🇳🇿 New Zealand - Wills & Estates - 10 plans
New Zealand succession law is governed by the Administration Act 1969, the Wills Act 2007, and the Family Protection Act 1955. Probate applications and grants of administration are made to the High Court of New Zealand, which has jurisdiction over the administration of deceased estates. The Wills Act 2007 sets out the formal requirements for valid wills, while the Administration Act 1969 governs the duties of executors and administrators and provides rules for intestate distribution.
Our New Zealand wills and estates matter plans cover applications for grants of probate, letters of administration, family protection claims, testamentary promises claims under the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949, and estate administration workflows. Plans incorporate the specific procedural requirements of the High Court probate registry, including the threshold for when a grant is required and current filing procedures.
The primary legislation governing the administration of deceased estates in New Zealand. Defines the duties of executors and administrators, sets the priority for who may apply for a grant of administration, and provides the rules for intestate distribution.
Sets out the formal requirements for a valid will in New Zealand, including execution, capacity, witnessing, and revocation. Also provides for the court to validate non-compliant wills where the court is satisfied the document expresses the deceased's testamentary intentions.
Allows specified family members - including spouses, civil union partners, de facto partners, children, and grandchildren - to apply to the High Court for provision from an estate where the deceased failed to make adequate provision for their proper maintenance and support.
Enables a person who performed work or services for the deceased on the basis of a promise of testamentary provision to claim against the estate where the promise was not fulfilled in the will.
National
Has jurisdiction over applications for grants of probate and letters of administration. Also hears contested estate matters including family protection claims under the Family Protection Act 1955 and testamentary promises claims.
National
Hears appeals from the High Court on contested estate matters, including disputes over the validity of wills and family protection claims.
Every wills & estates matter plan on this page has been created and refined by verified legal practitioners. Our community-driven approach means plans reflect real-world practice, not theoretical frameworks.
Suggest improvements, flag outdated procedures, or contribute entirely new plans. All suggestions are peer-reviewed and voted on by the community before being incorporated.
New Zealand wills & estates practitioners can access 10 free wills & estates matter plans, including 7 specialist derivative plans on the Open Matter Plans Network. Each plan is a structured checklist covering every stage of a wills & estates matter - from initial instructions through to completion - with estimated time units, key dates, and role assignments built in. Use them directly in your browser or export to CSV for your practice management system.
All plans are maintained by verified legal practitioners, version-controlled, and aligned to the SALI Alliance Legal Matter Standard Specification - making them compatible with legal AI workflows and direct PMS integration via the JSON API.
When a practice-management system opens a matter at this level, these are the canonical fields it receives - resolved through the field-set hierarchy (base → area of law → geography → plan). Fields added at this levelare shown below, with inherited tiers beneath; each set's page has the full resolved table. How this works.
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