Q

When exchanging currency privately in Australia, the Australian dollars you receive may come from a scam victim even if you paid an equivalent amount in renminbi. Your account may be frozen and investigated. Complete conversations, payment records and a truthful transaction explanation help establish the funds’ movements and your knowledge at the time.

International students may still face investigation over suspicious transactions after handing an Australian bank account to someone else. A frozen account does not mean guilt, and leaving Australia does not erase records. Keeping conversations and bank records helps clarify account control and the movement of funds.

In Australia, publishing another person’s real name, address, phone number or workplace after an online argument may be more than an internet dispute. Federal law added a Doxxing offence from 10 December 2024, and whether conduct is criminal turns on whether the distribution is menacing or harassing; the general maximum is 6 years’ imprisonment.

A guide for people in Australia whose partner never divorced a legal spouse: how a de facto relationship is established, how financial and non-financial contributions are weighed, assets held in another name, asset transfers, evidence, and the two-year time limit.

A practical guide for international students assaulted or robbed at an Australian station, covering immediate safety, police reports, evidence preservation, follow-up, youth offenders and victim support.

A practical guide to keeping the family home after divorce, covering title transfer, joint mortgage liability, refinancing approval, settlement deadlines and options if a lender refuses finance.

Having no job or stable income during separation does not decide parenting arrangements. Australian courts focus on the child’s best interests, care history, future living arrangements and safety risks.

Australian PR status may remove a FIRB approval requirement but not NSW’s 9% foreign buyer surcharge. Check the 200-day test, home exemption, visa status and ownership share before signing.

Foreign buyers should not assume that a newly built, renovated or never-occupied Australian property is a new dwelling. Its sales, occupancy and development history, any exemption certificate and the buyer’s status should be checked before an offer or binding contract.

Before buying an Australian apartment, review the Strata Report, meeting minutes, fund balances and proposed works. A Special Levy approved after settlement may bind the new owner, and responsibility can depend on its approval date, due date and the contract terms.