Advising on agreements that contract out of the equal sharing regime of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 is a core part of general practice.

The Trusts Act 2019, which comes into force on 30 January 2021, is the first major trust law reform in New Zealand in 70 years.

Two recent High Court cases provide examples of two different methods of removing trustees. In both cases, the trustees were failing to, or refusing to, administer a trust. In both cases, the trustees were not represented by lawyers in court, and were removed by the court with costs ordered against them.

The role that a trust plays in a family’s day-to-day life may be an important factor if the trust is challenged in relationship property proceedings.