Ngā mihi o te tau hou / Greetings for the New Year
Word on the street is that New Year’s Resolutions may be a thing of the past to be replaced by mindfulness and a balanced healthy lifestyle, and spending more time on the activities we enjoy. One of the most important things for me is being a lawyer, it is part of my Kiwi identity, it is part of who I am. I had the privilege of attending a lesson in Te Reo Māori at the Māori Land Court which included His Honour Justice Stone leading the attendees in a waiata (song), and accompanying us on his guitar. What a wonderful country we live in, I am proud to be a Kiwi.
So much has happened over the last decade and New Zealand Law has had to change and evolve to keep up with those changes.
- From a property law perspective we lived through the earthquakes and saw the introduction of insurance and earthquake clauses in Agreements for Sale and Purchase along with all the ramifications associated with these clauses,
- To reflect New Zealand’s commitment to the international initiative to counter the impact that criminal activity has on people and economies worldwide you now have to provide identification to your lawyer to satisfy the Anti-Money Laundering Laws, see https://kwlegal.nz/2018/06/providing-identification-june-2018/#more-3381
- To boost New Zealand ownership of property it is now necessary to prove that buyers are eligible to purchase property under the Overseas Investment Act, see https://kwlegal.nz/2020/01/are-you-eligible-to-buy-residential-property-in-new-zealand/#more-3759
- For our older folk Enduring Powers of Attorney have been redrafted by Parliament into longer, more complicated documents, see https://kwlegal.nz/2018/01/enduring-powers-of-attorney/#more-3299
- Your digital footprint is now something that can be dealt with in your Will, see https://kwlegal.nz/2018/03/your-digital-footprint/#more-3353
- Changes have been made to residential care subsidies which tie in with family trusts and the payment of gift duty being abolished.
What will remain consistent is the excellent service we provide at KW Legal. Our team also includes Kim Cotton, Vivienne Holmes and Shona Morrison and we are all looking forward to continuing to provide you with the expert legal assistance you need in 2020 and beyond.
Heoi anō tāku mō nāianei, Ngā manaakitanga / That is all for now, many blessings
Note: Katherine’s Blog is not a substitute for legal advice, please contact your lawyer.