Executing documents. Do we still affix the body corporate seal?

QLD

Committee & Governance

This article and video addresses the need for seals when executing QLD body corporate documents after the 1 May 2024 body corporate legislation changes.

Video: Executing documents. Do we still use the body corporate seal?

On 21 May 2024, Nikki Jovicic from Lookupstrata spoke with Jarad Maher, partner at Grace Lawyers about executing documents and whether a body corporate seal was still required.

In Feb 2023, the QLD Government announced upcoming changes to the QLD body corporate legislation. The new laws passed Queensland Parliament on 14 November 2023 and the changes began on 1 May 2024. Some headline changes received attention, including the right to tow, increased protection for pet owners and decreased rights for smokers. However, a little-mentioned change is now sending waves of concern throughout QLD's strata industry. Are common seals required, or not? Are current contracts compliant? We asked Jarad Maher to explain the changes and what they mean to body corporate committees and QLD strata managers.

Jarad covers:

What was previously in place?
What’s changed?
Is it a positive change?
Are there any difficulties with the changes?
How do we overcome these difficulties?

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Published: 27 May 2024

Last Updated: 7 Jul 2026

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Author

Jarad Maher

Grace Lawyers

Jarad has nearly 20 years’ post-admission experience, and practices exclusively, in strata and community titles and property law in multiple jurisdictions, particularly Queensland.

Jarad acts for bodies corporate and other stakeholders on a vast array of strata-related matters, ranging from advice, structuring and titling issues and disputes, including in the Commissioner’s Office, QCAT, and complex multi-party litigation in appellate Courts.

Jarad is a member of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers (ACSL) and regularly contributes to the development and advancement of the strata sector through professional affiliations, delivering accreditation training to industry professionals and consulting with government through regulatory taskforces.