Relationship Property Agreement Questionnaire

Relationship Property Agreements

A relationship property agreement (often called a contracting out agreement or pre nup) lets you and your partner decide how your property will be treated, rather than relying on the default rules in the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. We can prepare an agreement under section 21 if you are moving in together or are already together, or under section 21A if you have separated and want to record how your property will be divided.

What's included:

Preparing one agreement under section 21 or section 21A of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 based on your information, advice to you on the effect and implications of the agreement and your rights under the Act, sending the draft to your partner's lawyer, up to two rounds of amendments following comments from your partner's lawyer, one in-person meeting to advise and sign, and our certificate as your lawyer as required by section 21F.

Fixed Fee: $2,500 for a section 21 agreement or $2,950 for a section 21A agreement, acting for you (including GST and standard disbursements)

This covers our work for you only. Your partner's lawyer's fee is not included. 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 and your partner broadly agree on how your property should be treated, you both live in New Zealand, your property is mainly a home, savings, KiwiSaver, vehicles and personal belongings, and your partner is willing to instruct their own lawyer. This is a fixed scope, fixed fee process. If your circumstances fall outside this scope, we can discuss tailored options.

What's not included:

Your partner's independent legal advice and their lawyer's fee, contested negotiations or more than two rounds of amendments, mediation or Family Court proceedings, agreements involving trusts, companies, businesses, farms or overseas property, valuations, transfers of property or refinancing, KiwiSaver or superannuation splitting orders, spousal maintenance, care of children arrangements, and tax advice. 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 relationship, your assets and debts, and what you would like the agreement to say.

Step 3: Once we have your full information, we prepare a draft agreement and email it to you for review. Once you are happy, we send it to your partner's lawyer. Up to two rounds of amendments with your partner's lawyer are included.

Step 4: We meet with you in person to explain the effect and implications of the agreement, provide legal advice, and witness your signature and sign our certificate. Your partner signs separately with their own lawyer.

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.

• Your partner must have independent legal advice from their own lawyer before signing (section 21F). We cannot act for both of you, and your partner's lawyer's fee is not included.

• More than two rounds of amendments, or negotiation beyond agreeing the wording, are charged at our hourly rates or a revised fixed quote.

• Agreements involving trusts, companies, businesses, farms, overseas property, significant inherited or separate property, blended families, or where full asset disclosure is not available, are outside the fixed fee.

• We may decline to certify an agreement if we are not satisfied it is in your interests or that you understand it, and the fee for work done to that point remains payable.

• 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.