A power of attorney (POA) in New Zealand is a legally drawn up document that appoints one party to act on behalf of another one. The use of a POA in New Zealand is useful in many cases, including but not limited to matters related to company formation in this country. Our lawyers in New Zealand can help you draw up this document and provide you with details on the power of attorney cost in NZ.
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Power of attorney uses in New Zealand
A power of attorney in New Zealand has many practical applications, both in commercial or business law, and in Family Law matters. One of the most common forms, the enduring power of attorney in NZ, can be structured to have a broad spectrum of activity, essentially allowing an appointed party to handle many issues on behalf of the grantor or power.
Our attorneys in New Zealand list some examples of situations in which a power of attorney can be helpful (or even recommended):
- Buying or selling property: You can easily buy or sell property in New Zealand when appointing another party to handle the sale or purchase property on your behalf;
- Handling matters related to estate administration: the person appointed through a POA can make important decisions related to the assets and property you own in New Zealand;
- Health-related decisions: a POA in New Zealand can also be used to appoint another party to make important medical treatment decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. The appointed individual thus becomes a health care proxy;
- Money matters: in some cases, you may have to appoint another family member or trusted individual to handle the payment of your mortgage or bills.
Investors looking for specific information on how a POA in New Zealand may suit their business needs can ask the team at our law firm in New Zealand detailed questions according to their situation.
Types of power of attorney in New Zealand
The following two types of POA can be used:
- The general power of attorney in New Zealand: useful for situations with a limited timeframe, such as handling a single business transaction in your name. Using a general POA is not possible if the donor of power becomes incapacitated;
- The enduring power of attorney in NZ: as the name suggests, this type of POA is one that ”survives” if the donor of power is no longer able to make any sort of decisions. This can be used for property or for personal care matters.
The cost of a power of attorney in New Zealand can depend on the fees imposed by the office that draws it up. For information on the prices offered by our New Zealand law firm, please make sure to send us an inquiry.
Setting up a power of attorney in New Zealand
Once you decide that a power of attorney in New Zealand is a useful instrument in your situation, our lawyers can handle the formalities. We will help you set up the document, fill in the required forms, and make applications for an enduring power of attorney.
If you already have an enduring power of attorney in New Zealand, our team can help you sort any issues, or we can help answer questions related to using it in the Family Court.
Those who are looking to settle matters via the Family Court should also know that they have to pay certain fees whether or not they use a power of attorney or handle the matter in person. Some examples include:
- $798 to apply for an order about relationship property matters (settling property matters after the end of the relationship);
- $1,033 fee to attend a hearing related to relationship property.
Contact us for more information on the power of attorney and how we can help you draw up this often-useful document.