Norman O'Bryan is a former Senior Counsel and prominent member of the Victorian Bar whose career spanned several decades before culminating in one of the most significant legal scandals in Victorian history. Born into a distinguished legal dynasty, O'Bryan achieved the highest academic and professional honours, including the Supreme Court Prize, a Rhodes Scholarship, and...
ConveyancingMarriagePropertyThe Bank of Mum and Dad: Why a Good Intention Needs Good Documentation
8 May 2026
Helping a child buy their first home is one of the most generous things a parent can do. Across Australia, the so-called "Bank of Mum and Dad" is now one of the largest informal lenders in the property market — and in Victoria, where median house prices remain well above the reach of most first-time...
For high-income earners and business owners, the end of a financial year often prompts the same question: is there a smarter way to manage tax? The answer, for those with a genuine desire to give back, may lie in one of Australia's most underutilised yet powerful philanthropic structures — the Private Ancillary Fund (PAF). A...
CalculatorsConveyancingPropertyVictoria’s Commercial Property Tax Revolution — What Every Owner and Investor Needs to Know
2 May 2026
Hayton Kosky Lawyers | Commercial Property Update Brett Hayton | May 2026 Victoria is in the middle of the most significant reform to commercial property taxation in a generation. Since 1 July 2024, the stamp duty regime that has applied to every transfer of commercial and industrial property has begun its phased abolition — replaced...
ConveyancingPropertyThe Tax Bill You Never Saw Coming: What Victorian Property Owners Need to Know About Vacant Residential Land Tax
1 May 2026
Published by Hayton Kosky Lawyers | Property & Taxation | May 2026 You did not leave the property vacant on purpose. Perhaps you inherited it and the estate took longer to administer than expected. Perhaps you moved interstate for work and could not find a suitable tenant. Perhaps the property needed repairs and the tradesperson...
ConveyancingPropertyVacant Residential Land Tax in Victoria – The SRO’s “Data Model”: How the Tax Is Really Enforced
28 April 2026
Vacant Residential Land Tax in Victoria – The SRO’s “Data Model”: How the Tax Is Really Enforced In a previous post, I explored how Vacant Residential Land Tax (VRLT) operates under the Land Tax Act 2005 (Vic)—particularly the statutory concepts of “residential land” and “vacancy”. This follow-up focuses on something practitioners increasingly encounter in...
ConveyancingPropertyDo You Have to Pay Stamp Duty? A Guide to Victorian Land Transfer Duty Exemptions and Concessions
28 April 2026
By Brett Hayton | Hayton Kosky — Property, Commercial & Estate Planning Lawyers, Bentleigh Stamp duty, formally known as land transfer duty, represents one of the most significant transaction costs when purchasing property in Victoria. For instance, a property purchased at $800,000 can incur duty exceeding $43,000 at the standard rate. However, a surprisingly large number of property...
By Hayton Kosky Lawyers | Property Law & Conveyancing, Bentleigh Victoria The idea of selling your own home — pocketing the commission, managing the process on your own terms — has never been more accessible. With online listing platforms, AI writing tools, and a wealth of freely available information, more Australian homeowners are asking the...
The High Cost of Governing: Taxpayers Footing the Bill for MPs' City Pads It is a basic expectation that politicians representing regional areas need a place to stay when parliament sits in the capital. However, the sheer volume of taxpayer money currently funding secondary residences for 18 regional Victorian MPs is raising eyebrows across the...
Purchasing property "off-the-plan" (OTP) means you are contracting to buy something that does not yet exist in its final form. While this offers benefits like lower deposits and potential capital growth, it carries unique risks because the finished product may differ from your expectations. Key Risks for Buyers Risk Area What You Need to Know...
