Legal services for Dungog and surrounding communities
Dungog is a picturesque rural town in the upper Williams River Valley, approximately 70 kilometres north-west of Newcastle. The Dungog local government area encompasses a wide rural region including Clarence Town, Paterson, Vacy, Gresford, and Rawdon Vale. The area has seen growing interest from lifestyle-change buyers seeking rural and rural-residential properties within commuting distance of Newcastle and the Hunter.
Julia Clarke Solicitor provides accessible, experienced legal services to Dungog clients. Access to a quality solicitor should not be limited by geography, and we work hard to ensure Dungog clients receive the same level of service as those closer to our East Maitland office.
Our services for Dungog clients
Conveyancing
We act for buyers and sellers of rural, rural-residential, and town properties across the Dungog local government area. Rural property transactions in this area involve particular attention to water access licences, flooding issues along the Williams, Paterson, and Allyn Rivers, and the planning provisions of the Dungog Local Environmental Plan 2014. We review all such matters carefully before advising clients to exchange contracts.
Wills and estate planning
We prepare wills, enduring powers of attorney, and appointments of enduring guardian for Dungog area clients. Rural estates, particularly those including farming properties, benefit from careful succession planning to minimise stamp duty (the primary production land exemption may apply), manage capital gains tax implications, and ensure the farming enterprise can continue after the testator's death.
Probate and estate administration
We assist executors and administrators of Dungog area estates with probate applications in the NSW Supreme Court and with all aspects of estate administration including the transfer or sale of rural properties.
Criminal law
We represent clients in Maitland Local Court (which hears Dungog area matters) and the Newcastle District Court. We handle traffic offences, criminal charges, and summary matters for Dungog clients.
Family law
We assist Dungog area clients with property settlements, parenting arrangements, and consent orders following separation. Rural property settlements require careful attention to the valuation of rural land and any farming business.