TRUSTS, WILLS, ESTATE PLANNING AND ASSET PROTECTION

We advise on strategies to protect your loved ones, and your financial assets. Using trusts, wills and estate planning we can ensure that your assets are passed on in the most secure, tax efficient way. The legal services of a trust attorney or estate lawyer are essential to ensure the very best asset protection solution is created.

Turner Legal offers advice on generational wealth structuring and estate planning to setting up family trusts, and asset or business restructuring. By employing our comprehensive tax knowledge, you can be sure that your assets, businesses and inheritances are better protected.

Asset protection structures such as family trusts and estate planning dovetail with our tax planning services. At Turner Legal we work hard to create an ideal bespoke tax solution, and ensure that you understand the benefits of what we recommend.

REVIEWING CURRENT TRUSTS

Turner Legal can review how effective existing trust and related ownership entities are, and explain if they are appropriate for your situation. Our trust lawyer will tell you if your trust structure can be improved upon from an asset protection and tax effectiveness perspective.

With a new Trusts Act being introduced in 2016/2017 it is likely that all trust structures will need reviewing to ensure they are compliant, and this is a perfect time to undertake improvements at the same time.

ESTABLISHING FAMILY TRUSTS

As trust lawyers we are highly experienced with trust law, and will create a family trust that fits your family needs. Family trusts are commonly set up as single family trusts or in blended family situations two trusts can be created (known as parallel trusts) catering for each partner’s children. Protective trusts are specific trusts established to cater for children who are special needs or under a form of disability, or those who can be irresponsible with money.

We ensure that family trusts dovetail with the related Wills and enduring powers of attorney. Turner Legal will normally prepare a letter of wishes which outlines the way you would like the trustees to administer the trust funds.

We offer our services as a co-trustee of your family trust and will ensure that the trust is administered properly so that it withstands scrutiny from creditors and other agencies.

TRADING TRUSTS FOR BUSINESS & PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Turner Legal will establish trading trusts, which are effective and flexible business entities, for general business operations or property development. We have had experience with trading trusts since they first emerged in the New Zealand legal environment.

We also advise on, establish and administer New Zealand foreign trusts for non-residents.

INTER-GENERATIONAL ESTATE PLANNING

We work to put in place effective estate planning to ensure the transfer of family and business assets down the generations. It is advantageous to have advice on tax law and estate planning when creating a will.

We recognise the benefit of bringing younger members of the family into positions of responsibility, such as trusteeships, and work with you to achieve that process.

We are happy to review existing wills and estate planning structures from a creditor protection perspective, and advise on any opportunities for tax efficiencies.

OTHER LEGAL SERVICES

• Our lawyer, Keith Turner, provides trusteeships and executorship services, and administers trusts and estates.
• We offer trust advice on establishing charitable trusts, and will prepare the charitable trust deed and assist the trustees through the process of achieving charitable status.
• No one relishes the thought of death, but most people would like their estate to be administered properly and legally. We will act as the lawyers for the executors to obtain probate, and for administering trusts and deceased estates.