Once largely the domain of the well-heeled, personalised agreements about what will happen to assets in a relationship should a couple separate, or one partner die, are becomingly increasingly mainstream.
Death can bring more than mourning for those left behind. Too often it leads to animosity and arguing around the departed loved one’s Will – especially when its provisions come as a surprise.
With record-breaking real estate prices in and around the Upper Clutha and wider Queenstown Lakes District, it’s not surprising so many property owners have swarmed to peer-to-peer accommodation platforms, like Airbnb, to reap the rewards.
We Kiwis love our real estate – in my experience, though, there are some who aren’t quite so enamoured with the checks and balances needed when buying a property.
It has been estimated that there are between 300,000-500,000 trusts in this country. Trusts have been established for many different reasons, including estate planning, creditor protection, to ensure access to rest home subsidies, tax benefits or for protection from relationship property claims.
Invercargill City Council’s decision earlier this year to abruptly close the Southland Museum and Art Gallery shone the spotlight back on earthquake strengthening, and serves as a reminder to all owners and occupiers of commercial buildings of the new laws now at play.
If you have a family trust set up a number of years ago, it’s good practice to review it to ensure it is still ‘fit for purpose’. Leading on from that is the question that is often asked of us, “Should I bring my trust to an end?”
