Areas we serve / Mornington Peninsula / Dromana
Lawyers and solicitors for Dromana
Property, building and renovating, hillside land, wills and estates for Dromana and Safety Beach clients, from our Frankston office about 20 to 30 minutes away.
What we do for Dromana clients
Choose what you need help with. Each one opens the detail further down this page.
Legal services for Dromana clients
Dromana sits between the bay and Arthurs Seat, the Peninsula’s highest point, with a foreshore and a pier that have drawn holidaymakers since the late 1800s, and Safety Beach and McCrae on either side. Homes on the lower slopes of Arthurs Seat come with their own checks.
We act for Dromana and Safety Beach home owners, buyers and sellers, for owners building or renovating, and for families with wills and estates. Radek Dajer, our principal solicitor, acts personally on each matter, in English or in Polish, and we meet at our Frankston office or by video.
Local note
After the McCrae landslide in January 2025, land across the Peninsula mapped as highly susceptible to landslides now has an interim Erosion Management Overlay.
Before you buy or build
Checking a hillside block
On the slopes of Arthurs Seat, the land can matter as much as the house. Check these points before you buy, build or renovate.
Tap or point to the gold markers on the drawing.
Property, building and estates in Dromana
Choose a topic to see what it involves and how we help.
Contract and section 32 review, auctions and private sales, and settlement for homes and land in Dromana and Safety Beach.
- Before you sign: we check the contract, the section 32 statement and the planning controls on the land, including the landslide, vegetation or other overlays shown on the drawing above.
- Cooling-off: for many private sales of residential property, you have 3 clear business days after signing to end the contract. There is none at a publicly advertised auction.
- Selling: we prepare the contract and the section 32 statement early, so your campaign and settlement run to time.
Contracts for new homes, extensions and renovations, and disputes when a job goes wrong.
- Statutory warranties: every domestic building contract includes warranties that the work will be done in a proper and workmanlike manner, with good and suitable materials and in line with the plans and the law. They pass to later owners.
- Deposits and progress payments: the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) caps deposits and, for major contracts, ties progress payments to stages of the work.
- Variations: a change to the plans or specifications in a major domestic building contract must be recorded in writing and signed.
- Changes due by 1 December 2026: new rules on deposits, progress payments, variations and ending a contract start no later than that date. Check which rules apply before you sign.
Title, planning and drainage checks for sloping land on Arthurs Seat and around Dromana.
- Landslide controls: since 6 January 2026, an interim Erosion Management Overlay (EMO7) has covered land the Shire has mapped as highly susceptible to landslides. Most works will likely need a planning permit, usually with a geotechnical report.
- Vegetation: overlays can require a permit to remove, destroy or lop trees and other vegetation.
- Water between properties: disputes about the unreasonable flow of water between properties can go to VCAT under the Water Act 1989 (Vic).
- Before you spend: we review the title and planning controls with your designer, surveyor or engineer before you commit to costs.
Wills, powers of attorney, probate and family provision claims.
- Wills: executors, gifts, guardians for young children and testamentary trusts, including for blended families.
- Enduring power of attorney: appoints someone to make financial or personal decisions for you, and continues if you lose capacity. Made under the Powers of Attorney Act 2014 (Vic).
- Family provision claims: must generally be filed within 6 months after the grant of probate or letters of administration.
Renting out a holiday home?
Short stay rentals on the Peninsula must be registered with the Shire each year under its Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law 2022, and the 7.5% short stay levy applies to stays of less than 28 days.
Building or renovating in Dromana
Your building project, step by step
From the first check of the land to handover. We review the contracts and explain each stage, in English or in Polish.
01
Check the land
We review the title and the planning controls, including any landslide or vegetation overlay, before you commit to plans.
02
Permits
Your designer or building surveyor confirms the planning and building permits the work needs. Under the landslide overlay, expect a geotechnical report.
03
The contract
We review the building contract before you sign. For a major domestic building contract you can usually withdraw within 5 clear business days after receiving a signed copy.
04
During the build
Deposits are capped and progress payments are tied to stages of the work. Any change to the plans or specifications must be recorded in writing and signed.
05
Handover
Final payment is not due until the work is complete and you have the occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection. List any defects in writing.
How we work
One lawyer, start to finish
Radek Dajer acts on your matter personally, from the first meeting to the final document, settlement or hearing.
Costs in writing
Before any work starts, we tell you in writing how we will charge and give you an estimate, and we update it if things change.
English or Polish
Meetings, advice and explanations of documents in English or in Polish.
Close to Dromana
About 20 to 30 minutes from Dromana via Peninsula Link, with parking nearby, or meet us by phone or video.
Visit us from Dromana
435 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199
Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm, by appointment
From Dromana
About 20 to 30 minutes by car via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Peninsula Link.
By bus
Route 788 runs from Dromana to Frankston station, a short walk from our office, and route 781 links Dromana with Frankston through Mount Martha, Mornington and Mount Eliza.
Parking
Wilson Parking at 453 Nepean Highway, street parking on the Nepean Highway, and the car parks at McDonald’s across the road and at Dan Murphy’s.
Common questions
Can’t see your question? Call 1800 776 529 or send us a message.
The interim Erosion Management Overlay (EMO7) applies to land the Shire has mapped as highly susceptible to landslides, not to whole suburbs. Check the planning property report for the property, or ask us to check it before you sign.
Often. It depends on the height of the wall and the land. A building permit may be needed, and on land under a landslide or vegetation overlay a planning permit may be needed too. Your building surveyor can confirm.
Find the Home Warranty notice of cover or domestic building insurance certificate for your job, and get advice before engaging another builder. Depending on when the contract was signed, you may be able to claim for incomplete or defective work. Keep records of the work done, payments made and all correspondence.
Yes, but for short stays you must register it with the Shire each year, appoint a contact person who can respond to neighbours’ complaints within two hours, and show the registration number in your advertising. The 7.5% short stay levy applies to stays of less than 28 days.
Our office is at 435 Nepean Highway, Frankston, about 20 to 30 minutes by car. Much of the work can be done by phone, video and email, so you may only need to come in to sign documents.
Yes. Radek Dajer speaks Polish and can take your instructions and explain your documents in Polish. See our Polish-language services.
Building and property insights
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Getting paid on time has always been one of the biggest problems for subcontractors in Victoria’s building and construction industry….
Victoria’s building laws are changing significantly from 1 July 2026. Learn what the new buyer protections, warranty insurance reforms, and rectification orders mean for homeowners.
Buying a home is one of the most significant financial decisions you will make. A conveyancing lawyer guides you through contracts, Section 32 statements, stamp duty, and settlement.
Discovering defects in your new home or renovation is stressful and expensive. Victorian law provides protections for home owners against defective building work.
Talk to us about your Dromana matter
Tell us briefly what has happened or what you are planning. We will explain your options, the next steps and how we charge. Call 1800 776 529 or send us a message, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm.
