Article
Relationship Property - unequal division on separation
A court can adjust the division if the income and living standards of one partner are likely to be significantly higher.
Cavell Leitch
- Article
Support beyond separation: understanding spousal maintenance
What is spousal maintenance? How the Family Court decides.
Wynn Williams - Article
Under what circumstances should you form a trust?
Some of the common purposes of a trust, and the structures which can be utilised, will be discussed in this article.Duncan Cotterill - Article
COVID-19 - Enduring powers of attorney - New immediate modification order
A further temporary change was made to Enduring powers of attorney, so they could be witnessed via audio visual link.Cavell Leitch - Article
Helping millennials into their first home
Any advancing or borrowing money inter-family (usually for property) should be formally discussed with a lawyer.Cavell Leitch - Article
Update to Guidance regarding shared care arrangements of children at COVID-19 Alert Level 4
As parents make decisions in the best interests of their children, they are now restricted to a two-bubble scenario.Cavell Leitch - Article
Vaccinating children against COVID-19 – the role of parents and the child
Recent case provides a useful backdrop to consider guardianship rights and responsibilities and how they should be exercised.Wynn Williams - Article
What's love got to do with it - Things to think about when immigrating to New Zealand
The article briefly discusses common pitfalls immigrants face when separating in New Zealand..Cavell Leitch - Article
Ageing trustees - Does your co-trustees diminishing mental capacity really matter?
Relatively easy tasks, when all trustees have capacity, can be complex if one of the trustees becomes incapacitated.Cavell Leitch - Article
Review of Property (Relationships) Act 1976
The Review is interested in how the Act is operating and in the impact it has on the interests of parties and children.Cavell Leitch - Article
Throuple trouble: Dividing relationship property when love comes in threes
PRA can apply to polyamorous relationships (relationships involving more than two consenting partners) where they contain two or more qualifying de facto relationships.Wynn Williams - Article
Medical decisions for children - who calls the shots?
When parents or guardians cannot agree on medical treatment for their children, they may seek court intervention.Cavell Leitch - Article
Prenups – not just for the rich and famous
A prenup allows you to contract out of the Property (Relationships) Act and set your own rules for division of property.Wynn Williams - Article
Property issues for separating couples
For property division agreements to be binding, there must be proper disclosure of all assets in which the parties share.Cavell Leitch - Article
Changes to the Property (Relationships) Act 1976
After a three-year review of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976, the Law Commission has made 140 recommendations.Cavell Leitch - Article
Enduring Powers of Attorney - changes coming into force
From 16 March 2017, EPAs in the old forms that are not fully executed will need to be re-done on the new forms.Wynn Williams - Article
There are a number of things you can do to make it easier. Here are some things to think about:
When you're going through a separation, it's difficult to know where to start.Cavell Leitch - Article
Valuations and COVID-19: The effect of a global pandemic on relationship property divisions
Recent settlement agreements could be reviewed if the value of the property has been significantly affected by COVID-19.Wynn Williams - Article
Getting Married? You need to read this
Couples often overlook important legal 'housekeeping' matters that should be attended to prior to the big wedding day.Duncan Cotterill - Article
The importance of wills and enduring powers of attorney (EPAs)
Having enduring powers of attorney and a well-drafted will in place is important for every adult, whatever their age.Duncan Cotterill
