New Zealand Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

New Zealand Case Law

Contracting out of relationship property regime
  • 29 Sept 2017

    M v H [2017] NZHC 2385

    Citation
    [2017] NZFLR 751
    Court
    High Court

    The Deed was not made in contemplation of marriage for s21(1) MPA purposes (narrow test applied), but it is a pre-1 August 2001 de facto partners' agreement to which s21P/21R apply and therefore survived the parties' subsequent marriage; on construction of the Deed and the factual matrix, the contested bank accounts are Mr H's separate property as business income/profits under clause 1 of Schedule B.

    • Contracting out of relationship property regime
    • Contemplation of marriage
    • Survival of pre-marriage/de facto agreements on marriage
    • Classification of relationship vs separate property
    • Contractual interpretation