Gold Coast lawyer Beau Hartnett of Hartnett Lawyers enters personal insolvency Part X

A Gold Coast lawyer who “exorbitantly” charged an elderly client $288,000, continued to invoice her after she died, then went after her children for money, now says he’s broke.

A Gold Coast lawyer who “exorbitantly” charged an elderly client $288,000, continued to invoice her after she died, then went after her children for money, now says he’s broke.

Beau Timothy John Hartnett, 58, entered a personal insolvency agreement, also known as a Part X, on March 1, two months after he was ordered in court to pay more than $385,000.

The move is an alternative to bankruptcy in which a person who is unable to pay their debts enters a formal agreement with their creditors.

Anne Meagher of SV Partners has been appointed trustee and meeting date for creditors of Mr Hartnett is yet to be advertised.

Among the creditors of Mr Hartnett is Anthony Robert Bell, who has endured more than seven years of legal wrangles with Mr Hartnett, who eventually lost all of them.

In September 2022, Mr Hartnett was ordered to pay Mr Bell more than $311,000 – an order he unsuccessfully appealed.

He was subsequently ordered to pay another $75,000 in costs in a Judgment that revealed the lawyer had been subject to an asset freeze since November 2022.

In Mr Hartnett’s insolvency documents, Mr Bell is listed as being owed $584,589.

The documents, signed by Mr Hartnett list him as a beneficiary of multiple trusts which have cash and assets of more than $9.5m.

Gold Coast solicitor Beau Hartnett.

People subject to an insolvency agreement are automatically disqualified as directors and from managing corporations, unless they are granted permission by a court.

Mr Hartnett is founder of Hartnett Lawyers in Surfers Paradise as well as the Ausway Migration agency, which he operates with wife Suzanne Weel and is described on its website as “Australia’s Leading Migration Agents”.

Ms Weel is daughter of billion-dollar business founder Kees Weel and sister of racecar driver Paul Weel, neither of which are related to Mr Hartnett’s companies.

In the insolvency document, signed by Mr Hartnett, Hartnett Lawyers was described as a “ceased legal practice” since October 2021.

The Hartnett Lawyers website remained live this week, with its listed phone number active and staff taking calls on behalf of the firm.

The Queensland Law Society declined to comment on the case and Mr Hartnett remained registered as a principal solicitor on Thursday.

Gold Coast solicitor Beau Hartnett.

Suzanne Weel.

Company records show Mr Hartnett is current director of five companies, having vacated the role for nine companies in the weeks before he signed the insolvency agreement.

Among Mr Hartnett’s current directorships is Hartnett Superannuation Holdings, of which he and his wife are joint directors and shareholders.

Property records show that company owns a 1320 sqm block of vacant land with ocean views in Bowen.

The land at Bowen.

According to documents lodged with ASIC Mr Hartnett’s shareholdings in Shandon International, Kentgale Properties and Hallowvale were transferred to Ms Weel on December 22 last year, via forms signed on February 29 this year - the day before Mr Hartnett’s insolvency agreement began.

The insolvency declaration, signed by Mr Hartnett, said he’d sold unspecified shares to his wife for $32,500 on December 22.

Property records show Kentgale and Hallowvale own seven of the 35 apartments in ageing building King Tide at Broadbeach.

King Tide at Broadbeach

The declaration said Mr Hartnett had no vehicles, no property and no cash in the bank.

Shandon is the registered owner of a waterfront five-bedroom, four bathroom home with sweeping views of the Surfers Paradise skyline at Isle of Capri, purchased for $1.93m 10 years ago.

According to Mr Hartnett’s declaration, he is also a beneficiary of several trusts, which have cash and assets estimated at more than $9.86m.

He also has a superannuation fund with a balance of $1.79m.

The waterfront Isle of Capri home.

The original case was brought by Mr Bell, who inherited a property in Ballina after the 2013 death of his mother, Mabel Deakin-Bell.

The property was subject to a $30,000 mortgage in favour of his father’s first wife, who engaged Mr Hartnett to prepare her will and seek repayment of the mortgage.

According to court documents, the net proceeds of $352,137 from the property sale were paid into Mr Hartnett’s trust account and the lawyer issued Gwendoline invoices that came to more than $288,000.

The initial Judgement, in the New South Wales Supreme Court, said even Gwendoline’s death in 2018 did not stop Mr Hartnett from billing her.

The excessive invoicing left Mr Bell to chase his inheritance in court.

Originally published as Gold Coast lawyer Beau Hartnett of Hartnett Lawyers enters personal insolvency Part X