Private Wealth & Tax Law

Legal Advice in Private Wealth Management & Tax Law

Whether clients are seeking to preserve family businesses, realise equity positions, formalise philanthropic activities or provide for future generations, we offer legal counsel to achieve these goals.

Our private client lawyers are trusted advisers.

The firm’s experience and focus on private clients means that we understand the dynamics of private businesses and families.

Our extensive tax knowledge and understanding of the laws governing trusts and companies allows us to help our clients create enduring legal structures to manage and control family and business assets over succeeding generations.

Rouse Lawyers’ Private Clients

Many of our private clients like to maintain a low profile, so we are not going to make a list here. However, types of private clients we advise include:

• Owners of large privately owned and family run companies
• Family groups in which a number of members are independently wealthy
• The founders of successful start-up organisations, including technology start-ups
• Accountants and other professional services providers
• Senior executives of major corporations

What We Do For Private Clients

Wealth Protection

Rouse Lawyers is experienced in the structuring and implementing strategies with an emphasis on effective risk and liability management to mitigate the risk of family wealth loss.

In particular, we can assist you with:

• loans and guarantees;
• family law and domestic partner claims;
• a growing list of ‘at risk’ pursuits involving directors’ duties;
• professional practice risks and business risks that can undermine the capital base of a business and erode family wealth.

Business Succession Planning and Family Agreements

Effective business succession planning involves not only the transfer of control or ownership of a business, but also satisfying tax objectives and stakeholder requirements.

Our experience in advising in relation to multi-generational wealth transfers is extensive.

We devise strategies for private clients whose businesses are entering a transitional phase, so that the appropriate control mechanisms and agreements are established in situations where appropriate individuals are appointed to run the business.

We assist clients wishing to transfer business ownership to specific individuals in a manner that is fair and equitable to all family members.

Estate Planning and Disputes

We are experienced in formulating and implementing appropriate strategies to ensure clients’ testamentary wishes are fulfilled while addressing critical tax considerations and managing the risk of disputes and family acrimony.

We have extensive experience in representing key stakeholders in disputes and litigation involving estates and trusts, including family provision claims and other litigation dealing with beneficiary claims.

Tax Planning and Legal Advice

With the ATO continuing to target high-net-worth individuals and family groups for investigation and audit, an effective wealth management strategy is vital in protecting assets from the potentially erosive effects of taxation.

Dispute Resolution

Litigious disputes are often a source of threat to not just your commercial interests, but also the accumulation of your wealth. We are experienced at managing the risk associated with litigation and avoiding it where possible.

Recent Work

Non-arm’s Length Income

Advice on whether dividends received by a self-managed superannuation fund from a private company constituted non-arm’s-length income (which would be taxed at the top marginal rate).

Small Business CGT Concessions

Preparation of submissions and objections to assessments relating to the small business CGT concessions in circumstances where the ATO included assets of children who had worked in the business (successful outcome).

Business Restructure

Restructure of a pre-CGT business from a single trust into several trusts in a manner that was not liable for stamp duty to accommodate succession of the business.

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