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Professional advisers

Professional advisers including accountants and financial planners play a pivotal role in their clients’ business dealings and personal wealth creation. Cooper Grace Ward has a long history of partnering with these advisers to provide practical and commercial legal services, advice and training. This includes a combination of legal support directly to professional advisers as well as to their clients.

We have a well-established network of adviser relationships in Brisbane and we have developed a strong presence across Queensland in centres including Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Mackay, Bundaberg, Townsville and Cairns.

We regularly visit accountants and financial planners, and their clients, all over Queensland and Australia. Our focus is on delivering clear and simple advice, enabling accountants and financial planners to assist their clients to achieve their financial goals.

CPD sessions for accountants and financial planners

A pillar of our strategy and success is our highly regarded adviser training and seminar program that we have rolled out in these regions, as well as interstate in Sydney and Melbourne. We also offer CPD sessions for accountants and financial planners via our webinar series, attended by professional advisers across Australia.

In addition, we bring together a two-day Adviser Conference in March each year, enabling up to 12 CPD points for accountants, financial planners, lawyers and other professional advisers.

Find out more about our upcoming CPD sessions on our events page.

Financial planning – support from commercial lawyers

Cooper Grace Ward has provided specialist legal advice to financial planners for more than 20 years, bringing the in-depth knowledge of financial products and services and underpinning legal framework required to deliver commercial and astute advice to financial planners and their clients.

Our clients range from sole practitioners to major wealth management firms that provide brokerage and investment advisory services, comprehensive financial and estate planning, superannuation and cash management advice.

Legal support for accountants and business advisers

Our commercial lawyers have worked collaboratively with accountants and business advisers for more than 20 years.

We understand the important and strategic role accountants play in helping their clients achieve their short and long term goals. In many cases, there is a complex overlay of business and commercial issues combined with personal legal requirements. This can extend to issues such as family law, succession and estate planning.

Cooper Grace Ward provides comprehensive coverage of all of these issues from a legal perspective. We work hand in hand with accountants to ensure their clients have the specialist legal support needed to achieve their goals.

Commercial legal services to help you and your clients

Our legal services include:

To access specific information about our services, application forms and price lists, visit our Adviser Services Hub.

Our affiliate, CGW Structures, can assist you with establishing companies, trusts and superannuation funds. With our online application process, you can apply online anytime.

We also offer training for staff of accounting and financial planning firms on current legal issues and changes to relevant legislation for the industry. This type of education serves as a risk management tool and helps to protect you, your staff and your clients. Our lawyers are regularly called on to present similar training through accounting and financial planning industry bodies. This includes the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA, formerly FPA), the SMSF Association, and The Tax Institute.

Key contacts

Scott Hay-Bartlem
Partner
Fletch Heinemann
Partner
Clinton Jackson
Partner
Sarah Lancaster
Partner
Hayley Mitchell
Partner
Linda Tapiolas
Partner
Greg Cahill
Consultant

Publications

It Depends - Proposed tax on super balances over $3 million or Div 296 tax

In this edition of 'It depends', partners Scott Hay-Bartlem and Clinton Jackson talk about the proposed tax on super balances over $3 million, also known as the Div 296 tax. Scott and Clinton have recorded a podcast episode all about this topic - listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the CGW website.

Podcast: SMSFs with CGW - Proposed tax on super balances over $3 million or Div 296 tax

In the first episode of SMSFs with CGW, private clients partners Scott Hay-Bartlem and Clinton Jackson chat about the proposed tax on super balances over $3 million, also known as the Div 296 Tax.

It Depends - What's the difference between unit trusts and fixed trusts?

In this edition of 'It depends', lawyer Steven Cawood talks about the difference between unit trusts and fixed trusts, when you might need a fixed unit trust and when you can amend a trust to make it a fixed trust.