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FAQ’s – Estate Administration

Estate Administration is a foreign concept to a lot of people, and it’s not until you’re thrown into the job that you realise you’re not entirely sure what you should be doing.  At Gallie Miles, we are often posed with the same initial questions, and thought it would be useful to address these for executors to refer back to. 1.       Someone has just died, and I am an Executor in their Will, what do I need to do?If you have been appointed as an execu...

Probate v Letters of Administration

When you die in NZ and you hold assets over the value of $15,000.00 in one place such as the bank or your KiwiSaver investment, a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration is necessary to allow the ownership of assets to change and to cash in any assets and distribute them to the beneficiaries....

Children Contesting a Will under the Family Protection Act 1955

When preparing a will, you’re stating how you wish to distribute your assets when you die. Our clients are often unaware that if you are a parent, under the New Zealand Family Protection Act 1955 (FPA), you have a “moral duty” to provide for your biological children in your Will. If you do not provide for your children in your Will, you may be at risk of your children making a claim against estate.  At Gallie Miles, we have noticed an increase in claims being made by children, against...

Pragmatic Shelley

When you chat to Gallie Miles partner Shelley Greer, it’s not hard to see why she’s described by clients as being efficient and pragmatic.“Shelley is a very good communicator and promptly responds to our requests,” says client Mary Karl.“Each part of our legal journey has been handled efficiently, particularly making the complicated process of winding up our two Trusts easy for us to understand.”“She has also given us both personal and professional ideas that makes us feel we are �...

A smooth transition

Retired couple Mary and Ross Karl spent most of their lives running their dairy farm in Ohaupo. When the time came to move into a retirement village earlier this year, they called on Gallie Miles’ Shelley Greer once again, who has been assisting them with their various legal needs for the past ten years.Now in their 70’s, Ross and Mary Karl have been married for 51 years. A dairy farmer, Ross started work on the family farm in Ohaupo after leaving school. By the age of 21 he went sharemilkin...

Event - Every Women’s Guide to Relationships, Property and Money

Together with Tracey Hancock (Life planning & mindset coach) and Janet Natta (Financial adviser and owner of Smart Money Advice), Gallie Miles is bringing you this seminar series 'Every Women's Guide to Money, Finances and Property'. See more below. ...

Gallie Miles gets behind Te Awamutu community food forest project

After reading an article in the Te Awamutu Courier about the community food forest project, a forest of fruit trees planted on public land around Te Awamutu, Gallie Miles has donated $1000 to support the project and is excited to be supporting such a vital and innovative community project.“The Te Awamutu Food Forest represents a local project that is both practical and enduring. As a business, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to be involved in this valuable community initiative,” says ...

From the ground up – Landmore Agri

Starting at the bottom of the business sweeping floors and building silos, brothers Shayne and Matthew King have worked their way up to full ownership of Landmore Agri. Sue Garmonsway and the Gallie Miles team have been with the brothers every step of the way.Born and raised in Otorohanga, brothers Shayne and Matthew King have been around agriculture all their lives.At the age of 17, older brother Shayne started working at Landmore Agri, “at the bottom, sweeping floors and building silos,” h...

Considering Buying A Home With Family Or Friends?

If you are considering purchasing a property together with friends or family members, or investing in an existing family home, it is really important to get legal advice early in the process.What is termed “multigenerational living” is becoming an increasingly popular choice for families in New Zealand, principally due to the increasing costs of housing and the ageing of New Zealand’s population.  Multigenerational living can be a very practical way for generations of the same family ...

Nicole goes the extra mile

Community service and care have always been at the core of Gallie Miles Solicitor Nicole Porima’s approach. It’s why she’s known amongst her clients and colleagues as an empathetic lawyer with a huge heart. Here’s Nicole’s story. As a 10-year-old at Vardon Primary School in Hamilton, Nicole Porima wrote a note in her school’s time capsule that she wanted to become a Lawyer.“We opened the time capsule for Vardon Primary’s Jubilee and they pulled out my note. I had cut out a p...

Renee keeps it real

There’s more to Gallie Miles Solicitor Renee Dunn than meets the eye. A keen hunter and fisherwoman, she’s also a bit of an internet whizz and is a strong advocate for Estate and Asset Planning with her clients and peers. Read on to get to know more about Renee. Growing up on a Dairy Farm in Korakonui south of Te Awamutu, Gallie Miles Solicitor Renee Dunn hadn’t always imagined a career in law.“When I finished high school, I wasn’t 100% sure of what I would study,” says Renee.�...

