When should you review your Will, family trust and Enduring Powers of Attorney?
Life changes, assets change and legal structures age. Learn when it may be time to review your Will, family trust and Enduring Powers of Attorney.
PERSONAL LAW · FAMILY TRUSTS & ASSET PROTECTION
A trust should solve a real problem, not simply add paperwork.
Clear purpose. Sound structure. Ongoing governance.
Canterbury Legal advises families on whether a trust or other ownership structure fits their objectives, and helps existing trusts stay properly documented and administered.
Start with the reason, not the structure.
Trusts can be useful in the right circumstances, but they carry legal duties and administration requirements. We begin with what you are trying to protect or achieve, then consider the structure that best fits.
The aim is a plan that works in practice, not just on paper.
We can help with…
- trust establishment and purpose
- trustee duties and governance
- asset transfers and ownership structures
- trust reviews and administration
- succession and estate-planning coordination
Structure with a clear purpose
How we help with trusts and asset planning.
Trust establishment
Advice on whether a trust is appropriate and how it should be structured.
Trust reviews
Reviewing existing arrangements against current family and asset circumstances.
Trustee governance
Helping trustees understand duties, decisions and documentation.
Asset ownership
Considering how property and other assets should be owned or transferred.
Succession
Planning how control and benefit may transition over time.
Estate coordination
Aligning trusts with Wills, EPAs and broader estate planning.
Family Trusts & Asset Protection
People who can help.
Practical advice on trusts, ownership and succession planning.
Clive Cousins
Director
Olivia O’Brien
Legal Executive
What happens next.
- We identify your objectives and current ownership arrangements.
- We assess whether a trust fits those objectives and obligations.
- We design or review the structure and explain the legal duties.
- Documents and asset arrangements are completed as appropriate.
- The trust is kept under review as law and circumstances change.
Related personal law services
Wills
Coordinate succession wishes with your ownership structure.
Estate planning & administration
Plan the wider transfer and administration of assets.
Enduring powers of attorney
Plan future decision-making authority.
Useful trust and asset protection insights.
Practical guidance on trusts, ownership, succession and asset planning.
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Clear purpose. Sound structure. Better protection.
If you are considering a trust or have an existing structure that needs review, talk with our team.
Phone: +64 3 377 0792
Send enquiry.
Frequently asked questions.
Not necessarily. A trust should have a clear purpose and be weighed against its legal duties, administration and alternatives.
Asset protection depends on the circumstances, timing, ownership and applicable law. It should never be treated as an automatic shield.
Trustees have legal duties around administration, decision-making, records and acting for proper purposes. We can explain how those duties apply to your trust.
Yes, particularly if family circumstances, assets, trustees or the purpose of the trust have changed.
Trust and personally owned assets can pass differently. Your trust arrangements and Will should therefore be considered together.