This paper deals with the New Zealand developments in family property law during this century. When New Zealand was colonized in 1840 it inherited English common law, and with it the concept of private property. Towards the end of the last century private property rights were virtually absolute,...

On death there is an inevitable tension in succession law between property and family, between testamentary freedom and the deceased's duty to provide for family members. This paper considers the relationship property rights of a surviving spouse (or partner) in common law jurisdictions. The...

This paper is the result of a survey of the judicial awards made under the New Zealand Family Protection Act 1955 in favour of children of the deceased. It was commissioned by the New Zealand Law Commission as part of its project on the law of succession. Its purpose was to determine whether...

This paper addresses how the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (PRA) may affect elderly people, particularly where the parties have assets from a prior relationship. The author considers what happens to their property if their relationship ends on separation or death. The author also makes brief...