Hot Tips for Successful Farm Succession

Farming is a way of life, so it can be difficult to imagine handing over the reins, exiting from it altogether or selling a particular farming asset. For many, planning for rural farm succession doesn’t come easily, forcing you to think about the unexpected and plan ahead for what you want to happen. In this article, Gallie Miles rural farm succession experts Sue Garmonsway and Alex McIvor walk you through the rural farm succession process and share their top tips on having a ro...

Ending a marriage and getting a divorce

I want to end my marriage and get a divorce, but I don’t know where to start....

Case study: Seeking early legal advice pays off for sharemilker in NAIT prosecution

Following 4 charges being laid by Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) under the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act (NAIT), client ‘John*’ immediately sought the help of Gallie Miles to assist with the prosecution. That decision paid off, with the result being a record low penalty fined since the new penalty regime was introduced in 2019. Here we share the details.Introduced in 2012, the purpose of the NAIT Act is to establish an animal identification and tracking system, to acc...

Forever Home Found

Looking for their forever home in Hamilton, Nyssa and Leif Johannsen engaged the help of Gallie Miles’ Legal Executive Pam Ingram to finalise their property purchase.After relocating from Australia in 2020, Nyssa and Leif Johannsen first lived in Auckland before deciding to move to Hamilton last year.Parents to two school-aged boys, the couple started looking for their forever home in Hamilton.Leif works as an Accountant and Nyssa is an Insurance Manager, so they were looking for something in ...

Out on a LIM

When Gordon and Noeline Watts decided to relocate closer to family in Wellington, they sought the help of Gallie Miles' Sue Garmonsway. Catching a clause in the LIM report, Sue was able to help the couple avoid purchasing a property that had a huge development consented next door.Having spent most of their lives living in the Waikato, Gordon and Noeline Watts hadn’t really considered relocating elsewhere until their three adult children all ended up in the Wellington area.“We were living in ...

A dream come true

When Courtney Kahura and husband Anthony bought their first home in Te Awamutu, they sought help from Alex McIvor to help them make their dream a reality. ...

Doing right by us

Following her father suffering a serious health event while holidaying in the Philippines, Grace Jones was ready to come home and be closer to family. Throughout the traumatic experience, the family received awesome help from Director Alex McIvor, so it was a no-brainer for Grace when it was her turn to require a solicitor.  While holidaying in the Philippines about three years ago, Grace Jones’ father Roderick Davison suffered a huge stroke.Delayed in the Philippines for several weeks wh...

Quick Action, the Key When Facing Business Difficulties

Businesses are now facing uncertain times. In recent months, we have seen several factors converging which impact on the operational and financial viability of many businesses.  Businesses that are trying to recover from trading difficulties and income lost during the past two years are facing high inflation, higher basic costs, material shortages and delays, increasing wages costs and higher interest costs. It is expected that the financial fallout from restrictions imposed by the governme...

What happens when there is no Will?

Losing a loved one is such a difficult time and it can be extremely overwhelming. When there is no Will, it can cause even more stress. In this blog, we look at what happens when there is no Will.In the instance of someone passing away without a Will, the legal term is called intestacy. What happens next depends on how much they have.Small Estates – Less than $15,000 in assets (per institution)  If the person who has passed has less than $15,000 from each institution (such as savings, sha...

Why do I need a Will?

Having a Will sorted will give you and your loved ones peace of mind. What do you want to happen when you die? Are those you care about looked after? What to you want to happen with your belongings and those that depend on you including your pets? In this article we cover what you need to know about setting up a Will. ...

What is an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)?

What would you want to happen if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself? Are your wishes for your personal care and welfare known? Will your property be protected and looked after? Here, we look at Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and what you need to know....

​Relocation runs smooth with Kathryn

With a family relocation to Auckland on the cards, Greg Caie engaged the help of Kathryn Horton to assist with multiple property transactions....

Helping your child into their first home

In this crazy property market, it’s pretty common to hear of the struggles people face in securing their first home. With an extremely competitive market, stricter lending criteria and colossal prices, you may have a family member (most likely a child) in this situation. If you’re in a position to offer financial help, there are several options you could consider. In this blog post, we weigh up your options for how to help a child or other family member into property. ...

Understanding Enduring Powers of Attorney

David and Kathy recently came in to ask about Enduring Powers of Attorney. Kathy handles most of the finances for the farm and David is worried that if something happens to Kathy, he won’t be able to look after that side of the business. Kathy is worried that if David is seriously injured on the farm, someone needs to be able to make the decisions for his welfare. David and Kathy’s son is about to turn 18 and they wondered what would happen if he was injured and someone needed to make  ...