Family Trust Questionnaire

Setting Up a Family Trust

A family trust can help you plan for the future and look after the people who matter to you. Our family trust service is designed for individuals and couples who want a well drafted trust set up properly from the start, with clear advice on how it works and what is expected of trustees under the Trusts Act 2019.

What's included:

A discretionary family trust deed tailored to your family, a memorandum of wishes for each settlor, appointment of up to three trustees (including you), opening trustee resolutions, advice on trustee duties and record keeping under the Trusts Act 2019, registration of the trust with Inland Revenue for an IRD number, a general note on the trust's tax and reporting obligations, draft documents prepared for your review, and one in-person meeting to advise and sign everything.

Fixed Fee: $2,950 (including GST and standard disbursements)

For a straightforward trust with one or two settlors and up to three trustees. Fee confirmed in our Terms of Engagement after we review your information. See our Fixed fee conditions below.

Is this service right for you?

This service is suitable if you are a New Zealand resident individual or couple, you want a new discretionary family trust, your family situation is straightforward, and you are not putting a business, farm, company shares or overseas assets into the trust. This is a fixed scope, fixed fee process. If your circumstances fall outside this scope, we can discuss tailored options.

What's not included:

New wills to fit the trust (available as an add-on for $650 for a couple, including GST and standard disbursements), transferring your home or other property or assets into the trust, deeds of gift, sale and loan agreements or acknowledgements of debt, tax, accounting or structuring advice, trusts holding a business, farm or company, overseas settlors, trustees or assets, independent or professional trustee services, blended family arrangements, and ongoing trust administration. We can quote for any of these separately. If we identify anything outside scope after reviewing your information, we will discuss options and give you a quote before proceeding.

How it works:

Step 1: Complete the short enquiry form below to confirm suitability and agree to the fixed fee.

Step 2: Once we receive your enquiry, we run a conflict of interest check and verify your identity, as we are required to do under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. We may use RealAML, a secure electronic identity verification service, for this. We then open your file and send you our Terms of Engagement and a secure questionnaire to gather the full information we need. This is where you tell us about your family, your proposed trustees and beneficiaries, and your wishes.

Step 3: Once we have your full information, we prepare your draft trust deed, memorandum of wishes and supporting documents and email them to you. You can review the drafts and tell us if anything needs to be changed or clarified. One round of amendments is included.

Step 4: We meet with you in person to explain the trust and your responsibilities as trustees, provide legal advice, and arrange signing. We then apply for the trust's IRD number.

Fixed fee conditions:

• The fixed fee applies only to the scope of work described on this page, and only where your circumstances are straightforward.

• Your fee is confirmed in our Terms of Engagement after we have reviewed your completed questionnaire. Submitting the enquiry form does not lock in a price.

• If anything falls outside the scope, we will tell you and give you a revised quote before we do any extra work. Nothing extra is charged without your agreement.

• Additional meetings, extra rounds of amendments beyond those stated, urgent turnaround, and meetings or signing outside our Queenstown or Cromwell offices (including home or hospital visits) are charged in addition.

• More than two settlors or more than three trustees, a professional or independent trustee, or a trustee company.

• Trusts that will hold a farm, business, company shares, rental portfolio or overseas property, or that involve blended family arrangements.

• Transfers of property or assets into the trust, gifting, and sale and loan documents are quoted separately. Inland Revenue does not charge to register a trust, but property transfers have LINZ registration costs.

• The fee includes GST and standard disbursements, including electronic identity verification for the people named in the fee. Identity verification for any additional people may be charged at cost.

• Third party costs, such as LINZ searches or registration fees, valuations and other professionals' fees, are not included.

• The fee covers legal work only. It does not include tax, accounting or financial advice, and we recommend you speak to your accountant or financial adviser where relevant.

• The fee is payable on invoice before or at your signing meeting, unless we agree otherwise in writing. We may ask for payment in advance.

• Fees are current as at November 2026 and are valid for enquiries received before 31 March 2027. Prices may change after that date or if the law changes.

• If you decide not to proceed after we have started work, we may charge for work done to that point, up to the fixed fee.