Articles
Legal articles written by
Cooney Lees Morgan
Legal Professionals
Feature article
Division of trust property after a short relationship
In the recent decision released 15 September 2025 Lassnig v Zhou [2025] NZSC 115, the Supreme Court looked at how equity in a family trust should be divided under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980 after the separation of parties who had been in a short relationship.
A claim under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act is a claim for compensation from a trust, where a spouse says they would have benefitted from the trust if the marriage continued and need to be compensated for the loss of that benefit. It has become a ‘trust busting’ remedy that the Courts use more and more.
Mr Lassnig and Ms Zhou were married...
Senior Associate
Master of International Studies, Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Arts
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