Business & Commercial · Canberra
1 buying or selling a business firm in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, including Canberra City, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong.
1 firm
Forrest, ACT · Canberra
Boettcher Law – Uwe Boettcher provides legal services in Forrest, ACT. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Wills & Estates.
A business sale involves the contract, lease assignment, employees, intellectual property, stock and goodwill. Lawyers structure the deal and protect you from inherited liabilities.
A business sale transfers goodwill, contracts, staff and risks. Careful structuring and due diligence protect both buyer and seller.
Transactions involve the Corporations Act for share sales, state duties, GST going-concern rules, Fair Work obligations for transferring employees, and lease assignments under state law.
Understand the next step
Distinguish a sale of business assets from a transaction involving shares or another ownership interest. Explain what is being transferred and which employees, leases and licences are involved.
Ask which tax, accounting and valuation work must be obtained separately.
A Canberra address does not automatically mean ACT law is the only law involved. Commonwealth decisions, workplace matters and transactions involving nearby NSW can require different experience and procedures.
For buying or selling a business, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant ACT experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Canberra. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
Explain the transaction, amount involved, parties and desired result. Provide the current agreement and relevant entity or trust details.
Ask which risks need legal, accounting, tax or technical advice. Identify essential terms and those you are willing to negotiate.
Agree who negotiates, approves documents and tracks continuing obligations. Clarify whether post-completion advice is included.
Request a defined scope or staged budget with assumptions about document review and negotiation rounds. Personal guarantees, tax and related disputes may need separate work.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Highlight signing dates, finance conditions and demands. Raise an inability to meet debts immediately so appropriate advice can be identified before further commitments.
In the ACT, the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court share the caseload without an intermediate court. Tenancy, discrimination, planning and guardianship disputes go to ACAT. Canberra also hosts many federal bodies, so public law and Commonwealth employment matters are common. The ACT Law Society regulates practitioners and handles complaints.
Good to know
Checking the business's finances, contracts, leases, employees and legal risks before you commit to buy.
Most matters start in the Magistrates Court. More serious cases go to the Supreme Court of the ACT. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Practising certificates in Australian Capital Territory are managed by the ACT Law Society. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.