Charities Disputes:

Generally, Charities involve a diverse group of people working together on different levels with the same goal. When dealing with Charities, there may be many decisions to make and sometimes not all parties will agree. Disputes may occur between groups, members, staff, members and the board, board members and other various combinations. Common Internal Disputes include, but are not limited, to:

• Approval or Cancelation of Memberships;
• Volunteer or Employment Contracts;
• Board members, Directors or Committee Member Dismissal;
• Marketing or Promoting; and/or
• The use of Charity Funds.

Generally, in order to resolve an Internal Dispute, an individual with standing may take the matter to a higher Internal Authority, engage in alternative dispute resolution methods (negotiation, mediation, arbitration and conciliation) and/or having the dispute resolved by an order made by a Tribunal or Court.

If you have a dispute and require assistance with resolving your matter, it is recommended that you seek legal advice before taking any further steps as you may unknowingly prejudice your rights. Our team of Charities Lawyers can work closely with our Dispute Resolution Lawyers in order to provide you professional legal advice regarding your rights in the matter and assist you with developing a strategic path to negotiating and resolving the issues in a timely and cost effective manner. Further, should it be required, our Dispute Resolution Lawyers and Litigation Lawyers can appear on your behalf or represent you in the various forms of alternative dispute resolution, Tribunals or Courts.

Charities Disputes may not be Internal Disputes and can possibly form between different Charities. Circumstances that may lead to such disputes include:

• Intellectual Property Disputes (similar slogans, colours, style, other);
• Joint Venture Disputes (issues in relation to events together ie. Event layout, dividing donations raised, promotion or marketing);
• Similar Concept or Objective Disputes;
• Disclosures made in relation to fundraising; and/ or
• Former committee members creating a new Charity with use of or similar concepts, aims, objectives and other business structures.

However, Disputers between Charities can evolve for many reasons. If your Charity is currently attempted to resolve a dispute with another Charity or a number of other Charities, then it is important to seek legal advice from a Charities Lawyer. Our team of Charities Lawyers will ensure you understand your Charity’s rights and obligations in relation to the specific matters, discuss with you and develop a strategic plan to resolve the matter and provide you with general legal advice about Charities and Disputes.

If you wish to meet with a Solicitor from our teams of Charities Lawyers or Dispute Resolution Lawyers, please contact our firm by telephone on (02) 9233 4048 or send an email to info@navado.com.au

This webpage (and any material or wording appearing on this webpage) is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute any Legal Advice. It does not take into account your objectives, your instructions or all of the relevant facts and/or circumstances. Navado accepts no responsibility to any person who relies on the information provided on this website. We further refer you to our Disclaimer.