At most times in people’s lives they need to consult a lawyer. This can be for a whole range of different necessities. Some are for a positive need like buying your first home while others are not so enjoyable. Our aim is to make your experience with the legal profession as easy as possible with the minimum of distress and time expended.

One common complaint that people have about lawyers is that the client does not fully understand what is being talked about. For the nitty-gritty of each case, the language between lawyers needs to be very specific. The laws are so complex that this unknown language is necessary for the clients to get to the outcome they are looking for. However, this does not make it easy for the client to follow.

On this site we aim to make some more common issues and situations easier to understand. It is important to realise though that anything expressed on this site does not constitute actual legal advice. These are articles intended to make readers better informed so they can get a better understanding of their situation. Whenever you have legal issues, you must consult a lawyer and not rely on anything you read online. This is because each person’s situation is different and a lawyer can only advise when they fully understand the specifics of any single circumstance.

Some common legal situations

Not surprisingly there are some situations which arise more often than others.

For the majority of people their dealings with the law will probably be a real estate solicitor to help them with the sale or purchase, the conveyancing, of their home.

Some people may take this further and invest in rental properties which requires the same property transactions but may also need additional services such as setting up a family trust or a company that will own the rental houses. If you do establish a trust, then you will also need proper administration of that trust so that it operates correctly within the tax laws of New Zealand. People have been fined for not managing their trust correctly.

Following on from setting up a trust is an aspect that many people overlook. It relates to wills and how to manage your estate. Too many people ignore this but doing so can leave your family without a clear intention of how you want your estate to be divided. This can lead to family disputes and your intentions may not be carried out as you wanted.

Commercial property investment is another common legal issue.

Within the commercial arena, there are numerous ways commercial lawyers can help. If you are selling or buying a business you will need legal help with the sale transaction itself. In addition you may have commercial leases to amend for premises or plant. This can also lead onto employment law topics if you have employees in your business.

One area that is by definition a difficult one is that of disputes. These can vary from neighbours disputing fences and boundaries to bigger issues arising from breaches of contract. Unless there is a clear-cut breach of the law by one party, often, the lawyers can negotiate an outcome that is a suitable compromise for both parties.

Talk to your lawyer sooner

In many situations, the sooner you make contact with your lawyer the better it will be. Possibly that can advise not to take matters any further or they may be able to send a letter to the other party to bring about a swift result.

Other times, they will help you work though the case to reduce the time spent on the issue or to lessen any stress you might endure.

Whichever, until you actually contact a North Shore lawyer, if that is where you are based, the situation will not be resolved.