Do you have a family trust? Thinking of forming one as a way to future-proof your assets for you and your children? Take note – the Trustee Act is getting a makeover. While there are still a few parliamentary hurdles to jump, now’s the time to get your head around what the new bill will mean for you and your business.

In a nutshell

Last August, a new Trusts Bill was introduced to Parliament – the first big change to New Zealand’s trust law in more than 60 years. With up to 500,000 trusts operating in our country, they are an essential part of our legal system but the current legislation is no longer cutting it.

The current Act: Narrow in scope, expensive and too complicated.
The proposed bill: More efficient, better guidance for trustees and beneficiaries and easier to resolve disputes.