Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney & Estate Planning

The complicated part is ours. Whether this is your first will or an estate that has grown complicated, the work is the same: everything that decides where your assets actually go, not just the will. You end up with documents that work together, and nothing important left to a default rule.

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If you don't decide, the law decides for you.

Polina Kozlova discussing a will and estate plan with a client






Die without a will in New Zealand and a fixed statutory formula decides who inherits, in shares that may be nothing like what you would have chosen. A partner, children from an earlier relationship, or someone you meant to provide for can end up with far more, or far less, than you intended.

If you have young children, the will is also where you name their guardian. Without one, that decision is left to others, and potentially to the Family Court, at the worst possible time.

Even when the outcome is what you wanted, the process is harder. Without a Will, your family faces more paperwork, more delay, and more cost, precisely when they are least able to deal with it. A will does not just record your wishes. It spares the people you leave behind a great deal of difficulty.

The hard part usually isn't the law.

Most people who put off their estate planning aren't disorganised. They are stuck on something they cannot see a clean answer to. You may have children from different relationships and no idea how to be fair to all of them. You may want to leave someone out, and feel you should not have to explain why. You may be worried that whatever you decide will be read as a verdict on somebody.

You should not have to compromise what you actually want in order to keep the peace.

When you do your estate planning with us you get pragmatic advice and clarity. We take the time to understand the whole of your situation, including the parts that never make it into a document. We tell you how your plan will hold up and what it exposes. Then we build it properly.

Most people who have tried to get a will done have a version of the same story. You book the appointment, sit down with a lawyer, you explain everything you want. You leave feeling like you have made real progress.

Three weeks later, a draft arrives in your inbox. Life gets busy. You mean to read it. Nobody follows up. Six months pass. A year later, your will still isn't signed.

This isn't unusual. Putting a will in place can feel daunting, which is why it needs a process that carries you through to the end.

Estate planning applies whatever the size of your estate. It's for anyone who wants to protect their loved ones.

You have more than $40,000 in any single asset: bank account, KiwiSaver, or investment

You've just bought your first property

You've started or ended a relationship

You have children or are expecting

You have a family trust

You've received or expect an inheritance

You have assets in more than one country

Your will hasn't been updated in years

You simply haven't got around to it yet

Estate planning is more than a will. Here is everything we look at.

Most people don't realise how many things sit outside their will or how easily a mismatch between documents can cause problems later.

Your will

Who inherits what, executor appointment, guardianship of minor children, and specific bequests.

How your assets are owned

Property held as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving owner — your will has no effect on it. Property held as tenants in common passes under your will. The ownership structure determines the outcome, and that is why the ownership structure of every asset you own needs to be checked.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

You need two separate Enduring Powers of Attorney in New Zealand. One for property and finances, one for personal care and welfare. Both are needed; neither authority passes to your family member automatically.

Insurance ownership

A named beneficiary passes outside your estate entirely. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of estate planning.

Trust structures

If there's a family trust, your will must reflect it correctly, including who holds powers of appointment and what happens to those powers on your death.

Advance directives

Your wishes regarding medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them.

Beneficiary designations

Across insurance policies and investments — checking these are current and consistent with your overall estate plan.

A thorough process, because your estate plan is only as good as its execution.

Consultation

We understand your situation: your family, assets, structures, and goals. We identify gaps and confirm the scope and fee upfront.

Review and drafting

We review existing structures, check ownership and nominations, and draft your Will and Enduring Powers of Attorney to reflect the full picture.

Signing

We guide you through the signing and witnessing process, and we follow up to make sure it's completed. A will that's never signed protects no one.

Ongoing review

Every 3 to 5 years, or after any major life change: separation, new child, new trust, or significant asset change.

Fixed fees. Confirmed upfront.

  • A straightforward situation Will

    Individually, will only from $1,500 + GST and a full estate plan from $2,500 + GST. For a couple, wills from $2,500 + GST and a full estate plan is $4,500 + GST.

  • Your will has to be built around blended family, companies, trusts or claims

    Individually, will only from $2,500 + GST and a full estate plan from $4,000 + GST. For a couple, will only from $4,450 + GST and a full estate plan from $6,500 + GST.

  • Bespoke Estate Planning

    Bespoke asset planning for High Net Worths individuals & families with high risks and complex planning involved. 

We tell you which of these applies at your first meeting, before any work starts.

"Polina is lovely. She understands complex things quickly. She is deep, caring, helpful and detail orientated. We recommend her."

— Marianna, Google Client Review

"I recently used PK Law to prepare my Will and couldn't be happier with the service. The whole process was simple and stress free, Polina was very professional and responsive from start to finish. She took the time to make it feel personal and made sure everything was clearly explained. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing legal support."

— Phil, Client Google Feedback

"Polina is lovely. She understands complex things quickly. She is deep, caring, helpful and detail orientated. We recommend her."

— Marianna, Google Client Review

"I recently used PK Law to prepare my Will and couldn't be happier with the service. The whole process was simple and stress free, Polina was very professional and responsive from start to finish. She took the time to make it feel personal and made sure everything was clearly explained. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing legal support."

— Phil, Client Google Feedback

Read before you book.

Backlit wildflowers silhouetted against a hazy sunrise sky

When a Property Relationships Agreement Decides Who Inherits

by Polina Kozlova • 21 October 2026
The Supreme Court's Rimmer v Wilton decision means a contracting out agreement can stop a partner inheriting on intestacy. What it means for your agreement.
Man and woman at table with nz and uk map.

One life, two countries: structuring your will when you hold assets in New Zealand and the UK

by Polina Kozlova • 5 August 2026
Discover how to protect your estate when living in NZ with UK assets. Explore single vs. dual wills, UK inheritance tax rules, and pension nominations.
White envelope with a red heart peeking out from the top on a pale background

NZ Asset Protection: Safeguard Your Wealth from Relationship Property Claims

by Polina Kozlova • 12 July 2026
Learn how to protect your high-value assets and pre-relationship property in New Zealand using Contracting Out Agreements and family trusts.

Long-term plans that finally feel finished.

The will reflects your life as it is now. The people you have appointed know what to do. Your family knows where things stand, and nobody has to guess at what you would have wanted. It stops taking up space in your head.

Ready when you are.

Book a time and tell us about your family and what you own. We will come back to you with what applies, what it will cost, and how long it will take.