Topical issues

Moving In Or Moving On – Are You Responsible For Your Partner’s Student Loan Debt?

Student loans are often forgotten when couples think about relationship property and relationship debt. Personal debt will usually remain with the person that incurred the debt, while relationship debt is…

Getting Divorced – What Now?

Whilst movies and TV shows lead us to believe that “getting a divorce” is all very simple and straightforward, in New Zealand this is quite often not the case. In…

Character Waivers Explained

What is a character waiver? To qualify for a visa in New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) requires the applicant to be of good character. If you are aged 17…

Legally Official Or Just Facebook Official?

If you are in a long-term relationship, but not married, you may be wondering where you and your partner stand when it comes to ownership of your hard-earned assets. If…

Separation And Relationship Property Division – How Does It Work?

When a relationship fails, relationship property division can be settled either by agreement between the parties, or by a decision of a Family Court Judge. As experienced Family lawyers, we…

Record-keeping And Wages Under The Microscope – Poor Administration Can Be Costly

A recent Employment Relations Authority case, Labour Inspector v Aulack Enterprises Limited, highlights the importance of ensuring that all employees have compliant employment agreements, that your wage and time records are accurate,…

Important Client Update – Anti Money Laundering

New Zealand has passed a law called the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (we will call it the AML/CFT law). The purpose of the law reflects…

Immigration Update – Work Visa Variations Explained

If you’re in New Zealand on a work visa and your employment circumstances change, it can be a stressful time filled with uncertainty. The good news is, you can update…

Employment Law Changes Are On Their Way

The Employment Relations Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament last week. It contains provisions rolling back the last government’s changes to individual terms of employment and to collective bargaining and…

Income Thresholds Rise For Residency And Work Visa Applications

On 15 January 2018 Immigration New Zealand increased the salary bands for Essential Skills work visa and Skilled Migrant residency visa applications. The increases are slight, and come about because…