Big changes announced to the AEWV overnight, which will have plenty of people wondering where that leaves them. The changes introduce new requirements, depending on the skill level of the role in question, a minimum skill threshold and increased compliance for employers.

However this is (largely) policy we have seen before. With the exception of the English tests for lower skilled applicants, much of what the Government has rolled out is familiar territory. So a case of “back to the future” - we dive in with a detailed few explainers and a couple of plot spoilers.

Losing a loved one is tough. It is even harder when there are disagreements about how their assets are divided after their death.

Family disputes over estate distributions are more common than ever, especially with blended families, i.e. step-parents, half-siblings and step-siblings, getting in the mix.

At Turner Hopkins, our experienced team, Michael Robinson (who leads our Family Law and Litigation Team) and Principal, Jade Cookson, specialise in handling these sensitive situations with compassion while ensuring their clients receive the very best outcome.

There are a lot of misconceptions in family law. We do not know where the ‘myths’ of family law come from, but we often hear it being repeated by our family, friends and clients.

Recently we have even seen people providing unsolicited advice to each other on community Facebook pages with incorrect information on family law and what people should do after they separate.

Obtaining legal advice at the earliest opportunity allows you to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to ensure the process is as stress-free as possible.

Disputes between parents about where a child should live commonly arise. The place of residence of a child is what is known as a guardianship decision.

It may surprise some to hear that in New Zealand, children born to a surrogate mother are the legal children of that mother, even if they share no genetics.

A number of changes have been proposed, including the manner in which property owned by trusts could be dealt with and adjustments to compensate non-income earning partners at the end of a relationship.

The Supreme Court has recently considered the application of Section 44 of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. Section 44 permits the Court to make certain orders if a disposition of property has been made in order to defeat the claim of a person under the Act.

The Supreme Court has recently considered the application of economic disparity under Section 15 of the Property (Relationships) Act in Scott v Williams

A recent High Court case emphasises the circumstances in which the court will void a contracting out agreement and highlights the importance of ensuring such agreements are regularly reviewed.

The remarkable feature of the recent case of Clear v Sutton, is that the couple did not cohabit for the majority of their relationship, yet were found to be in a de facto relationship, pursuant to section 2D of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (PRA).

A recent case of has brought to light the circumstances in which the court will order an unequal division of relationship property under section 13 of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976.

The impact of the two Supreme Court Clayton decisions has been a hot topic with lawyers who specialise in trust and relationship property law.

In the recent Court of Appeal decision of Clayton v Clayton a number of trust issues were canvassed. The Case was a relationship property claim.