Love of badminton and being beaten by my son Jazton at singles

Hello and happy new year to all. I am sure 2009 will be a better year than 2008.
The Chinese New Year is coming up next week. It is supposed to be the year of the Ox. I was born in the year of the Ox and have great expectation that the new year will bring more exciting challenges and accomplishments.

For those clients who know me well, they will know that for the last 6 years I have been playing badminton at least twice a week. My 2 boys have been playing badminton with my wife and I since they were about 6 years old.

In my previous blog I lamented and rejoiced at being beaten by my youngest son Tyzton at swimming.

I knew that I would eventually be beaten by my eldest son Jazton at badminton. I supposed I taught him his back hand too well.

A proud father I was last weekend when Jazton finally beat me at singles. It was a hard fought game but the old man just got out of puff.

I am sure Jazton will move on to greater victories at badminton. Likewise, Tyzton is just finding his strength and stamina while playing badminton.

Jazton and Tyzton became the WA State Under 13 Boys Doubles Champions last year much to the joy and delight of my wife and I. Here's a picture of both of them receiving their prize.




As usual, what has this got to do with the law. Well, have a look at my latest article on Perth Woman. It's about "Being your own boss".

What does one need to do to take the step from being employed to being self employed.

I have seen my son Jazton grow as a baby to being a young teenager who beats his dad at badminton. Soon he is about ready to be his own "boss".

Just like many readers who are employed now, are you ready to take the next step to be your own boss. Perhaps now is the best time with the unspoken recession bearing on us.

Do enjoy the issue and give me an email if you have any questions.

Buddhism and the Law

I had the privilege of attending a dinner hosted by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia on 25 November 2008.

Ajahn Brahm, the Abbott of the Bodhinyana Monastery was kind enough to speak to the guests on the issue of Buddhism and how it applies to corporate Australia.

His words and advice were most reassuring and I was pleasantly surprised how he was able to relate Buddhist principles to the corporate world.

He recited a short story from Leo Tolstoy which I believe is so applicable to all aspects of life including the practice of the law.

The story was about an emperor who sought the philosophy of life. He ended up with 3 simple questions:

1. When is the most important time?
2. Who is the most important person?
3. What is the most important thing to do?

The answer to the 1st question is NOW. NOW is the only time we have. If you wish to thank your receptionist for the good work she has done, NOW is the time. Not tomorrow or the day after.

The answer to the 2nd question is: the person standing in front of you and requesting your attention. We often do not give our full attention to the person speaking to us. I suppose if all couples practice the answer to this 2nd question, the divorce rate in the world will drop.

The answer to the final question as to what is the most important thing to do is: TO CARE. Unless we care about what we are doing and why we are doing it, then there is no reason for us to function. Likewise , unless we care about what we are doing for our clients, we will never be good lawyers.

It was a short speech filled with humour and compassion.

I hope I am able to practise what was taught by Ajahm.

Until my next blog, I wish my readers well.

What happens if you die without a will?

Dear Readers,

I never tire from talking about wills and how important it is to have an updated will.

I have been in practice for over 18 years. In those years, I have prepared thousands of wills for clients. As I get older, I realise that those clients who have had wills prepared by myself are also getting older. I recently attended a funeral for one of these old clients. It was lucky that a will had been prepared as it will save the family a lot of anguish. Have a look at this article from Perth Woman which deals with the question of what happens if no will is prepared.

Spouse Migration Tips

Dear Readers,

I would like to share with you my latest article in the PerthWoman magazine.

It deals with the issue of spouse migration and tips on how to ensure you succeed in getting your loved one into the country.

Having been a registered migration for over 18 years, I have seen my fair share of cases where the Department of Immigration (in it's various forms and name sake) have separated loved ones through their red tape.

Many genuine couples have been separated by the Department of Immigration because the couples are not familiar with how the Department officers think. I hope this article will set you thinking about the best way to get your loved one by your side.

Do feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Proud Father of 2 boys who are Tae Kwon Do black belts

Tyzton's black belt day

Yes, after years of training my 2 sons aged 10 and 12 are both holders of black belts in Tae Kwon Do.

Jazton , my 12 year old son got his black belt at the age of 10 yrs on 16 December 2006.

His younger brother Tyzton recently achieved his black belt on 28 June 2008 also at the age of 10 yrs.

All of their training and achievement can only be attributed to the patience of my mother in law, (bless her). She drove them to all the classes and sat through hrs and hrs of training before my sons graduated.

As a token of her achievement and sacrifice, my family is getting a picture frame done with all the belts obtained by the boys before reaching the color black. That frame will be dedicated to my mother in law.

Again, what has that got to do with the law?

I suppose it is harder to assess the standard and quality of a lawyer as they do not award belts to show the public the level of the lawyer's expertise.

So, how do you decide who to appoint as a lawyer when you need one. Well, have a look at the article written by myself for the PerthWoman magazine entitled a "Date with a Lawyer". That's in my previous blog. Hopefully that answers some questions.

I hope my boys read this blog so they will know how proud they made their father when they both got their TKD black belts.

Binding financial agreements or Prenups

Of late,I have had numerous requests for information on binding financial agreements. They are the equivalent of pre nuptial or post nuptial agreements. The laws allowing such agreements to be signed are quite recent and there have not been many cases on the issue.

Please find an article from Perth Woman which answers some questions.

If you need advice, see a lawyer to protect your interest and save you money.

Raymond Tan