Facebook & Death – What Will Your Account Do?

June 2022

Emily Flaszynski

A family member died recently. On his birthday after his death, Facebook sent out 1832 notifications to all of his friends reminding them of his birthday. The family was shocked and upset to find that many of his “friends” wished him “Happy ... Read more

Catherine Revs Up for The Cancer Society’s Scooter Safari!

June 2022 On Saturday 21 May 2022 our Practice Manager Catherine Quigley joined a group of friends as Team Pedro, to take part in the Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari crossing the Southern Alps on 50cc scooters to raise funds for the Cancer Society. Catherine ... Read more

Supporting Pink Shirt Day

June 2022 On Friday 20 May 2022 the team at Mortlock McCormack Law supported The Mental Health Foundation and their “Pink Shirt Day” joining the movement to Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak up, Stand Together, Stop ... Read more

Sarah Wenborn- Celebrating 20 Years

March 2022 Sarah Wenborn (nee Carr) has returned once again from parental leave as our HR Manager, after having her second daughter Poppy, whom big sister Winnie adores. The week Sarah returned, she also celebrated 20 years will MML. Sarah started as a ... Read more

Southern Response | Ross Class Action – Update

March 2022

Sarah Manning

The Ross Class Action has settled with Southern Response and all affected policyholders short-changed in their original settlements are now entitled to compensation. This class action claimed that, during insurance settlements prior to October 2014, ... Read more

Hugh Cottrell Award: Child & Family Law Prize

March 2022 In 2017 the partners of Mortlock McCormack Law established an annual prize in recognition of academic excellence in Child and Family Law at the University of Canterbury. This prize is in honour of Hugh Crispe Cottrell, a Partner at Mortlock ... Read more

Testamentary Guardians – Who will look after my children if I die?

March 2022 What is a Testamentary Guardian? The Care of Children Act 2004 allows parents to appoint a person in their Will to “step into their shoes” as guardian for their child or children in the event that they die. These people are known as ... Read more

Third Time Lucky – Polyamorous Relationships and the Property (Relationships) Act 1976

March 2022 In the recent case of  PAUL v MEAD [2021] NZCA 649 the Court of Appeal was asked to determine whether the Family Court has jurisdiction under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (the PRA) to determine the property rights of three persons in a ... Read more

Trust Busting – Commercial/Business Risk (Brkic v White [2021] NZCA 670)

March 2022

Andrew Logan Jamie Stanton

The 2016 Supreme Court case of Clayton v Clayton found that a person’s “bundle of rights” in a trust (e.g. being a trustee, appointor, beneficiary and having powers to say remove other beneficiaries) could be considered an asset in that ... Read more

Baby, Baby, Oh Baby!

March 2022 Principal Sarah Manning and fiancé Clinton welcomed their second daughter, Lucy in February. Associate Tash McClure and Principal Jaxon welcomed their son, Harrison in December. Legal Executive Michaela Topping and husband Hugo welcomed their ... Read more