The Wills Act 2007 (“Act”) governs how wills should be prepared, executed, amended and administered. The Act was introduced to make the law around wills easier to understand, with a single reference point rather than spread over different statutes. An overview of the Act is outlined below. The Act applies to the wills of people
Loans to beneficiaries are often made without proper consideration as to whether the powers being exercised will affect the preservation of trust assets or how these will affect any benefits to beneficiaries. Recording a payment to a beneficiary as a loan does not conclusively make it so, and such a misrepresentation could put the trustees
The Government is taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to increase uptake of low emission vehicles by introducing a range of measures that will help meet New Zealand’s 2050 carbon neutral target. The Land Transport (Clean Vehicles) Amendment Bill 2021 is one such measure, which is intended to achieve
Employers and employees both have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Employers are required to take steps to eliminate or otherwise minimise risks, and employees are expected to follow policies and procedures put in place in their workplace. The World Health Organisation deemed Covid-19 a worldwide pandemic in March of 2020.
According to Greek mythology, to be properly buried, a coin called an obol needed to be placed under your tongue. This would then be presented to Charon (the ferryman of the River Styx), as payment for the crossing of the river. The entrance to Hades, the underworld, was on the other side of the river.
Are you required to work on a public holiday? Thinking of calling in sick, being paid time- and-a-half, and getting an additional holiday? Recent amendments to the Holidays Act 2003 ("Act") will foil any such plan. The Act came into force on 1 April 2004. Following the introduction of the Act, a number of unintended
There is an increasing trend today for properties to be bought and sold at auction. If you are considering buying at auction for the first time, be aware that there are some matters which differ from the usual 'offer on paper' approach and which require your attention beforehand. Register Your Interest Firstly, you would do
Any individual may give another a power of attorney to manage his or her affairs pursuant to the Personal Protection of Property Rights Act 1988 (“the Act”). The Act provides for two types of powers of attorney: An Enduring Power Of Attorney As To Property This confers upon the person who is appointed (“the donee”)
When purchasing a property, it pays to investigate the history of the buildings on the land. If there are no records of building consents having been issued by the council, then at best the buildings may have been constructed without council approval and may not comply with the building code. At worst, they may be
You have had enough of working as an employee, and wish to take advantage of the benefits of owning your own business. You are about to make an offer to the vendor of a business and to instruct your lawyer to deal with the matter on your behalf. What happens next? Some of the issues
