Edmonds Judd

relationships

In the first article of this series, we introduced the 3 key steps you must take before signing the contracting out agreement for it to be valid:

  1. Independent lawyers
  2. Disclosure
  3. Advice

 

In this article we look more closely at Step 2 – Disclosure.

 

It is essential for both parties to fully disclose all assets and liabilities. This includes properties, bank accounts, investments, Kiwi saver, and any debts. Failure to provide a complete financial picture can affect your lawyer’s advice to you and lead to potential disputes in the future.  There is a risk the Court may even overturn the agreement if significant property is not disclosed.

 

Your lawyer needs to know what property you each own to assess how it is treated under the Act and advise you on how the agreement will affect your rights and the implications if property is divided under the agreement.  *Hot Tip* Make a list of your assets and liabilities with their values and share it with your lawyer early on to speed things up and reduce costs. This also ensures no property is left out, as any property not covered by the agreement will be divided under the Act.

 

Disclosing assets and liabilities not only fosters trust between partners but also ensures that both parties can make informed decisions. It helps in crafting a fair agreement that accurately reflects the financial realities of the relationship. Moreover, in the event of a relationship breakdown, a transparent agreement can prevent lengthy and costly legal battles.

Kerry Bowler, SolicitorKerry Bowler, solicitor


In the first article of this series, we introduced the 3 key steps you must take before signing the contracting out agreement for it to be valid:

  1. Independent lawyers
  2. Disclosure
  3. Advice

 

In this article we will look more closely at Step 1 – Independent lawyers.

 

Does that mean we just get two different lawyers?

Not only does this mean you each need separate lawyers for the contracting out agreement, but those lawyers should also be at separate firms.  And it goes even further, the lawyer advising you should not have previously acted for your partner either.  This ensures that the lawyer who is advising you does not owe any ongoing duties to your partner as a client that would conflict with the lawyer’s duties to you as a client.  In some circumstances the lawyer may still be able to act for you, if you and your partner give fully informed consent.

 

So how does it benefit you?

The RPA states that the agreement is void unless you receive advice from an independent lawyer.

 

Your legal interests in protecting certain assets against a relationship property claim will often differ from your partner’s legal interests on separation.  Having an independent lawyer protects you and ensures the advice you receive is about how the agreement will affect your rights and what the implications are for you, independently of your partner’s interests in contracting out.  It can help ensure the agreement is future proofed, reducing your legal costs for updating the agreement as your relationship develops, and significantly reduces the risks of having the agreement overturned by a Court for being seriously unjust.

 

Next time Step 2 – Disclosure (and a hot tip on how to reduce your legal costs!)

 

Kerry Bowler, SolicitorKerry Bowler, solicitor


You have some legal obligations

We all want to look after our families – both during our lives and after we die. One way you can make sure that your family is looked after when you die is by leaving behind a clear, well-drafted will.

 

In New Zealand, we have considerable ‘testamentary freedom,’ meaning we can generally choose how we want to distribute our personal assets after our deaths. Testamentary freedom has been a fundamental feature of New Zealand law for many years. There are, however, limits to testamentary freedom. We see these limits in action when claims are made against a family member’s estate.

 

Claims against an estate

Claims against estates can be made under the Family Protection Act 1955 which provides that you have  a moral duty to provide adequate maintenance and support for certain family members after your death. They include your spouse, children and sometimes grandchildren. Even if you have family members with whom you have had a poor relationship during your lifetime, if you do not adequately provide for their maintenance and support in your will, there is a risk they could make a claim against your estate.

 

If you want to leave unequal shares of your estate to your family members, or leave a close family member out of your will entirely, it is important to state this expressly in your will and to provide your reasons for doing so. This can reduce the likelihood of a successful claim being made against your estate.

 

Protecting beneficiaries from their own folly

If you are concerned about how a particular family member (a beneficiary) may use (or misuse) their share of your estate, you should discuss this with us before your will is drafted. Leaving your family members with a significant lump-sum of cash is not the only way to provide them with their share of your estate. There are options such as establishing a protective trust for their share or appointing trustees to manage money on their behalf. These options may ease your concerns.

 

Family members having different needs

If your family members have different needs, you may want to consider adjusting their share of your estate. With family members who have significant health issues or support needs, your obligation to provide for them may be greater.

