Employment agreements
New Zealand employers are legally required to have a written employment agreement for each of their employees. The employer must keep a copy of each agreement and provide a copy ...
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Should you engage a lawyer before signing a Sale and Purchase Agreement?
Buying a house can be an incredibly exciting time and it’s easy to get carried away, signing on the dotted line and putting in an offer before you’ve had a ...
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Inheritance of debt
If you pass away with unpaid bills, will your children inherit the debt? Any joint debts (for example, a credit card or mortgage held under two or more names) will ...
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Annual leave over Christmas
Q: Can your employer force you to take annual leave if the business is closed over Christmas? A: Yes, your employer is entitled to tell you when to take leave, ...
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How to avoid debt collection problems with your clients
If you own a business that supplies goods or services prior to payment, you will no doubt have encountered a client or two who won’t pay during your time in ...
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When is the best time to make a Will?
Many people assume that they don’t need to think about making a Will until they are ill or elderly. In reality, this is not the case at all. There are ...
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Appointing a guardian
Q: I want to make sure my child would be looked after by the right person if I died. How can I ensure this happens? A: The best way to ...
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How to protect your family from elder abuse
Elder abuse, like family violence, is sadly a common occurrence in New Zealand. It is estimated that 70,000 elderly people in our country will experience some form of elder abuse ...
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Employee vs contractor – which one are you?
Most people are aware that there is a significant difference between hiring an employee and a contractor. But is someone a contractor just because they’ve signed a contract for services ...
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When another business is using your brand name
What can you do if another business is using your brand name? If you’ve already protected your business name by registering it as a trade mark, your lawyer will generally ...
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How to avoid breaching the Fencing Act
Most of us would prefer to get along well with our neighbours, but the unfortunate reality is that there will be times when you find yourselves disagreeing. In our experience, ...
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De Paul House
On cold winter days like this, it’s hard not to think of the Kiwi families who are struggling to stay warm and cope financially with the cost of heating. We’re ...
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Selling a house privately
Q: I’d like to sell my house privately. What legal obligations should I be aware of? A: If you’d like to sell your property privately rather than using a real ...
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Tenant liability for damages
Q: My flatmate damaged his/her bedroom before moving out and we’ve only just seen the damage. Who is liable for the repair bill? A: Regardless of how the damage was caused, ...
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What every young couple should know about relationship property
Buying a house together is one of the most significant milestones in any young couple’s relationship. During this exciting time, the idea of a relationship breakdown or death might be ...
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Restraint of trade clauses
Job hunting? Before you accept that new job and hand in your notice, make sure you check whether there is a restraint of trade clause in your current employment contract ...
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Do you know your health and safety obligations?
Under the current health and safety legislation, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, almost everyone in a workplace or organisation has some degree of responsibility for health and ...
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What is the PPPR Act and how does it affect elder law?
As we grow older, keeping our independence is something that tends to weigh heavily on our mind. We value being able to go about our daily lives without feeling that ...
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6 questions to ask before signing a commercial lease
As a commercial tenant, entering into a new lease can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. The terms of the lease agreement can have a considerable effect on the success ...
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Armstrong Murray appoints a new partner
We’re thrilled to announce that Andrew Reeder has been appointed as a partner at Armstrong Murray, effective from 1 February. Andrew began working at Armstrong Murray as a part-time law ...
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How to protect against relationship property claims
Relationship property is a complicated and ever-evolving area of the law. The key legislation in New Zealand, the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (‘the Act’), is currently under review and many ...
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How to protect your assets when helping your kids buy their first home
In the face of record high property prices and tighter loan-to-value ratios imposed by the banks, it is becoming increasingly difficult for young Kiwis to buy their first home. As ...
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New solicitor at Armstrong Murray
We’d like to welcome Emily Townsend to the Armstrong Murray team. Graduating from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts with First Class ...
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How to protect your brand by registering your trade marks
More often than not, a great deal of a business’s value is tied up in what is known as ‘goodwill’. Goodwill is similar to ‘reputation’ and often a business’s branding ...
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Quick guide: personal grievances
A personal grievance is, in essence, a claim brought against an employee’s current or former employer for unfair or unreasonable treatment. How does the personal grievance process work? Ideally, a ...
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Can you dispute an ‘unfair’ Will?
“Where there’s a Will – there’s a relative!” Ricky Gervais Ricky is the master of the one-liner and is known for bringing humour to the most serious of topics, but ...
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7 things you should know about employment contracts
Almost everyone works as an employee at some point in their lives. In an ideal world, every employee would receive a contract from their employer and have it reviewed by ...
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How to avoid a tenancy dispute
Whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, tenancy disputes can be costly, stressful and time-consuming. To avoid a dispute, it’s crucial to have a tenancy agreement and a solid understanding ...
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Privacy law changes – is your business affected?
The GDPR comes into effect on May 25, 2018. But what does it mean for New Zealand businesses and how should you prepare? What is the GDPR? The General Data ...
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Why do we need more information from you?
From 1 July 2018, we will be asking prospective and existing clients for more information than usual. This is because New Zealand has recently made changes to the Anti-Money Laundering ...
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How to withdraw KiwiSaver funds for your first home
If you’re thinking about buying your first home and have been a member of KiwiSaver for at least three years, you’ll know that you may be eligible to put your ...
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Are you worried about the employment law changes?
If you are an employer, you will be aware that the new government has announced major reforms to employment laws, including the significant rollback of laws brought in under the ...
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Do you need a Shareholders’ Agreement?
Whether you’re going into business with a friend or investing in an existing business, it’s vital for any company with multiple shareholders to have a Shareholders’ Agreement in place. A ...
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Notary Public Auckland – FAQ
Do you have a document that needs to be notarised? Our Auckland Notary Public, Chris Davis, answers some commonly asked questions below. What is a notary public? In New Zealand, ...
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How to buy your first home: a useful step-by-step guide
The property purchasing process can be daunting, particularly for first time home buyers, so we’ve created this handy list full of practical advice to guide you through the process. 1 ...
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3 reasons you might need a family trust
The aim of a family trust is to protect the ownership of our assets, for the benefit of ourselves and our family members. For example, many business owners establish a ...
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Do you have a valid Will?
Every adult should have a valid Will, regardless of their circumstances, but we often find that people don’t realise that they need one. Even if you don’t own significant assets ...
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Quick guide: Enduring Powers of Attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney is one of the most important documents for you to have in place once you are over the age of 18. It’s best to get ...
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Armstrong Murray sponsors the Beach Series
We’re thrilled to be a major sponsor of this year’s Beach Series which kicked off at Takapuna Beach today. Every Tuesday evening throughout summer, you’ll find us manning the gear tent and ...
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TGS PTA Golf Day
On Thursday afternoon the Armstrong Murray team headed along to take part in the 12th annual Takapuna Grammar School PTA Golf Day on the beautiful Waitemata Golf Course. While we didn’t win ...
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Donation to Haʻano school
Our Practice Manager Desiree recently visited the local school on , a small island in the Haʻapai islands of Tonga. The Armstrong Murray team filled her suitcase with an assortment ...
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A new partner for Armstrong Murray
Neil, Chris and John are delighted to announce that Karen Stubbs has recently been appointed a partner. Over the time that Karen has been with Armstrong Murray, she has developed ...
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Employer of Choice Award
ARMSTRONG MURRAY ARE PROUD WINNERS: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE, 10TH ANNUAL NZ LAW AWARDS November 2014 The team was responsible for a secret nomination as a way of publicly acknowledging their ...
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