Services

The Walker Murdoch corporate and commercial team has extensive experience to efficiently meet the individualised business need of our clients.

We provide advice for the establishment and formation of commercial entities, including the appropriate business structure, consideration of asset protection and ongoing governance. We also continue to act for many commercial clients who are long-standing players within their industry sectors.

Our expertise can be applied to these legal transactions:

• Commercial property transactions

• Refinancing

• Franchising  

• Company formation and structuring

• Joint ventures

• Leases

• Terms of trade

• Shareholders agreement

• Buying and selling businesses

• Licenses

• Guarantee(s)

Our property team serves clients nationwide, covering all aspects of property law matters. We are particularly skilled at working matters in the lower South Island.

From first homeowners looking to complete their first purchase, to investors engaging in large scale real estate transactions, we provide concise, cost effective assistance.

We can act and advise in the following areas:

• Residential purchases and sales

• Leases

• Easements and covenants  

• High country and farming

• Refinancing

• Subdivisions

• Rural purchases and sales

• Housing New Zealand HomeStart grant applications

• Property ownership structures

• First time home buyers and KiwiSaver withdrawals

• Unit titles

• Retirement village purchase

Walker Murdoch Law is the industry leader in family law matters. Our family law team has extensive experience across all practice areas relating to relationship law including relationship formation and breakdown. We act with empathy, and with our clients’ best interests at heart.

We believe that the best outcomes are ones that are sustainable, applied across a long-term outlook. Disputes involving children can be daunting, but our team takes a sensitive approach where we listen and take a curated approach to reach the best outcome.

We provide advice on asset protection to ensure the preservation of intergenerational wealth, which is often an area of concern for many clients – especially those who work in primary industries such as farming and the fisheries. Where possible, we take the view that prevention is better than one-time cure.

Walker Murdoch’s family law team have regularly represented their clients in the Family and High Courts in relation to family law applications that require advocacy, whether it be parenting arrangements, division of assets, spousal maintenance or protection orders. While many of these see our team based at the Invercargill Registry, we also have clients across the lower South Island and regularly appear in the Queenstown Registry.

Our team has the only Collaboratively Trained Family Lawyer in Southland and is able to assist matters where conflict minimisation is critical to an ongoing parenting relationship between former spouses.

We act on the following disputes:

• Preparation and advice relating to the division of relationship property

• Preparation and advice relating to contracting out agreements (prenuptial agreements)

• Dissolution of marriage (divorce)

• Care and contact of children

• Guardianship

• Family violence protection orders and restraining orders

• Family Protection Act claims

• Spousal maintenance

• Child support disputes

• Family Protection Act and Testamentary Promises claims

Asset and estate planning involves our team providing advice to ensure sustainable and fit-for-purpose asset and estate structures.

As seasons change in life, so do needs and requirements for asset and estate structures. It is incredibly important that an individual’s estate appropriately provides for these needs (as they change) and gives effect to their wishes should circumstances change.

We can act on:

• Asset protection

• Establishing family trusts

• Establishing charitable trusts

• Gifting

• Succession plans

• Residential care subsidies

• Preparing Enduring Powers of Attorney

The WM Law Wills & Estates team works alongside the Estate and Asset Planning Team to ensure the fundamental legal documents are consistent with their long term wishes and fit for purpose to the greatest extent possible.

Our expertise includes acting on the following

• Preparing Wills

• All Aspects of Estate Administration – Working with Executors and Beneficiaries

• Obtaining Grants of Probate

• Transferring Joint Assets by way of Survivorship

• Transfer of Australian Superannuation to New Zealand

Our team can act for both employers and employees in relation to employment matters.

The Walker Murdoch team assists clients with navigating the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court, and we also assist where possible with dispute resolution.

Our expertise includes acting on these matters:

• Preparing employment contracts including independent contractor agreements

• Acting for parties to employment disputes

• Advice on how to handle dismissal of employee