Key points Professionals are typically judged by the standards of a reasonably competent practitioner of the relevant discipline. The standard of “peer professional opinion” cannot be relied upon as the standard if the court determines that the opinion is unreasonable. Standard of care is a crucial component of a negligence claim, along with duty of […]

Key points We have used the quieter days of January to review and update 13 of our Practice Guides. Topics where we made substantial updates include Dispute Resolution; Submitting Tenders; Specification and Product Selection; and Substitutions. Our suite of Practice Guides are a handy resource to help understand and manage some common risk areas in […]

Article summary: Content posted on social media and messaging apps can be used as evidence in court. Understanding the risk exposures helps you create systems to preserve beneficial records and avoid creating damaging ones. In 2024, a report by Deloitte highlighted that the average Australian spends 6 hours 20 minutes a week engaged in social […]

OUR ANNUAL WEBINAR PASS FOR 2025 CAN NO LONGER BE PURCHASED. For the last 8 years, informed by Planned Cover’s webinar program has been keeping you up to date on the current issues affecting the construction industry, and in turn, assisting you to meet your professional CPD obligations. In 2025, we’re continuing to provide our specialised […]

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the achievements and challenges that have shaped our company over the past 12 months. This year has been marked by the growth of our team and a continued commitment by informed by Planned Cover to delivering exceptional value to our clients. In February, we […]

In a move to be more environmentally friendly, Australia has seen an uptake in the sale of electric vehicles, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries in Australia reporting that the number of electric vehicles sold in 2023, had increased by 161.1% from the year prior, in 2022. With this increase in electric vehicles, and […]

In addition to our professional indemnity insurance, informed by Planned Cover provides a contract review service to help consultants understand the insurance and risk implications of professional services agreements. By reviewing approximately 1,300 contracts every year, it allows us to consider trends in client-drafted contracts, and gives us a general understanding of the construction industry. In 2024, this […]

How many times have you been asked to provide a certificate? The form can differ and might not even be labelled a certificate. It may be an innocent looking letter or form which your client labels as “standard” or “housekeeping”. Essentially, a “certificate” captures any written statement whereby you are making, or attesting to, some […]

Back in 2004-2005, the fallout from the collapse of large insurer HIH/FAI was still reverberating through the economy and rendering liability insurances unaffordable for many businesses. In response, governments across Australia developed legislation to provide professionals with some level of protection against very large claims. The most significant reform was a topic we’ve covered in […]

Well here we are! The Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) and the Design & Building Practitioners Regulations 2021 (NSW) along with the Design and Building Practitioners Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulation 2022 (NSW) (collectively the “DBP Act”) are no longer the new kids on the block for architects and engineers in the construction industry. However, […]