Expert Legal Advice For Estate Planning, Wills And Trusts

Protecting Your Estate Matters

One never knows what is around the corner.

One never knows what is around the corner which is why it is important to engage a lawyer to ensure your estate is protected for those who are important to you through all of life’s different stages (getting married, having children) changing circumstances (marriage break ups, or becoming frail or incapacitated) or in preparation for when you die.


We have assisted many Hawke’s Bay clients with Estate Planning and Estate Administration, making sure they feel confident their family will be provided for as they wish, now and in the future.

ESTATE PLANNING AND WILLS

If you die without a legally binding will, it can cause confusion and, in some cases, conflict and/ or legal and financial difficulty for your family when it comes to dealing with your estate. 

There are also many other legal matters involved in estate planning that our law firm can help with: 

  • Writing a Will - advice and preparation of your will, so your assets will be distributed as you wish.
  • Enduring Powers of Attorney - Preparation of legal documents that grant authority to another person, usually someone you trust, to act on your behalf should you not be able to.
  • Trusts - Helping you develop a plan that protects your families’ assets now and in the future. This may be setting up a new trust or winding up a trust that is no longer needed. 
  • Relationship Property - We have a thorough understanding of New Zealand property relationship law and can help you make agreements about or resolve disputes related to the status, ownership and division of relationship property and assets before, during, or after your relationship. 

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

When a loved one dies you must not only deal with the loss but also all the legal aspects of dealing with their estate, which can be very stressful. The law governs most of what needs to happen after someone dies and it can be complicated, which is where the services of a lawyer become invaluable.

We are here to help make things easier and will respectfully guide and support the executors and trustees of your estate, helping them navigate all the legal steps required when dealing with a person’s estate.

  • Probate or Letters of Administration – This is getting Court approval of the will (if there is one for probate) and the appointment of the administrators of the estate.
  • Estate Administration - We act for the administrators of the estate in ascertaining what falls into the estate, transferring property, collecting assets and paying debts and distributing the estate to beneficiaries and providing a detailed statement of what has been done. 
  • Family Protection Act Claims - Providing legal advice when family members believe they have not been adequately provided for under a will.
  • Relationship Property Act Claims - Legal advice to ensure that relationship property is divided fairly if a party believes they have not been adequately provided for under a will 
  • Testamentary Promises Act Claims - Help you ascertain if you have a legally viable claim against an estate for promises made to you by the deceased. 

PPPRA APPLICATIONS

If someone does not have the mental capacity to manage their own affairs or care for themselves the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 (commonly referred to as the PPPR Act) provides processes and procedures for Court appointed Property Managers of Welfare Guardians to make decisions for adults who cannot make these decisions for themselves.


We can guide and assist you with making the necessary applications to obtain these orders to protect elderly and vulnerable people.