Private Wealth

Wills & Estates

Overview
Our estate planning experts ensure your Will does what you want it to

Hesketh Henry has dedicated estate planning lawyers to help you with writing a will.  For people who have more complex personal situations, it is important to have advice on how your assets will transfer as a matter of law, and the duties that you owe to other people when making a will.

The daily work of our team involves giving advice on the Family Protection Act, the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act, and the Property (Relationships) Act, so you can expect the highest level of knowledge and efficiency when it comes to documenting your final wishes.

It’s possible you might also want to set up a family trust, as a method of succession planning for the future. Hesketh Henry can help you with that too. We have a specialist team of estate planning lawyers for trust formation and administration, trust restructuring and trust resettlement.

Need advice on Wills & Estates?
Contact the expert team at Hesketh Henry.
Examples

Examples of work completed by our team include:

Key Contacts
Media
Publications
Events

Insights & Opinion / Wills & Estates

Family sunset BW
Have you updated your Will since becoming a parent? The importance of nominating a Testamentary Guardian
For parents, preparing a Will or Deed that appoints a testamentary guardian is an important step to ensure the well-being of your children if you die. A testamentary guardian is a person who after a p...
22.01.2025 Posted in Private Wealth
Will Wide BW
Left out of the will?
The Family Protection Act 1955 (FPA) is a significant piece of legislation in New Zealand that allows certain family members to challenge a will if they believe adequate provision has not been made fo...
19.11.2024 Posted in Private Wealth
Will Wide BW
A well drafted will is a craft
The New Zealand do-it-yourself “DIY” attitude and way of life is not limited to home improvements, but sometimes also extends to wills.  Recently we had a DIY $5.99 fill in the blanks will acros...
07.11.2023 Posted in Private Wealth
Fiduciary Duties to Adult Children – Court of Appeal rule differently
The Court of Appeal’s recent decision in D and E Ltd v A, B and C[1] overruled the High Court’s landmark decision in that case[2].  The High Court held that a fiduciary duty existed between a fat...
03.11.2022 Posted in Private Wealth
IMG  Edit for Website
The Settlors’ Plan
When you set up a trust, your plans and wishes count.
06.09.2022 Posted in Private Wealth
Will Wide BW
Is your will in draft form?  High Court refuses to exercise its discretionary power to validate a draft will notwithstanding beneficiaries’ consent
The High Court’s recent decision in Re: An application to validate the will of Olive Ruby Piper [2021] NZHC 534 serves as a valuable reminder to make sure that your estate planning documents are...
16.09.2021 Posted in Private Wealth
Take Care with Beneficiary Loan Accounts in Credit
It is common for family trusts to resolve that a distribution be made to beneficiaries but the actual amount paid to the beneficiaries is less than the authorised “distribution”.  In the ...
04.02.2020 Posted in Private Wealth
SEND AN ENQUIRY
Send us an enquiry

For expert legal advice, please complete the form below or call us on (09) 375 8700.