News and Events

Do your clients have problem debts?

Increasing interest rates and cost of living pressures are seeing more people who use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans falling into financial hardship.

New South Wales residents owe $1 billion to the state government because of unpaid fines, with more than 380,000 individuals having unpaid enforceable debt with Revenue NSW.

In November 2021 the NSW Ombudsman released a report revealing Revenue NSW used automated systems to unlawfully and forcibly collect debt from disadvantaged and financially vulnerable people since January 2016.

A coalition of 33 legal organisations including RLC have signed an open letter, calling on NSW finance minister Damien Tudehope to introduce a four-month pause on enforcement action on COVID fines, to support people already experiencing vulnerabiliy.

Western Sydney is technically in recession and will struggle to recover from the recent lockdowns, new data suggests. Samantha Lee says over-policing and tough LGA restrictions have contributed to layers of inequality.

Thousands of people have been fined under the Public Health Orders in NSW.  Police don’t always get it right.

Consumer advocates say they have many concerns over proposed updates to the Life Insurance Code of Practice in a joint submission to the Financial Services Council (FSC).

Our panel answered questions differentiating between credit, debt and consumer and family law, and discussed the best pathways for resolving common legal issues encountered by victim-survivors of financial abuse.

Data obtained by RLC reveals that the majority of people issued with a $1000 COVID-19 fine in NSW have not paid, or can’t afford to pay, leading to calls for a means-tested system and review of police conduct. Anna Patty reports for the Sydney Morning Herald.