Real people. Real stories

This was blended family with significant inherited wealth, and there was both intergenerational and cross generational mistrust and tension. There was incompetent asset management and poor personal service from the sole trustee - a Trustee Corporation – using templated documents the administrators were impersonal and staff churn meant the beneficiaries were not heard and their needs were evaluated by standard check sheets. Because there was no real connection with the settlor or the beneficiaries their lives had become degraded.

We took over sole trusteeship and over 18 months had intensive and confidential meetings with all the beneficiaries and the settlor. We helped each beneficiary clarify what they expected from the trust, educated them on the legal requirements and over many intense months of negotiating we had repaired some of the fractured relationships, resolved all the issues, and were able to facilitate a series of distributions where everybody received more than they expected – including us.

This client lives in China and has significant wealth in a New Zealand property portfolio as well as financial investments. He is currently single and wanted those assets protected from any claim by a future partner when he eventually relocates to New Zealand. It was critical for the settlor to have a high level of service and trust given the cultural differences and the need for a watertight arrangement.

After taking full tax and legal advice on structure, two trusts were set up by his lawyers and we were were appointed as sole corporate trustee of both. We now have direct and regular communication with the settlor via WeChat and are involved in management of the assets which are held in conservative portfolios.

This settlor lives in the UK. He had a New Zealand based Trustee Corporation passively managing a complex portfolios and while their fees - which were based on the portfolio value were significant - their investment performance was poor and their service levels were shoddy. The settlor who was also a beneficiary was frustrated and angry about the inflexibility of the trustee and felt their impersonal service meant the beneficiaries were missing out.

We took over as co-trustees with another family member to provide the responsiveness the settlor needed and have almost weekly contact with him. We now work with him as advisory trustee and together we actively manage a large share portfolio, This trust serves 4 generations and is now properly geared to support the family well into the future.

This appointment as a trustee, under a will, came about because of sibling conflict and the need for an independent to hold the assets while the matter proceeded through the court system. As a former litigation lawyer John was able to add another dimension to the dispute resolution process that ultimately led to a settlement.

The settlor had been bankrupted when his high risk business failed during the GFC in 2008. After reinventing himself with a new business he wanted to make sure his family home was protected from creditors.

A trust was set up to protect the home and to hold the shares in his new company and we were appointed as independent trustee along with his wife.