Trust-based estate and asset protection plan.


Protect Your Family Home, Business & Investments.

A coordinated set of documents — trust deed, wills, EPAs and more — designed to protect your most important assets for the people you choose

Do You Need a Trust-Based Estate Plan?

A trust may be worth considering if any of the following apply to you.

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Home or Properties

You own or plan to own a family home, rental properties, or a bach.

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Business or Professional Risk

You run a business or face professional liability exposure.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Blended Family

You have children from previous relationships and want to balance fairness with protection.

❤️

Second Relationship

You are in a new relationship and want to protect pre-relationship assets for your own children.

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Vulnerable Beneficiaries

You have a child or family member with a disability, health issue, or spending risk.

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Generational Wealth

You want assets to stay in the family line across generations, not pass out through relationships.

What Your Plan Includes

Core Trust Documents

✓ Trust Deed (tailored to your trust type)
✓ Memorandum of Wishes
✓ Deed of Loan / Sale of Assets
✓ Initial Deed of Gift
✓ Initial Trustee Minutes
✓ Chart to record loans and repayments

Estate Planning Documents (Included)

✓ Will (coordinated with trust)
✓ EPA for Property
✓ EPA for Welfare
✓ Advance Health Care Directives

Trust Types & Pricing

We will advise on which structure is right for you. All prices include GST. Learn about each trust type →

Defined Interest Trust
$2,700
individual / $3,500 couple
  • Defined interest entitlements
  • Great for blended families
  • Clear, certain outcomes
  • All estate planning documents included
Multi-Generational Trust
$3,200
minimum — individual / $4,250 couple
  • Protects wealth across generations
  • Enhanced long-term provisions
  • Ideal for significant assets
  • All estate planning documents included
Parallel Trusts
$5,400
couple only (creates 2 trusts)
  • Separate trust for each partner
  • Protects pre-relationship assets
  • Life interest provisions
  • All estate planning documents included

Optional Add-On Trusts

Business Trust
+$1,500
separates business risk
Inheritance Trust
+$1,500
per trust (per child)

Additional Costs

Item1 PersonCouple
AML Compliance (required)$276$322
Corporate Trustee Company (optional)$520
Property transfers into trustQuoted separately

💡 What's Included in the Trust Price

For Family, Defined Interest and Multi-Generational trusts, the fee includes: trust deed, memorandum of wishes, enduring powers of attorney (property and welfare), advance health care directives, will, deed of loan/sale of assets, initial deed of gift, initial minutes, and a chart to record loans and repayments.

Example — Family Trust: $2,200 (1 person) / $2,750 (couple) + AML $276/$322 = $2,476 (1 person) / $3,072 (couple).

Business/Inheritance/Special Disability trusts include a trust deed, a simple memorandum of wishes, deed of loan, and initial minutes.

View full fees chart (PDF) →

How to Get Started

Free Introduction

Book a free 15-minute meeting so we can understand your goals.

Quote & Terms

We confirm which trust type suits you and provide a written quote.

Complete Questionnaire

After you accept, complete our Estate and Asset Protection Questionnaire at home.

Review & Sign

We prepare all documents, review with you, and arrange signing.

Record your goals

Complete our Estate and Asset Protection Questionnaire in the comfort of your own home.

Download PDF Download Word Complete our Online Questionnaire

Online questionnaire — coming soon

Email completed questionnaire to reception@rossholmes.co.nz

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A will is still essential. It deals with any assets not held in the trust, appoints executors, and can include instructions such as guardians for children. We make sure your wills and trusts are properly coordinated.

It can be straightforward, but needs to be done carefully. We prepare the necessary sale, loan and gift documents and work with your other advisers to manage any tax or other implications.

A family trust is a single flexible trust for a couple or individual. Parallel trusts are two separate trusts — one for each partner — typically used where each partner wants to keep their pre-relationship assets separate and protect their own children. Learn more about trust types →

Yes. We regularly review trusts prepared by other firms. We can assess whether your trust complies with the Trusts Act 2019, still provides the protection you expect, and reflects your current wishes. Learn about our trust review service →

Typically 2–4 weeks from questionnaire completion to signing, depending on the complexity of your plan and how quickly you return information. We keep you informed at every stage.

Protect your family, your home and your business

Request a free, no-obligation trust-based estate plan quote — or book a free 15-minute introduction.

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All trust-based estate plans are designed and prepared by our Managing Director, Ross Holmes, who writes the trust administration chapters of LexisNexis' Law of Trusts (New Zealand). You are not getting a template — you are getting documents built to achieve your objectives.