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Free tips and information to help you thrive in New Zealand’s legal environment
Should you buy extended product warranties?
Many New Zealand retail stores sell extended warranties for products which you buy. What many people don’t know is that it is not necessary to buy extended warranties under New Zealand consumer law.
Can contractors turn into employees?
Employees have numerous rights under New Zealand employment legislation. However, all of these rights are only available to employees. This means contractors are not entitled to any of the benefits and remedies available under employment law.
Can separating couples unequally divide relationship property?
Under the Property (Relationships) Act, the general principle is that separating spouses are each entitled to half of all relationship property. However, the law does allow couples to contract out of the rule of equal division.
The importance of written contracts in New Zealand
When clients come to me with a commercial dispute, the first thing I will ask them is whether they have a written contract. Unfortunately in my experience, it is very common for clients to have contracts that were not prepared by lawyers.
Mandatory written employment agreements
Under New Zealand employment law, all employees must have a written employment agreement.
Unfortunately in our experience, it is very common for small businesses not to have written employment agreements with their employees.
Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act
Residential tenancies in New Zealand are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act. This means the tenants rights are protected by law, even if these rights are not written in the contract. A number of new changes to the rules have come into effect in 2021. What are the main changes?
How to minimise risk when buying property off-the-plans
One of the biggest risk of buying residential property off-the-plans is the risk of significant defects identified upon completion of the building work. Fortunately, the Building Act provides buyers of residential property with automatic consumer protections against defective workmanship.
What is a company major transaction?
A company is owned by its shareholders. However, what many people don’t realise is that shareholders actually have little power to make decisions for the company.
How to ensure a person signing a contract has the authority to do so
If you are entering into a contract with a company, you have to ensure that the person signing the contract has the authority to do so. Otherwise the contract can be cancelled completely.