Being left out of a parent’s Will — or receiving less than you expected — can be both surprising and distressing. The law in New Zealand provides that, in many cases, this may not be the end of the matter.
In our experience, estate disputes are rarely unexpected. They tend to arise where known risk factors—such as estrangement, informal caregiving arrangements, or uneven provision in a will—have not been addressed clearly during lifetime.
In the realm of civil and family litigation, the decision to settle a dispute rather than pursue a judicial outcome is often framed as a tactical choice
The jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal doubled from $30,000 to $60,000 on 24 January 2026, causing significant changes for collecting medium sized debts. This increase is intended to improve access to justice and reduce the need for costly District Court litigation for medium sized disputes.
