Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld) s 177A. austlii.edu.au

18Queensland Government — joint media statement, "Queensland's coercive control laws now in force", 26 May 2025. statements.qld.gov.au

19District Court of Queensland Act 1967, s 68 (monetary limit). legislation.qld.gov.au (PDF)

20Queensland Parliament — Department of Justice committee briefing paper and departmental response to submissions, Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (Bill, not yet law). parliament.qld.gov.au (PDF)

21Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia — Family law (property) changes from 10 June 2025. fcfcoa.gov.au

22Attorney-General's Department — Family law changes from June 2025: information for family law professionals. ag.gov.au

23Attorney-General — "Landmark family law reforms commence", 10 June 2025. ministers.ag.gov.au

24Making Queensland Safer (Adult Crime, Adult Time) Amendment Act 2025 (Qld), as made. legislation.qld.gov.au

25Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support — Changes to the Youth Justice Act and Regulation. youthjustice.qld.gov.au

26Queensland Government — Adult Crime, Adult Time. qld.gov.au

27Terms of Criminal Code (Qld) s 334C as reproduced in practitioner commentary on the Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024. Verify against the current reprint at legislation.qld.gov.au.

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