Webster Malcolm Law

27/07/2026

Is your Trust still worth it in 2026?🏡🔐📝

Family trusts made sense for many people years ago, but the reasons that justified setting one up may no longer apply. Asset protection rules have changed, and trustee duties under the Trusts Act now come with real compliance obligations and costs.

If you haven’t reviewed your trust in a while, it’s worth asking whether it still serves its original purpose. Some trusts are worth keeping while others have become an expensive formality.

A review tells you which one yours is.

14/07/2026

Buying a Business? The importance of Due Diligence 🧐

Buying an existing business can involve more risk than buying property. You’re not just purchasing assets. You’re taking on contracts, employees, and sometimes liabilities you don’t know about yet.

Before you sign a sale and purchase agreement, check the financial records, existing leases, supplier contracts, and any disputes the business is involved in. Employment agreements need particular attention, since you may be taking on existing staff with accrued entitlements.

Skipping this step means inheriting problems you never agreed to take on.

07/07/2026

From early 2026, you can build a standalone granny flat up to 70 square metres without a building consent. But this doesn’t override title restrictions, easements, or Resource Management Act rules.

Many property owners assume the consent exemption means a free pass to build, which is wrong as covenants on your title can still stop you. Check your title and any consent notices before you commit to a build.

A quick search now saves you an expensive mistake later.

03/07/2026