Fitness
Fitness industry professionals have a duty of care to their clients and must follow professional standards and guidelines. Meridian Lawyers steps in when you need help to manage the risks and advice to run your business.
Supporting the fitness industry
Our lawyers view the broadening impact of registered fitness instructors and personal trainers in everyday Australian life as vitally important to the healthcare industry. We help fitness professionals understand their roles and responsibilities in an increasingly litigious and regulated environment.
As a fitness professional you risk being on the receiving end of a complaint by a dissatisfied client, through a compensation claim or a complaint to a government authority or Fitness Australia. Our dedicated lawyers help you to mitigate any risks you face and provide legal and commercial advice to improve your business and protect your reputation as well as your financial position.
Legal advice and services
Our team has a detailed understanding of your profession, advising on:
- professional negligence claims;
- public liability claims;
- complaints and demands for compensation;
- acquisition and sale of businesses;
- negotiating premises leases and lease disputes;
- business restructures and advice on business and asset protection;
- franchises and similar arrangements;
- debt refinancing;
- establishing or exiting a partnership, including resolving partnership disputes;
- business succession planning and advice;
- workplace disputes and issues; and
- regulatory issues relevant to fitness professionals.
Fitness Insights
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What to consider when you buy a Fitness Franchise
Franchise systems are prevalent in the Fitness Industry. Buying a franchise has a number of advantages, such as the association with an established and reputable brand or service, assistance with setting up elements of the franchise, initial management training and ongoing support via established policies and procedures, and access to…
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How fit are you, legally?
Working as a Fitness Professional (FP) can be a rewarding career in helping others achieve their health and fitness goals, but the responsibilities also carry a number of substantial and potential legal and business risks, so it is always a good idea to check that you, and your business, are…
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Spotlight on Fitness: an overview of Australian Consumer Law
On 1 January 2011 the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) introduced some significant changes to the obligations on suppliers of services and goods. This update sets out a few practical tips on how fitness businesses can limit complaints and stay on the right side of the consumer law. Under the ACL,…
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Personal trainers: don’t sweat the legal small print
Over the years, we have been able to help clients grow their businesses with reduced legal risk, predominantly by ensuring that binding arrangements with others are properly documented (such as arrangements with partners, franchisees, employees and contractors), and that before being signed, written documents provided to our clients by third…
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Fitness instructors, squats and waivers
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory has awarded damages of $255,261 to a student who injured himself while studying to be a fitness instructor at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). The facts The student was enrolled at the CIT, studying to become a fitness instructor. He was…
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Are you selling a child care business?
Whether you have negotiated the sale of your child care business yourself or through a business broker, you will need a solicitor with child care experience to prepare and negotiate the contract of sale, and manage the transaction through to completion on your behalf. The legal process can be broken…