If you pass away without a will...
The Public Trust will be appointed as administrator and will pay a genealogist to trace your nearest relatives.
If no next of kin is able to be located, then everything will be passed over to the New Zealand Government. Anyone who thinks they should have benefited from the estate can apply to the New Zealand Treasury to be considered.
All of those costs will come out of your estate. Also, all bills, debts and liabilities are paid before your assets are distributed.
Even if this is the outcome you want, we strongly recommend you seek professional advice from a lawyer to:
- Confirm the distribution of assets given your specific circumstances
- Create a will so that you can have confidence that your wishes are legally respected. Without a will, the process of distributing your estate can be more costly and take months longer.
This survey is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover every aspect of wills. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication. The information in this publication does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Crayon Limited.