Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Purpose of this Guide: Use this plan when a client seeks division of relationship property after a de facto relationship of short duration (less than three years) in New Zealand. This guide assists the practitioner in assessing whether the client qualifies for property division under the restrictive statutory gateway of section 14A, preparing the evidentiary record, drafting claims, and filing applications to prevent serious injustice.
Jurisdiction: Family Court of New Zealand. Short duration claims are resolved under the national jurisdiction of the Family Court.
The Process at a Glance: The process begins with verifying the relationship duration to confirm it is under three years, which excludes default equal sharing. The lawyer audits the gateway criteria under section 14A, verifying either the existence of a child of the relationship or the client's substantial contributions, combined with proving that refusing division would result in serious injustice. The lawyer compiles care, financial, and renovation records, drafts Form G5 and the narrative affidavit, and files the application package on the Te Au Reka portal. Personal service is executed on the respondent, and counsel monitor the response.
Key Legislation and Case Law: Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (NZ) - s 14A (short duration de facto relationships), s 14A(2) (gateway elements: child of the relationship, or substantial contribution, and serious injustice), s 18 (contributions defined). Key cases: [Clark v Sims [2016] NZFLR](https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/) on unreasonableness at execution; [Gosbee v Gosbee [1999] NZFLR](https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/) on contributions assessment. NZ Legislation: Property (Relationships) Act 1976 Section 14A.
* Disclaimer: We're nobody's lawyer, because we aren't lawyers. You are, so you know better than to take legal advice from an app. We also aren't accountants or dog trainers - just digital spirit guides taking zero liability for any of this. This site exists to gather the collective knowledge of practitioners like you. Verify everything and submit your feedback on the Relationship Property Division (Applicant) - Short Duration Relationship - Section 14A Pathway matter plan to improve the playbook. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, it's a request for input.
This legal matter plan provides a structured workflow for Family Law cases, outlining the standard Litigation process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
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