Estate & Asset Protection Planning
Protect Your Family, Your Home & Your Legacy
Clear, practical advice on will-based and trust-based estate plans — tailored to your family, your assets, and your goals. Not templates. Not guesswork. Your plan, properly done.
What Is an Estate & Asset Protection Plan?
It's more than just a will. A good plan protects your assets, your family, and your wishes — now and in the future.
A good estate plan does more than say "who gets what". It protects your family home and other assets from unforeseen claims, reduces stress and conflict for the people you leave behind, and makes sure your wishes are clear and legally enforceable. For most New Zealand families and small business owners, the right plan is either a will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate and asset protection plan — or sometimes a combination of both.
Every plan we design includes coordinated documents that work together: your will, enduring powers of attorney, advance health care directives, funeral directives, a list of digital assets, and a directory of important contacts. The difference is whether you also need a trust to hold your most important assets.
Which Type of Plan Is Right for You?
The right approach depends on your family, relationships, assets and goals.
Will-Based Estate Plan
For people whose assets and family situation are relatively straightforward. A well-structured will and supporting documents may be all you need — and it's more thorough than you might expect.
Typical situations: First relationship, no trust needed yet, updating an old will, buying a first home, starting a family.
From $1,000 (1 person) / $2,000 (couple)
Learn About Will-Based PlansTrust-Based Estate & Asset Protection Plan
For people who want extra protection for the family home or business, have a blended family, or want to preserve assets across generations — protection that works during your lifetime, not just after it.
Typical situations: Home owners, business owners, second relationships, blended families, vulnerable beneficiaries, protecting against future care costs.
From $2,200 (1 person) / $2,750 (couple) + AML
Learn About Trust-Based Plans🔍 Not Sure? Try Our Free Online Assessment
Complete a short questionnaire and receive a free report outlining the legal documents you are likely to need, the advantages of each approach, and why expert legal advice matters. Bring the report to your first meeting, or use it to think through your options.
How to Choose — Find Your Situation
Open the situation that sounds most like yours. Our complete guide works through each one in depth, with real-life examples.
A will-based estate plan is usually the right foundation: a carefully drafted will, enduring powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and the supporting documents that make them work. You can add a trust later if your circumstances change — a new business, a growing property portfolio, or concerns about future care costs.
A trust-based plan protects the future growth in your home's value and, with the right gifting programme completed early enough, can preserve your eligibility for the residential care subsidy. Timing is everything: gifts count against you for five years, so the earlier you start, the stronger the protection.
See how care-cost protection really works, with the current figures →
This is where the saddest estate planning stories happen — a home passing by survivorship to a new spouse, and children from the first relationship inheriting nothing. Parallel trusts, defined interest trusts, and contracting out agreements keep pre-relationship assets separate while still looking after your partner. The key is acting before the new relationship changes your legal position.
If you've given personal guarantees — to a landlord, the bank, or suppliers — your family home is exposed if the business fails. A trust-based plan, with the right shareholding structure and surplus profits distributed to the trust in the good years, keeps your family's wealth separate from your business risk.
Inheritance trusts and multi-generational trusts mean your loved ones' inheritances are protected from their creditors, relationship breakdowns and other claims — because the assets never legally belong to them personally. This is how wealthier families have preserved assets for generations, and it's available to every family.
A trust that was set up years ago — or set up as a trust deed only, without new wills, deeds of loan and a gifting programme — may not protect you when it matters. The Trusts Act 2019 also changed trustees' obligations. We review existing trusts, complete the missing pieces, and bring everything up to date.
"Trusts Don't Work Any More" — and Other Old Wives' Tales
Much of what people "know" about trusts is out of date or simply wrong — and bad information leads to bad decisions, like winding up a trust that was quietly protecting everything.
"The Trusts Act 2019 killed trusts"
It didn't. It modernised trustees' duties and made trusts more transparent — properly set up and run, trusts work as well as ever.
"Trusts can't protect against rest-home costs"
Wrong — and this myth causes real damage. With the right structure and gifting completed early, a trust remains the most effective protection available.
"Trusts are only for the rich"
If your main asset is the family home, you have exactly the asset trusts were designed to protect — and the one your family can least afford to lose.
How It Works
From first conversation to signed documents — a clear, straightforward process.
Free Introduction
Book a free 15-minute meeting (in person or Zoom) so we can understand your situation and explain how we can help.
Our Fees, Quote & Terms
We explain your options in plain English, confirm what's included, and provide our fees or a clear written quote — no surprises.
Complete Questionnaire
After you accept, complete our guided questionnaire at home, at your own pace. Your answers feed directly to our team.
Review & Sign
We prepare your documents, review them with you, and arrange signing — at our offices or via Zoom.
Complete Your Estate Planning Questionnaire Online
Our will-based estate planning questionnaires are now available online — complete them at home, in your own time, on any device. Trust-based estate and asset protection, and probate questionnaires are nearly ready. You gather your information in comfort; we prepare the documents that achieve your objectives.
How the Questionnaire Works →
Free Tools to Help You Get Started
Free Will-Based Assessment
Create a free report on the documents you need for a will-based estate plan.
Free Trust-Based Assessment
Create a free report on the documents you need for a trust-based estate plan.
Our Complete Guide
Everything on one page: the two plans compared, how to choose, the myths busted, and the current care-cost rules — in plain English.
Explore Our Estate Planning Services
Plans & Pricing
Will-Based Estate Plans
When a well-structured will is enough.
Types of Wills
Simple, Normal and Complex — compared.
Trust-Based Estate Plans
When you need a trust for extra protection.
Types of Trusts
Family, Parallel, Defined Interest and more.
Charitable Trusts
Structuring your giving for long-term impact.
Memorandum of Wishes
Guiding your trustees on how to use their powers.
Managing & Reviewing Your Trust
Reviewing Your Trust
Trusts Act 2019 compliance and updates.
Administering Your Trust
Practical guidance for trustees.
The Trusts Act 2019
What has changed and what it means for your trust.
Winding Up a Trust
When and how to wind up — and when not to.
Our Questionnaire Guide
Step-by-step help completing our questionnaire.
Estates
Administering estates and protecting your legacy.
Trust Risks & Challenges
Invalidity of Trusts
The three certainties and when a trust fails.
Sham Trusts
When a trust is just a facade.
Alter Ego Trusts
When the settlor retains too much control.
Trusts & Relationship Property
How separation can affect trust assets.
Trusts & Section 182
Nuptial settlements and post-separation claims.
Trust Myths — Busted
The old wives' tales that lead people astray.
Ready to Talk?
Request a personalised quote online, ask us anything, or if you’re a new client, book a free 15-minute meeting to meet our team and see if we’re the right fit.
The introductory meeting is a chance to meet our team — it is not for legal advice.