Lyon O’Neale Arnold Library Law Series

Our Library Law series is back for another year. All seminars are free and open to anyone to attend. If you’d like to come along, please let us know by registering.
The next series will be around September 2023

Wills

Your will is one of the most important documents you can prepare during your lifetime. It sets out who you entrust all of your property to. Your Trustee(s) will be responsible for selling your home and giving your property to the people you love. Your will also appoints guardians, lists your beneficiaries and sets out any of your last wishes. Because your will is the last action taken in your name, it is important to have it exactly right. This session will cover the key parts of a will, things you need to consider and any challenges that can be made if people are not happy with your decisions.

Real Estate (focus on first home buyers)

Real estate has been a hot topic in the past 18 months. Prices in the Bay of Plenty region have jumped up significantly and there has been plenty of competition for properties. This session will cover different ways property can be sold, the process of buying and selling and important pre-purchase investigations purchasers should carry out. We will discuss matters relevant to first home buyers such as KiwiSaver and the Housing New Zealand HomeStart grant.

Relationship Property

Understanding your rights and obligations is important to all people in relationships, whether married or not. The Property (Relationships) Act 1976 details how ownership of assets is dealt with both during relationships and after they terminate. You should know how this law applies to you and how to contract out of the legislation if you so choose.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

We should all have powers of attorney. These are the documents that appoint a person who can make decisions on your behalf if you cannot. As we get older, or if we suffer from unexpected illness, we need to make sure that someone is ready to help us pay bills, sell our house and arrange any medical care on our behalf. When preparing a power of attorney, you need to consider who is best for the different roles – personal care and welfare, and property. We can highlight some of the issues and explain how these important documents work.

Family Trusts

Family trusts can/may be used for a variety of reasons. If you are in business, they offer protection from creditors, and an opportunity to split income between family members. They protect the interests of future generations and can avoid estate litigation. Many people want to know about whether they will help with rest home subsidies. We have worked with family trusts for many years and can tell you how they work, why you might want them and what they can achieve. We will also look at how you administer a trust.