Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney & Estate Planning

The complicated part is ours. Whether this is your first will or an estate that has grown complicated, the work is the same: everything that decides where your assets actually go, not just the will. You end up with documents that work together, and nothing important left to a default rule.

THE COST OF DOING NOTHING

If you don't decide, the law decides for you.

Die without a will in New Zealand and a fixed statutory formula decides who inherits, in shares that may be nothing like what you would have chosen. A partner, children from an earlier relationship, or someone you meant to provide for can end up with far more, or far less, than you intended.


If you have young children, the will is also where you name their guardian. Without one, that decision is left to others, and potentially to the Family Court, at the worst possible time.

Even when the outcome is what you wanted, the process is harder.  Without a Will, your family faces more paperwork, more delay, and more cost, precisely when they are least able to deal with it. A will does not just record your wishes. It spares the people you leave behind a great deal of difficulty.

THE HARD PART

The hard part usually isn't the law.

Most people who put off their estate planning aren't disorganised. They are stuck on something they cannot see a clean answer to. You may have children from different relationships and no idea how to be fair to all of them. You may want to leave someone out, and feel you should not have to explain why. You may be worried that whatever you decide will be read as a verdict on somebody.


You should not have to compromise what you actually want in order to keep the peace.

When you do your estate planning with us you get pragmatic advice and clarity.  We take the time to understand the whole of your situation, including the parts that never make it into a document. We tell you how your plan will hold up and what it exposes. Then we built it properly.

WHY IT STILL DOES NOT GET FINISHED

Most people who have tried to get a will done have a version of the same story. You book the appointment, sit down with a lawyer, you explain everything you want. You leave feeling like you have made real progress.


Three weeks later, a draft arrives in your inbox. Life gets busy. You mean to read it. Nobody follows up. Six months pass. A year later, your will still isn't signed.


This isn't unusual. Putting a will in place can feel daunting, which is why it needs a process that carries you through to the end.

"A will that's never signed protects no one. We make sure yours is."

We draft, we follow up, and we guide you through signing.

WHAT WE REVIEW

Estate planning is more than a will. Here is everything we look at.

Most people don't realise how many things sit outside their will or how easily a mismatch between documents can cause problems later. When we review your estate plan, we look at how each asset is actually owned, where relationship property rights could cut across your will, what sits in a trust and passes outside your estate, and how foreign succession rules affect anything held offshore. These are the points where plans quietly fail, and identifying them is the work we specialise in.

Your will

Who inherits what, executor appointment, guardianship of minor children, and specific bequests.

How your assets are owned

Property held as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving owner — your will has no effect on it. Property held as tenants in common passes under your will. The ownership structure determines the outcome, and that is why the ownership structure of every asset you own needs to be checked.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

You need two separate Enduring Powers of Attorney in New Zealand. One for property and finances, one for personal care and welfare. Both are needed; neither authority passes to your family member automatically.

Insurance ownership

A named beneficiary passes outside your estate entirely. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of estate planning.

Trust structures

If there's a family trust, your will must reflect it correctly, including who holds powers of appointment and what happens to those powers on your death.

Advanced directives

Your wishes regarding medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them.

Beneficiary designations

Across insurance policies and investments — checking these are current and consistent with your overall estate plan.

WHO IT'S FOR

Estate planning applies whatever the size of your estate. It's for anyone who wants to protect their loved ones.

Most people don't realise this: in New Zealand, once you have more than $40,000 in any single asset (a bank account, KiwiSaver, or investment), your estate will require formal administration on your death. Your beneficiaries will need to go through a legal process to access it. A will makes that significantly simpler, faster, and less costly for the people you leave behind.

  • You have more than $40,000 in any single asset: bank account, KiwiSaver, or investment
  • You've just bought your first property
  • You've started or ended a relationship
  • You have children or are expecting
  • You have a family trust
  • You've received or expect an inheritance
  • You have assets in more than one country
  • Your will hasn't been updated in years
  • You simply haven't got around to it yet

HOW IT WORKS

A thorough process, because your estate plan is only as good as its execution.

1. Consultation

We understand your situation: your family, assets, structures, and goals. We identify gaps and confirm the scope and fee upfront.

2. Review and drafting

We review existing structures, check ownership and nominations, and draft your Will and Enduring Powers of Attorney to reflect the full picture.

3. Signing

We guide you through the signing and witnessing process, and we follow up to make sure it's completed. A will that's never signed protects no one.

4. Ongoing review

Every 3 to 5 years, or after any major life change: separation, new child, new trust, or significant asset change.

RESOURCES

Read before you book.

The Hidden Dangers of Free Online Wills in NZ

Why DIY templates often fail NZ families — and what a properly drafted will actually involves.


The NZ Estate Administration Process — A Step-by-Step Guide for Executors

What happens after someone dies — probate, intestacy, and the 2025 threshold changes.


45 Years Too Late: Supreme Court Shuts Door on Out of Time Estate Claim

Why the timing of estate planning decisions matters — and what happens when it's left too long.

END RESULT

Long term plans that finally feel finished.


The will reflects your life as it is now. The people you have appointed know what to do. Your family knows where things stand, and nobody has to guess at what you would have wanted. It stops taking up space in your head.

Ready when you are.

Answer a few questions about your situation and we will come back to you with what applies, what it will cost, and how long it will take. It takes about five minutes and commits you to nothing.