Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
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QUEANBEYAN · NSW
If you live in Queanbeyan and something has gone seriously wrong with professional advice or services you paid for, you may be in a more complicated position than you realise. Many Queanbeyan residents work across the border in Canberra, deal with professionals based in the ACT, and quietly assume that ACT law governs their situation. It doesn’t. Your claim is a NSW matter — and that distinction has real consequences for which legislation applies and how long you have to act.
Fair Go Australia works with professional negligence clients across NSW and the rest of the country. You don’t need to travel to Sydney or to any local office. We handle the overwhelming majority of our work remotely, and that hasn’t changed the quality of outcomes for clients in regional areas.
JURISDICTION & LOCAL CONTEXT
Queanbeyan’s position directly on the NSW–ACT border creates genuine legal confusion for a lot of residents. If your accountant’s office is in Civic, or your solicitor practices out of Barton, you might reasonably assume that ACT consumer protections or limitation periods apply to you. They don’t — at least not for a civil negligence claim. Your residency and the location where the loss occurred determine the governing law, and for most Queanbeyan residents that means NSW.
That matters because the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) sets the framework for how your claim is assessed, and the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) determines how long you have to bring it. These differ from the equivalent ACT legislation in ways that can significantly affect your claim.
Under the standard established by the High Court in Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479, a professional is expected to meet the standard of a reasonably competent practitioner in their field. Falling below that standard — and causing measurable loss as a result — is what gives rise to a claim worth pursuing.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Queanbeyan’s population includes a high proportion of public sector workers, small business owners, and families making significant financial decisions. The types of negligence claims we see from this region reflect that:
If your situation involves a professional who you trusted, paid, and were failed by — speak to us. We’ll give you an honest assessment of whether there’s a viable claim.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
The Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) is the primary legislation governing professional negligence claims for NSW residents. It doesn’t create new rights so much as it codifies and in some cases limits the common law framework that courts have applied for decades.
To succeed in a professional negligence claim, you generally need to establish three things: that the professional owed you a duty of care; that they fell below the standard a reasonably competent professional in their field would have met; and that their failure caused your loss in a direct and foreseeable way.
For significant disputes, the Supreme Court of NSW is the relevant jurisdiction. Smaller matters may be dealt with through the NSW District Court (Goulburn registry) or the Queanbeyan Local Court, depending on the size and complexity of the claim.
If your complaint is about a solicitor, the Law Society of NSW and the NSW Legal Services Commissioner handle disciplinary matters — but a regulatory complaint and a civil negligence claim are separate processes. A disciplinary finding won’t recover your money. A successful negligence claim can.
LIMITATION PERIODS
This is the question that matters most if you’re still deciding whether to act. Under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), you generally have 3 years from the date you discovered — or should reasonably have discovered — the negligence to commence a claim.
For Queanbeyan residents who have dealt with ACT-based professionals, it’s particularly important not to assume ACT limitation periods apply. They don’t. Your time limit is a NSW matter — governed by NSW courts under NSW legislation.
“When you discovered it” doesn’t always mean when you were told. Courts have found that a person ought reasonably to have discovered negligence earlier than they claim — which is why taking advice sooner rather than later is in your direct interest.
Act before time runs out.
In NSW, professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within 3 years of the date you became aware — or should reasonably have become aware — of the negligence. Missing this deadline can permanently extinguish your right to claim. If you are unsure whether your limitation period is still open, contact our team for a free assessment as soon as possible.
HOW WE WORK
We don’t have an office in Queanbeyan — and we don’t need one to represent you properly. Every aspect of the claims process, from initial evaluation through to resolution, can be handled by phone, video call, and secure document exchange. Clients in regional NSW and across the country use this model routinely, and it works.
Our practice is focused exclusively on professional negligence. We don’t do conveyancing, family law, or general litigation. That focus means the lawyers you deal with have handled these specific claim types repeatedly, and they know where the arguments are won and lost.
The evaluation is free, there’s no obligation to proceed, and we don’t charge anything unless your claim succeeds.
GET STARTED
Our specialist professional negligence lawyers assess your situation at no cost. No obligation. No upfront fees.
We respond within 1 business day.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Yes. Your claim is governed by NSW law based on your residency and where the loss occurred — not where the professional’s office is located. Many Queanbeyan residents work with ACT-based solicitors, financial advisors, and accountants. If that professional was negligent and caused you loss, your claim runs through NSW courts under NSW legislation.
Negligence isn’t just a bad result. You need to be able to show that the professional fell below the standard a reasonably competent person in their field would have met — and that this failure caused your loss. The starting point for most people is a free evaluation, where we look at what happened, what was lost, and whether those elements line up.
It means there are no upfront legal fees and no legal costs payable to us if your claim doesn’t succeed. If your claim does succeed, our fees are recovered from the compensation awarded. The initial case evaluation is completely free regardless of outcome.
It depends heavily on the complexity of the matter and whether it resolves through negotiation or proceeds to hearing. Straightforward claims with clear liability may settle within six to twelve months. More complex matters — particularly those involving disputed expert evidence — can take longer. We’ll give you a realistic assessment of likely timeframes as part of the initial evaluation.
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
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