Insights & Articles

Interesting insights on various areas of New Zealand law for individuals and businesses alike.
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Auckland family lawyer; Living in a lockdown bubble can strain relationships. What can you do about care of child, separation, divorce? We can help.
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Is Self-Isolation Pushing you Together or Pulling you Apart?

Feeling stressed or anxious about how Covid-19 (coronavirus) and New Zealand entering alert level 4 with nationwide lockdowns will affect you and your family members? Times of crisis can result in a push-and-pull effect with our personal relationships. They bring people together – only those in your household! - but difficult times can also lead to difficulties arising in our relationships with our, quite literally, nearest and dearest.
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Auckland relationship mediation lawyer; We have a court appointed lawyer to help with family disputes in the difficult Covid-19 lockdown. Click here for details
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Family Mediation Services Continue to be Available During Level 4 Alert

Amidst the Covid-19 lockdowns initiated by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday 23 March 2020, many Kiwis are feeling stressed and uncertain about their current situation. When issues arise, especially at an unprecedented time like this, it’s often best to talk them out and work together to find positive solutions. If parenting, child welfare and other family issues arise that you need to discuss, we are here to assist.
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Auckland lawyers; In lockdown you may be able to get free legal advice on family, child care, Parenting Orders and related matters. Click here for help.
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Free Online Family Legal Advice Service During Covid-19

Stocking up on food items, school, restaurant, cinema and non-essential business closures, and plenty of hand-sanitising. The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the Government’s measures to flatten the curve are affecting our behaviour, and our relationships. Staying at home with our families during this period of nationwide self-isolation can cause issues to arise.
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Auckland family trust lawyers; The new Trust Act will affect Trustees and their responsibilities. What does it mean for you? Find out here.
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The New Trusts Act and How it Will Affect You as a Trustee

As you may be aware, the Trusts Act ("Act") has received Royal Assent and will come into effect on 30 January 2021. Amongst other things the Act codifies the duties of trustees and requires greater transparency with beneficiaries. It will affect your current trust arrangements. You should consider reviewing, updating and making structural changes to your Trust if necessary, in order to future proof your Trust. The following is a summary of the key changes and how they may affect you.
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Unfair Contract Terms
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Unfair Contract Terms

A recent decision in the High Court of New Zealand has provided the first instance of the Courts using the Fair Trading Act 1986 ("FTA") to declare specific terms in a standard form consumer contract unfair, and therefore unenforceable. The decision in Commerce Commission v Home Direct Limited1 was made pursuant to sections in the FTA which were introduced in 2013 and give the Commerce Commission power to apply to the District Court or High Court for a declaration that a term in a standard form consumer contract is unfair.
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Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Discussion Document - Better Protections for Contractors

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released a discussion document late last year, inviting public consultation on an important subject affecting a large sector of New Zealand's working public: self-employed 'independent contractors', and companies and people who engage the services of such independent contractors, not just in the course of business, but even in some cases individual consumers utilising those services, for example ordinary member of the public using a 'ride sharing' platform. The deadline for members of the public to provide their feedback to MBIE expires at 5.00 pm on 14 February 2020.
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Partnership Lawyer, Impact Of New Act On Businesses. How does the new Act affect your business? Call 377 9966 for a no-obligation chat.
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Enactment of Partnership Law Act 2019

The Partnership Law Bill was introduced to Parliament in May 2019 as a revision bill, subject to the revision powers set out in s 31 of the Legislation Act 2012. Therefore the 2019 Act does not make any substantive policy changes. Nevertheless, re-enactment of the 111 years old Partnership Act 1908 in contemporary language, style and format is intended to make the law more accessible, clarify Parliament's intent, and reconcile inconsistencies within the old Act.
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New Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal, Auckland Dispute Lawyer. How does the new Act affect you? Call 377 9966 for a no-obligation chat.
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Update on recent amendments of the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 and recent decision of the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal

Real estate agents or salespersons seeking to challenge a Complaints Assessments Committee's finding of unsatisfactory conduct need now to be aware of a shortened appeal period.
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Changes to Protection Orders From 1 July 2019
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Changes to Protection Orders From 1 July 2019

From 1 July 2019, changes are being made to all Protection Orders, including those made before this date. The Family Violence Act 2018 repeals and replaces the Domestic Violence Act 1995 and modifies the Care of Children Act 2004 as part of ongoing efforts to tackle domestic violence issues in New Zealand with the aim of providing faster, more effective protection for protected persons and increasing accountability and compliance by respondents.
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'Insuring' Your Relationship Property
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'Insuring' Your Relationship Property

Section 21 of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 ("the Act") allows for parties to essentially 'contract out' of the Act and determine how the relationship property would be divided on the off-chance that you and your partner separate.
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Auckland Commercial, Insolvency Lawyer. Directors held liable for wreckless trading and received very heavy fines. Call 377 9966 for a no-obligation chat.
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Mainzeal: Reckless Trading

