Partner

Mary Joy Simpson

LLB / BA
Profile
Mary Joy leads Hesketh Henry's Private Wealth Team.

Her principal areas of practice are estate planning, trusts, relationship property and estate management.

A specialist in trust law, Mary Joy regularly reviews and provides advice on personal asset management plans.  She regularly undertakes complex restructuring, including variation and resettlement of existing structures to ensure they are workable and durable for the future.  As a trusted advisor, she assists families as they put in place constitutional documents and establish a family office to manage wealth through the generations.

Changes in the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and increasing attacks on trusts mean that the personal circumstances of clients need to be carefully considered when structuring an asset management plan.  Mary Joy enjoys building a strategy that will best meet her clients’ individual needs.

Mary Joy’s experience in the area of family law means she can appreciate family dynamics and manage them with sensitivity.

Her sound knowledge of and experience in wills and succession means Mary Joy is often asked to speak at seminars for New Zealand Law Society, The Law Association of New Zealand and Legalwise.   She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Planning Professionals and is ranked band 1 in the Chambers and Partners HNW Rankings for Private Wealth in New Zealand.

Mary Joy also regularly advises charitable organisations on legal and structuring issues.

Relationships are important to Mary Joy who enjoys catching up with old friends and building new friendships.  She applies these skills to her practice and aims to be the kind of legal professional her clients can relate to, developing strong and trusted client relationships.

Need to get in touch with Mary Joy?
Send a message to Mary Joy
Experience

Examples of work completed by Mary Joy include:

Media
Publications

Insights & Opinion / Mary Joy Simpson

Navigating Settlor Intentions in Trust Restructures – Legler v Formannoij [2024] NZSC 173
In Legler v Formannoij the surviving widow Marina Formannoij, was forced to navigate the complexities of two trusts that were part of her late husband Ricco Legler’s estate plan: the Kaahu Trust (wh...
08.05.2025 Posted in Private Wealth
Deciding to Wind Up? Observations on winding-up a trust from a recent High Court case
A trust can be a hassle and expensive to maintain.  So, it is not unusual for clients to reflect on whether a trust should be maintained. When settlors, Bert and Diana Queenin, decided to wind up the...
24.03.2025 Posted in Private Wealth
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
Money Growth People Wide BW
Australia’s immigration announcement may have tax consequences for New Zealander’s living in Australia
In April, the Australian Government announced a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealand citizens who live in Australia for four years or more and meet certain requirements.  While the announcem...
12.05.2023 Posted in Private Wealth
Seeing Green – Ethical investing for charities and trusts
In the wake of the recent catastrophic weather events here in New Zealand and the latest release of the alarming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, we consider a recent United Kingdom j...
11.04.2023 Posted in Climate Change & Private Wealth
Family Hands Paper Dolls Wide BW
Removing a child as a beneficiary of a trust: a breach of fiduciary duty?
In Pollock v Pollock [2022] NZCA 331, the Court of Appeal had to consider whether trustees owed fiduciary duties to a beneficiary when exercising the power to remove him as a beneficiary.  Background...
14.03.2023 Posted in Private Wealth
Family Hands Paper Dolls Wide BW
Variations of Trust: Obtaining the Court’s Blessing
In Re Jury Family Trusts[1] the High Court was asked to ‘bless’ proposed variations of mirror trusts to avoid significant tax liabilities. First things first, what are mirror trusts? Mirror Trusts...
10.02.2023 Posted in Private Wealth
SEND AN ENQUIRY