 

Earlier this year, the High Court made a decision in a case,[1] upholding an earlier decision of the Family Court. That decision increased the proportion of a father’s estate that was awarded to his unwell son by a small amount. His son had been unable to work for several years due to his illness, and incurred costs associated with managing his illness. When his father awarded him a smaller share of his estate than his sister, the court decided this had breached his father’s duty to him. The duty to provide adequately for maintenance and support applied, even though the relationship with his father had been strained and dysfunctional over several years before his father’s death.

 

Repercussions of not providing for your family

If any of your family members have been left out of your will or have not been adequately provided for, they could make a claim against your estate.

 

When such a claim is made, the court can review the circumstances and make an award from the estate to remedy failure to provide adequate maintenance and support. This is why it’s important to talk with us about the drafting of your will. We can help you adjust your will to minimise the possibility of a successful claim against your estate.

 

Estate claims can cause increased distress, conflict and delays during an already challenging time for your family. The legal costs associated with defending such a claim can also significantly reduce the value of your estate.

 

Important to think this through

If you’re tempted to write your wayward son, estranged daughter or irresponsible spouse out of your will, it’s well worth getting advice first. This may spare your family a claim against your estate, and the stress and expense that goes along with such claims.

 

 

[1] Emeny v Mattsen [2024] NZHC 291.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Fineprint is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Fineprint may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.
Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2022.     Editor: Adrienne Olsen.       E-mail: [email protected].       Ph: 029 286 3650


Relationships can be complicated waters to navigate at the best of times, but it can become even trickier when thought needs to be given to relationship property matters.

One such thorny issue is when one person receives an inheritance or other significant gift from a third party. For a variety of reasons, it may be important for that inheritance to be kept separate from other property of the relationship. This article focuses on the complications of keeping it separate.

Relationship property and intermingling

In most cases, after three years in a relationship, all property acquired during that relationship will be classed as relationship property to be divided equally between the couple if their relationship ends (either by separation or death).

Property that each person owned before the relationship is separate property and does not get divided with the other person. Inheritances or other gifts received during the relationship are, in most situations, also separate property and are not divided.

Separate property can, however, become relationship property in a variety of ways during the relationship. In the case of an inheritance, this happens when that property is ‘intermingled’ with other relationship property with the express or implied consent of the owner. The law says that the intermingling needs to have had the effect of making it too difficult or impractical to continue to identify the portion of separate property.

How this can happen

The most common example of intermingling occurs when money is inherited. If the money is deposited into a joint or other relationship bank account and other money is going in and out of that account, it can be very difficult to identify what part of the funds left in that account are still inheritance funds.

Another example is when inheritance funds are used to buy assets for family use or pay relationship debts.

In both examples, the inheritance could well be regarded to have been intermingled with the express or implied consent of the inheritance recipient. The inheritance would become relationship property.

Another common issue is when a party intends to keep an inheritance separate by putting it into a separate account (in their own name) but also uses that account to receive money that would be classed as relationship property, such as income. The inheritance may be regarded as intermingled with relationship property because income generally is a relationship property asset, despite the income being received into a separate account. Ultimately, however, each case will depend on its own facts.

While inheritances often take the form of cash, the same principles apply to a house or any other type of property that has the potential to be intermingled. In the case of a house, although it is usually easily identifiable as the source of the inheritance, that might change if significant renovations are undertaken by both parties to the relationship, or if the house is sold and the money received from the sale is intermingled with other relationship money.

Protecting inheritance

If you know you are going to receive an inheritance and you wish to protect it, it is important that you get professional advice to discuss how the inheritance might be used and how it can be best protected. The best option for you will depend entirely on your circumstances and plans for the inheritance. Some common protections include:

  • Keeping the inheritance completely separate either in a bank account set up for that purpose or in a separate investment in your sole name
  • Establishing a trust to hold the inheritance and keep it separate from your relationship, or
  • Having a contracting out agreement (prenup) prepared that sets out your separate property and the relationship property, and how all of that property would be divided if you separate or when one of you dies. These agreements can be entered into at any stage of the relationship.

No option is completely foolproof and each option has its own pros and cons.

If you are expecting an inheritance, or have recently received one, it can be a delicate topic to bring up with your spouse or partner. You may of course be perfectly happy to intermingle inherited property. It would, however, be prudent for you to talk first with us to discuss the options above and any implications that may bring to your relationship.

 

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Fineprint is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Fineprint may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.
Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2022.     Editor: Adrienne Olsen.       E-mail: [email protected].       Ph: 029 286 3650