Overview
Guy Duncan is an experienced Property lawyer.
Guy began his career in accounting commencing work in the banking industry, before commencing work as an accounts clerk and paralegal at M Duncan & Associates then studying law.
After his admission as a solicitor in 1995, Guy has practiced extensively in property law and conveyancing, developing significant expertise in the area, acting for clients from first home buyers to developers as well as owners & occupiers of strata property.
Areas of expertise
Conveyancing
Guy has represented a multitude of clients throughout his legal career for clients buying and selling property, and in commercial leasing. His extensive experience allows him to forecast issues well ahead of time and to conduct prudent searches that allow each client, the best information when decision making including giving advice on estimated duty required to be paid to NSW Revenue or other relevant tax issues which might arise on a sale or transfer of property. Tax issues are relevant to some property dealings such as GST issues, capital gains tax or the imposition of foreign resident taxes and surcharges. Understanding when and how these might be relevant is an important matter for buyers and sellers of property.
Guy’s property law experience extends to drafting or advising on contracts, leases (both residential and commercial), and other property related documents such as caveats. He is experienced with the requirements of PEXA, the mandatory e-conveyancing workspace and is able to identify which property dealings are exempt from e-conveyancing with the paper lodgement process required in those cases.
His clients have included homeowners upsizing or downsizing to meet their current needs, clients looking to buy their first home, small investors buying properties for rental, clients buying or selling rural properties and developers with multi-million-dollar projects, needing assistance with arranging subdivision or consolidation of pre-existing property titles and needing easements or covenants prepared before and sale of multiple properties.
Commercial Law
Guy has acted on purchase and sale of businesses, creation of trusts, advising on mortgages in dealing with his many clients. He has acted for business owners including restauranteurs, newsagents, developers and occupants of residential and commercial property. He has also acted for families pooling their wealth by creating family trusts for the purpose of buying investment properties.
In the environmental planning legal space, Guy has acted on a wide range of matters from subdivisions and easements affecting a single property through to development applications relevant to the creation of new suburban developments through affordable housing projects.
Guy knows that real estate has a big impact on people’s lives and takes his responsibility to competently represent you seriously. He uses his extensive experience in his field to benefit you, the client; foreseeing pitfalls well in advance and seeking out the most complete information for you to get sound advice and make informed decisions.
General Legal Areas
Guy has experience in and is able to advise clients in respect of a variety of general legal issues including wills and estate planning and deceased estates including advising on and lodging transmission applications to transfer property from the name of a deceased owner to the executor or beneficiary as required.
He has assisted clients with setting up family trusts after canvassing the reasons why the client wants a trust and explaining relevant information about the consequences of setting up a trust, commenting upon tax implications and whether other options are available or preferable to achieve the client’s purpose. If a client is confident to proceed then Guy will pursue requirements to allow the appointment of a trustee and a settlor and create the trust.
Recognition
Guy successfully completed accounting courses, before pursuing and finalising his legal qualifications in 1995 and he was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW, in 1996.
He is a Member of the Law Society of NSW and the Eastern Suburbs Law Society and stays up to date with the latest legal information by continuing professional development.