Stay Informed
Work Visa Changes - Back to the Future?
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.
Challenging A Will - Estate Claims
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.
Dispute Resolution - Alternatives to the Court
Like so much of the Government’s bureaucracy the civil and family courts are drastically underfunded, under resourced and understaffed. This inevitably leads to significant delays being experienced by parties to legal proceedings.
Changes in the Division of Relationship Property
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.
Employee or independent contractor?
The recent case of A Labour Inspector v Southern Taxis Limited (Christchurch) highlights the importance for business owners to ensure that they have correctly identified the nature of their ‘employees’ role.
Are you owed money by a company and they wont pay?
If your debtor is a registered Company you have an additional option to obtain payment of your unpaid invoices by way of Statutory Demand which is available under the Companies Act 1993 (“the Act”).
The Perils of Parting With Relationship Property
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’s Approach To Economic Disparity Claims
The Supreme Court has recently considered the application of economic disparity under Section 15 of the Property (Relationships) Act in Scott v Williams