Gold Coast lawyer Beau Hartnett no longer allowed to practice amid Federal Court case over insolvency
A disgraced Gold Coast lawyer is no longer allowed to practice, with his name struck from Queensland’s register of solicitors. Read why
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Disgraced Gold Coast lawyer Beau Hartnett is no longer allowed to practice law, with his name struck from Queensland’s register of solicitors.
Mr Hartnett, 58, “exorbitantly” charged an elderly client $288,000 to enforce a $30,000 mortgage and then spent almost a decade in court trying to avoid repaying the money.
When he’d exhausted his appeals, he claimed he was broke and couldn’t pay, entering a personal insolvency agreement but avoiding bankruptcy.
Under Queensland’s Legal Profession Act, personal insolvency is considered a “show cause event”, and lawyers have 28 days to explain why they should retain a certificate to practice law.
Mr Hartnett’s insolvency arrangement was executed on April 23, but he was allowed to continue practising, with the Queensland Law Society saying it was affording him “due process” under an extension of his existing certificate.
A statement from the QLS this week confirmed Mr Hartnett had not held certificate to practice since December 3.
“Queensland Law Society can confirm that Mr Hartnett withdrew his application to renew his Practising Certificate,” the statement said.
“His withdrawal means that his extended Practising Certificate has ceased.
“This means that he is no longer a part of the Queensland Law Society.”
Mr Hartnett’s wife Suzanne Weel has been registered as the principal of Hartnett Lawyers, and the firm is still listed on the Federal Court file as Mr Hartnett’s solicitor.
The company’s website – and that of Ms Weel’s Ausway Migration business – appear to have been de-activated.
Both businesses Google listings are directing web traffic to a news article about Mr Hartnett’s legal trouble.
Mr Hartnett’s Linkedin profile was changed this month to “consultant” at Hartnett Lawyers.
Answering questions on behalf of Mr Hartnett, Ms Weel said he “elected not to renew his practising certificate and QLS membership for the 2024-25 membership year”.
“Mr Hartnett may apply for a practising certificate in the future,” she said.
“We again note the Federal Court proceeding remains pending and it is inappropriate that we make any further comment at this stage.”
A three-day Federal Court hearing has been scheduled to examine how Mr Hartnett was able to declare he was broke and avoid paying hundreds of thousands to creditors while maintaining a millionaire lifestyle.
Creditors including elderly Lismore man Anthony Robert Bell, owed $584,589 by Mr Hartnett, would see less than three cents for every dollar under the personal insolvency agreement, despite the latter living in a $3.25m Surfers Paradise mansion.
Mr Bell is now a party to the new Federal Court case, which is scheduled for a three-day hearing from January 28.
Scathing documents lodged in the case allege insolvency trustees for Mr Hartnett did not scrutinise “very suspicious” creditor claims which helped him avoid paying his hefty debts.
The contentious insolvency agreement was passed by a majority of creditors, the largest of which was a trust held by Ms Weel.
An investigation by the Inspector-General in Bankruptcy Timothy Beresford, sparked after Gold Coast Bulletin questions, prompted the Federal Court action against Mr Hartnett, as well as his trustees, Anne Meagher and Adam Kersey of SV Partners.
In their defence, the trustees outlined multiple ways they sought to verify the claims of each minor creditor before admitting them to vote.
Their defence said they had “acted prudently, rationally and properly in recommending that creditors vote in favour” of the agreement, in light of how “Mr Hartnett’s financial affairs were structured”.
Mr Hartnett’s defence, which was prepared and signed by Ms Weel as his solicitor, said he intended to pay $584,589 he owed Mr Bell by borrowing against his wife’s $3.25 million home.
There is no allegation of wrongdoing by Ms Weel.
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