
Our lawyers are experts and are at the cutting edge of properly prosecuting and defending the Design and Building Practitioners Act (DBPA) claims.
Many solicitors (and too many barristers) think that conducting DBPA cases is easy, especially pleading them. This exhibits a total misunderstanding of how these cases should be run.
We’ve seen too many claims that are terribly pleaded by the owners. The Court wants to see ‘particulars’ and to a very great degree in these DBPA cases. Instead, what it usually gets, are pleadings which are totally devoid of facts that need to be pleaded. We’ve seen this time and again.
Our lawyers are at the cutting edge of this area of the law. We’ve been there in hard cases and we’ve been intimately involved in seeing first-hand what the Supreme Courts wants to see when it comes to these cases. We can prosecute these cases for you or defend you properly because we know the weakness. We’ve learnt our lessons by being involved in cases such as The Owners – Strata Plan 89412 v Brookfield Residential Developments Australia Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 1420. We’ve seen our colleagues submit that the owners “weren’t there to know each and every particular” and we’ve seen the Court tell our colleagues: ‘then why did you bring the case?”
Don’t let yourself face that uphill battle alone, and don’t fall into the ignorance trap, call our experts at Papallo Kouchoo. Whether you’re an owner, a developer, a builder or a sub-contractor, we’ll tell you all you need to know about the DBPA.
Note: A very important detailed article on this crucial topic is on its way – stay tuned. This is a most crucial issue in Building and Construction law, not just in NSW but Australia-wide.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for a professional free consultation.
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