The importance of having a Will

29/07/2010

The recent Judgment of the High Court is a timely reminder of the need to regularly review your Will, or if you have a Will, to update it. The background to the Judgment is that in 1984 Mr & Mrs T married.  There were no children…

What is a Legal Executive

28/07/2010

Legal Executives are not lawyers.  However most hold the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive qualification.  They are over 900 registered Legal Executives working in New Zealand.  Legal Executives mostly work in law…

Wills

08/06/2010

Everyone over the age of 18 should have a Will.  Many people believe they don’t need a Will because they have no assets to leave behind, they are too young, or they haven’t had a Will for 40 years, so why get one. Everyone should…

Trusts

01/06/2010

No longer the exclusive domain of the asset rich.
 
The formation of Trusts are a topic of general discussion throughout various cross-sections of the public.  We hear about them on the radio, read about them in best sel…

Joint Family Homes Act 1964

27/05/2010

“THE POOR MAN’S TRUST” Most often when a person goes to their lawyer looking to have their family home protected from creditors, they are most often advised to transfer their home to a trust structure.  This can be a long and cost…

Becoming a New Zealand Resident

22/06/2010

The New Zealand Immigration Service (“NZIS”) is responsible for administering New Zealand immigration.  NZIS operate under immigration policy set by the Minister of Immigration. There are a number of different categories that enab…

Trustees' Duties

15/06/2010

Family Trusts are becoming increasingly common in New Zealand. The Reserve Bank has recently said that one fifth of household assets are held in trust. The trustees of a trust owe a number of duties to the beneficiaries of that trust.…

Conditional Contracts for Sale of Land

20/05/2010

The recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Mana v Fleming received considerable media attention earlier this year because it highlighted one of the many pitfalls in property transactions. Briefly, the facts are these:

1. The…
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Immigration - Active Investor Migrant Policy

10/03/2010

Following considerable problems under the previous Investor Category Immigration New Zealand opened the Active Investor Migrant Policy on 26 November 2007.  The policy is designed to attract to New Zealand migrants with business ex…

Selling the Business?

26/05/2010

Read on for employment law considerations… Assets versus Shares If you are selling the assets of your business and you have employees, that sale may impact on their employment, triggering the need for you to consult w…