In Mainzeal1 the former directors were held liable for a breach of section 135 of the Act. Richard Yan, (who was the founder and main shareholder of Mainzeal's parent company, Richina Pacific) was ordered to pay compensation of $36M. Each of the other directors (Shipley, Tilby and Gomm) were held liable to contribute $6M each towards that $36M.
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Financial Advisers Must Comply With new Code of Professional Conduct From mid-2020
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Financial Advisers Must Comply With new Code of Professional Conduct From mid-2020

The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has released the content of a new Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services that should come into effect in mid-2020. The Code will require those persons who provide regulated financial advice to retail clients to meet certain standards of professional conduct, and will follow the commencement of the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act 2019 ("FSLA").
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How may relationship property be divided when a spouse or partner dies?

How may relationship property be divided when a spouse or partner dies?

Written by:
Peter Fuscic
Brydie Sherlaw-McGowan
The death of a spouse or partner is an emotional and challenging time for the one left behind. Often left with the overwhelming task of handling the Deceased's estate, the surviving spouse or partner will be unaware of their entitlement under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (the "PRA"). Many will opt to taking under the Will, not knowing they also have the alternative option of applying under the PRA for a division of relationship property.
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Proposed Changes to KiwiSaver Contributions: What Employers Need to Know

Proposed Changes to KiwiSaver Contributions: What Employers Need to Know

Written by:
Melissa Johnston
Is your company deducting the Employer KiwiSaver contribution from your employees' pay? A new Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 June 2023, aims to revolutionize the employer's role in KiwiSaver contributions.
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The Exercise of Contractual Discretion

The Exercise of Contractual Discretion

Woolley v Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd: The Exercise of Contractual Discretion‍On 29 June 2023, the New Zealand Court of Appeal delivered its judgment in the case of Woolley v Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd [2023] NZCA 266. In its judgment, the Court considered the approach to the exercise of contractual discretion in New Zealand, including the test adopted by the United Kingdom Supreme Court in Braganza v BP Shipping Ltd [2015] UKSC 17, [2015] 1 WLR 1661. A summary of the key facts of the matter and important points in the Court's decision follow.
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Testamentary Capacity

Testamentary Capacity

Written by:
Peter Fuscic
Niamh Forgie
When constructing a Will a will-maker has the freedom to decide how they wish to distribute their property upon their death, this is known as testamentary freedom. However, this freedom is not absolute. In certain circumstances, such as when a will-maker is said to have lacked capacity when they last made or altered their Will, a Will can be challenged and possibly be declared as invalid.
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Mediating Trust Disputes

Mediating Trust Disputes

Written by:
Peter Fuscic
Niamh Forgie
Countless families across New Zealand place their most valuable assets, such as their property, into a discretionary family trust. However, when a couple separate and each party is a trustee to the same family trust, conflict and disagreement will often arise as to the management and enjoyment of trust assets. Disagreements on internal trust matters have the possibility of turning into time-consuming, expensive and public proceedings in court. Mediation is an alternative solution for settling trust disputes and may be a more advantageous option for parties.
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Separation - What's in a date?

Separation - What's in a date?

Written by:
Peter Fuscic
Vinnie Kumar
When was it over? When to call it quits? When did you say goodbye? Am I separated? What's in a date? In the midst of a relationship breakdown, when you and your former partner are separated is not often a front-of-mind question. However, your separation date can be important information in family law proceedings.
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Setting Aside Relationship Property Contracting Out Agreements

Setting Aside Relationship Property Contracting Out Agreements

Written by:
Peter Fuscic
Niamh Forgie
Entering into a relationship property contracting out agreement ("prenuptial agreement" or "premarital agreement") allows couples to determine together how they would like their separate and shared property divided if separation or death occurs.
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Extension of Time for Sexual Harassment Claims is now Law

Extension of Time for Sexual Harassment Claims is now Law

Written by:
Melissa Johnston
Gus Hardie Boys
The Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill ("the Bill") has now become law.
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A Reminder of the Duty to Consider Redeployment

A Reminder of the Duty to Consider Redeployment

Written by:
Melissa Johnston
Gus Hardie Boys
One of the considerations that employers need to make when undertaking a restructure and making roles redundant, is whether there are any redeployment opportunities for the impacted employees. See our previous article on restructures, which noted that, "During the consultation phase, you must consider and discuss with the employee whether there are any redeployment opportunities for them within the business, or if there are alternatives to redundancy, such as reducing hours or taking a period of leave".
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Wage Theft - The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill 2023

Wage Theft - The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill 2023

Written by:
Melissa Johnston
Gus Hardie Boys
Employers are generally prohibited by law from withholding an employee’s wages or salary, and other monetary entitlements due to the employee under legislation, with very few exceptions. The Government is now looking to criminalise intentional acts by employers of withholding such payments.
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