Section 11 of the Wills Act 2007
(Wills Act) outlines the requirements for a
document to be considered a valid will. Such document must be in
writing, signed by the will-maker or by another person at the
will-maker's direction, and witnessed by at least two independent
witnesses. It is not uncommon for wills to fail to meet these
requirements if they have been drawn up without the assistance of a
lawyer or have not been properly executed prior to a person's
death. It is not the end of the road however, if a person
dies with an invalid will.
By Katie Kennedy - 28 Jun 2023
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The Employment Relations (Extended Time for
Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Act 2023
came into force on 13 June. This change allows an employee up
to 12 months to raise a personal grievance for sexual harassment,
instead of having to do so within 90 days. Employers are required
to change employment agreements from that date.
By Kathryn McKinney - 15 Jun 2023
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In this webinar, Lee
Harris (Martelli
McKegg, NZ) and Charles-Henry Tournaire (Requirem Family Office, France) will
discuss how child custody and assets in France and New Zealand are
treated differently on death, and the mess that can arise upon
death when estate planning doesn't factor in those
differences.
By Lee Harris - 12 Jun 2023
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More than a quarter of New Zealand's population is born
overseas (and more than 70% of us can trace our roots to Europe).
While these statistics reflect how attractive New Zealand is
as a destination for a new life and opportunity it also means that
when dealing with estates and estate planning, with assets
dispersed worldwide, we must carefully navigate conflicting
laws.
By Lee Harris - 1 Jun 2023
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Property is a big part of our lives and it is becoming
more and more common to purchase with other parties. This is often
by way of a joint venture to develop property or as a way to
purchase residential property and share the burden. However, there
is always a risk that for whatever reason, one of the parties wants
to sell or no longer wishes to be involved. What can you do if your
co-owner does not want to sell?
By Kiren Narayanan - 17 May 2023
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In the most recent STEP Journal article, Polina unpacks a
recent decision issued by the NZ High Court concerning a breach of
fiduciary duty to an adult child. This case broke new legal ground
as it introduced a new tort: breaching a fiduciary duty to an adult
child.
By Polina Kozlova - 1 May 2023
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It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of
one of our dear colleagues, Telise Kelly who was a Senior Associate
in our Litigation team. Telise passed away on 18 April 2023 as a
result of a tragic accident that occurred minutes before she was
due to appear in the North Shore District Court. This has left our
entire firm at Martelli McKegg in shock and we are all in a state
of mourning.
By Jacque Lethbridge - 20 Apr 2023 - 16 comments
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Martelli McKegg's ability to assist francophone clients
with their New Zealand investments is featured in a Maison et
Jardin article, the equivalent of House & Garden in France with
a readership of 1,148,000.
By Lee Harris - 28 Mar 2023
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Separating from your spouse may be what ends your
relationship in practical terms, but remaining married, even after
years of separation, can have unexpected consequences.
By Telise Kelly - 9 Mar 2023
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Our French speaking team has prepared a webinar to discuss the
unexpected consequences of holding assets in New Zealand when you
have ties to the francophone world. This webinar explores some of
the problems arising from this and the differences in New Zealand
law and the laws in French Polynesia, France and New Caledonia.
Please note this webinar is conducted in French.
By Lee Harris - 16 Nov 2022
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