iCLAW

Welcome back, everyone, and Happy New Year! Just a quick heads-up: we're operating with a small but mighty team until January 13th. While some requests may take a little longer, rest assured—we’re here, ready, and open for all your enquiries! Feel free to reach out, and we’ll make it our priority to get back to you promptly. Let’s kick off 2025 strong!

Christmas is so close, that we can almost taste it! We know the feeling is mutual across our colleagues, clients, and the community; we are all well and truly ready for a much-deserved break!   Before we wrap up the year, we wanted to take a moment to wish you all a safe and happy summer break, and to thank all the people in our community who make us iCLAW.    While most of us have outgrown the sleepless anticipation of Santa’s arrival, the magic of Christmas is not lost on us as being the perfect opportunity to stop, reflect, unwind, and reset.    So, with that, our iCLAW Offices will be closing from 5pm today for the Christmas break. Our team will be closing their laptops and hanging up their ‘work boots’ until 2025. Thank you for being part of our journey this year. We’ve loved working with you and are looking forward to all we have planned in 2025.    Here’s to a break so relaxing you forget what day it is. From the iCLAW Team   #Reflection #Community #Culture #MerryChristmas 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become major shopping events in New Zealand, tempting us with promises of unbeatable deals and discounts. But what happens when the product you snag isn’t as good as advertised, arrives late, or doesn’t show up at all? Here’s iCLAW’s guide to how the Consumer Guarantees Act protects you during sales season – and what to do if your shopping spree goes sideways: https://lnkd.in/gnd5ivX5

Thanks to the team at Harcourts Real Estate for hosting me, Isaac W. and Peeti Brooking this morning. We had a bit of an interactive sessission working through some practical legal problems that can arrise when selling/buying land, focusing mostly on cross-leases, but also covering land covenants, neighbour/nuisance, and issues arrising on settlement. The iCLAW team and I always enjoy working through some of the issues that can arrise at the coal face, and great to get the chance to have a bit of korero in person - so much of our job is completed over email these days. Thanks to everyone who took part, and to Heidi Puriri for organising for us to come along 😊

We often see buyers try to rely on a Code Compliance Certificate - thinking that it means the whole building is 'code compliant'. It's usually not the case. CCC's are not issued for buildings, they are issued for specific building works listed in a specific building consent. Any other works that might have been completed before or after that consent will likely not be covered by that CCC. It's always worth carrying out thorough due diligence on a building before you buy. For more info on the ins and outs of Code Compliance Certificates - have a look at our article here, or reach out to one of our team: https://lnkd.in/gBGXSN3C

We had the pleasure of hosting House of Science NZ, who introduced us to one of the fantastic science kits we are proud to sponsor. These engaging kits are delivered to schools through a subscription-based library system, making hands-on learning accessible for all students. A huge thank you to House of Science NZ for taking the time to visit us and share the incredible work they’re doing to inspire the next generation of scientists! 

Running a lawyer’s trust account is a big deal. At iCLAW, we take this responsibility very seriously. We have at our fingertips access to a Law Society certified trust accounting system. We ensure that our trust account is reconciled daily, and all client funds are accounted for. This requires accurate and prompt recording of all trust account transactions including receipts and payments. Lawyers hold funds in their trust account on behalf of clients. Each client has a separate ledger dedicated to them. If funds are held on a long-term basis, then these funds can be invested on interest bearing deposit as required. Trust account money is unique and can be identified by four key characteristics which entail that any trust held funds are: 1️⃣ Retained by a practice. 2️⃣ Kept for the benefit of a person. 3️⃣ Managed according to the instructions of that person. 4️⃣ Cannot be utilised for any purpose except as specified by that owner. Some examples of when a solicitor might receive funds on behalf of clients are:  🔹on behalf of a purchaser when they are purchasing a property. 🔹from a bank advancing funds for clients purchasing property. 🔹on behalf of a seller when the sale of a property is complete. 🔹on behalf of an estate to be disbursed to beneficiaries in accordance with a Will. Lawyers must receive authority from their clients before disbursing funds from the trust account. A trust account is completely separate from the lawyer’s business account. Broadly speaking, a trust account signifies a bank account that is established to maintain a trust relationship. This means that the funds that are held in the trust account are not the property of the legal practitioner or law firm but belong to clients or third parties and are held in trust by the lawyer. Our Managing Partner – Aasha Foley is the Trust Account supervisor and has completed the necessary training as required by the New Zealand Law Society. Aasha also must provide monthly and quarterly certificates to the New Zealand Law Society certifying that we are operating the trust account in accordance with applicable rules. Leading our experienced trust account team is Jayde Kenny, all the team have attended training provided by the New Zealand Law Society. If you want more info – here is a link to the 2024 guidelines: https://lnkd.in/gmv_YPYx 

Running a lawyer’s trust account is a big deal. At iCLAW, we take this responsibility very seriously. We have at our fingertips access to a Law Society certified trust accounting system. We ensure that our trust account is reconciled daily, and all client funds are accounted for. This requires accurate and prompt recording of all trust account transactions including receipts and payments. Lawyers hold funds in their trust account on behalf of clients. Each client has a separate ledger dedicated to them. If funds are held on a long-term basis, then these funds can be invested on interest bearing deposit as required. Trust account money is unique and can be identified by four key characteristics which entail that any trust held funds are: 1️⃣ Retained by a practice. 2️⃣ Kept for the benefit of a person. 3️⃣ Managed according to the instructions of that person. 4️⃣ Cannot be utilised for any purpose except as specified by that owner. Some examples of when a solicitor might receive funds on behalf of clients are:  🔹on behalf of a purchaser when they are purchasing a property. 🔹from a bank advancing funds for clients purchasing property. 🔹on behalf of a seller when the sale of a property is complete. 🔹on behalf of an estate to be disbursed to beneficiaries in accordance with a Will. Lawyers must receive authority from their clients before disbursing funds from the trust account. A trust account is completely separate from the lawyer’s business account. Broadly speaking, a trust account signifies a bank account that is established to maintain a trust relationship. This means that the funds that are held in the trust account are not the property of the legal practitioner or law firm but belong to clients or third parties and are held in trust by the lawyer. Our Managing Partner – Aasha Foley is the Trust Account supervisor and has completed the necessary training as required by the New Zealand Law Society. Aasha also must provide monthly and quarterly certificates to the New Zealand Law Society certifying that we are operating the trust account in accordance with applicable rules. Leading our experienced trust account team is Jayde Kenny, all the team have attended training provided by the New Zealand Law Society. If you want more info – here is a link to the 2024 guidelines: https://lnkd.in/gmv_YPYx 

September is Wills Month! A common question we receive is: “Do I need a will?” The answer is a definitive yes! Currently, only 50% of New Zealand adults have a will. Many people mistakenly believe that wills are only necessary for the wealthy or that creating one is costly. In reality, every adult should have a will. A will lets you decide what happens to your property (real estate, money, personal items, and even pets) after you pass away. If you don’t have a will, the law decides how your property is divided, and this might not be what you would have wanted. Let’s improve these statistics this September. Contact the iCLAW team at info@iclaw.com or 07 929 4300 to discuss how we can assist you in planning your future!

Yesterday marked 131 years since Kate Sheppard's incredible victory for women's rights in New Zealand, as the first country to grant women the right to vote. Her courage and dedication continues to inspire us today. Here at iCLAW, we have a meeting room named in Kate's honour. We celebrate all the remarkable women here at iCLAW who carry on this legacy of strength, leadership, and resilience.