Topic

Marriage and partnerships

This page contains different parts of laws about Marriage and partnerships.

Accident Compensation Act 2001

Who counts as your partner, even after you die

18A: Partner (and partner in relation to deceased claimant)

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Income Tax Act 2007

Death benefit payments from certain life insurance policies are not counted as income

EX 45: Exclusion of amounts of death benefit

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Income Tax Act 2007

Tax rules for personal property transfers in relationship settlements

FB 2: Personal property

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Income Tax Act 2007

Land transferred in relationship property settlements

FB 3: Land acquired for certain purposes or under certain conditions

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Income Tax Act 2007

Tax rules for transferring land in development as part of relationship property

FB 4: Land under scheme for major development or division

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Income Tax Act 2007

How timber or timber rights are treated when settling relationship property

FB 6: Timber or right to take timber

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring land with valuable timber during relationship property settlements

FB 7: Land with standing timber

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Income Tax Act 2007

Handling patents when couples split property

FB 8: Patent applications and patent rights

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for financial arrangements when settling relationship property

FB 9: Financial arrangements rules

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring company shares during relationship property settlements

FB 10: Continuity provisions: shares and options

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Income Tax Act 2007

Former employee pensions: how they're treated when shared after a relationship split

FB 11: Pension payments to former employees

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring farm animals during a relationship property settlement

FB 14: Specified livestock

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring herd-scheme livestock in relationship property settlements

FB 15: Specified livestock valued under herd scheme

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for livestock not on the official list when given in a divorce or separation

FB 16: Non-specified livestock

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for valuing high-priced livestock when settling relationship property

FB 17: High-priced livestock

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Income Tax Act 2007

When this part of the law applies to property transfers

FC 1: Disposals to which this subpart applies

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Income Tax Act 2007

Property given to partners after someone dies

FC 3: Property transferred to spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring commercial bills during relationship property division

FZ 5: Commercial bills

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Child Support Act 1991

This part explains how voluntary agreements for child and partner support work

47: Application of this Part

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Companies Act 1993

Registering a deceased shareholder's personal representative as the new owner of shares

93: Personal representative may be registered

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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

When a person living alone in a rented home dies, the rental agreement ends within 21 days or on a date agreed by everyone involved.

50A: Termination following death of sole tenant

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Crimes Act 1961

Getting married or having a civil union when you're already married, or forcing someone to marry or have a civil union

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Crimes Act 1961

Bigamy means marrying or entering a civil union with someone else while already married or in a civil union.

205: Bigamy defined

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Crimes Act 1961

The law says you can go to jail if you marry someone while already married to someone else.

206: Punishment of bigamy

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Crimes Act 1961

It's against the law to pretend to marry or have a civil union with someone when you know it won't be real.

207: Feigned marriage or civil union

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Crimes Act 1961

Taking things from your husband, wife, or partner can still be stealing.

222: Theft by spouse or partner

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring ownership of look-through companies during relationship property settlements

FB 10B: Look-through companies

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Income Tax Act 2007

Rules for transferring residential land in relationship property settlements

FB 3A: Residential land

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Social Security Act 2018

Deciding if someone is single or in a relationship for benefit purposes

8: Determinations person is single or in de facto relationship

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Social Security Act 2018

Special payment rules for couples when one person is in long-term care

38: Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity or total blindness: payment not apportioned in specified cases

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Social Security Act 2018

Special rules for couples sharing a home with others when getting housing cost help

68: Accommodation supplement: special rules for joint tenants who are in relationship

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Social Security Act 2018

When the government can say no or change your housing cost help

69: Accommodation supplement: refusal, reduction, or cancellation of grant in certain circumstances

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Social Security Act 2018

Extra money for couples when one partner is in hospital or care

89: Special disability allowance: entitlement in special circumstances

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Social Security Act 2018

You must tell MSD about changes in your life that might affect your benefit

113: Beneficiary must notify change of circumstances

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Social Security Act 2018

What young people must do if they are married to or living with someone getting financial help

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Social Security Act 2018

You can't get extra money for your partner if they already get their own benefit

201: Personal benefit of spouse or partner excludes benefit on behalf of spouse or partner

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Social Security Act 2018

Your partner's benefit may increase if you're in hospital for a long time

207: Benefit of spouse or partner increased after 13th week of hospitalisation

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Social Security Act 2018

What happens when your benefit is stopped or not paid

216: Effect of non-payment or suspension of benefit

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Social Security Act 2018

How waiting periods or stopping benefits affects extra help and your partner's benefits

230: How non-entitlement period, etc, affects supplementary benefits, and spouse or partner

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Social Security Act 2018

Changes to couple's benefit when one person doesn't follow work rules

245: Variation for breach of work-test obligation by 1 spouse or partner

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Social Security Act 2018

Getting money back when your partner cheats on benefit payments

359: Recovery from spouse or partner of apportioned excess amount beneficiary obtained by fraud

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Social Security Act 2018

Money taken back if your partner lied to get extra

361: Recovery from spouse or partner of unapportioned excess amount beneficiary obtained by fraud

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Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017

Getting your money when you become an adult or start a serious relationship

109: Payment on minor reaching 18 years or marrying or entering into civil union or de facto relationship

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Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017

Court can approve changes to trusts for young people who have been in relationships

117: Agreement to extinguish or vary trust may be approved

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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

Rules about young people renting houses and what happens when they grow up

14: Minors

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Crimes Act 1961

It's against the law to force someone to marry or enter a civil union by scaring, threatening, or hurting them.

207A: Coerced marriage or civil union

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Residential Tenancies Act 1986

How to properly send and deliver notices about ending a tenancy and the proof needed

56C: Service of notices of withdrawal and accompanying evidence

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Social Security Act 2018

Understanding special rules that protect your partner's benefits when you're in residential care

17A: Guide to specified abatement exemptions

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About this project

What is this project?

This project is an experiment to take difficult language, and make it easier to read and understand for everyone.

How do we do this?

What’s our process for taking the law and turning it into plain language?

Why is the law written like it is?

Laws are often hard to read. They use a lot of words and language we don’t usually use when we talk.

Should we use AI for this?

What are the good and bad sides of using AI?

Is this information the actual law?

We hope that this information will help people understand New Zealand laws. But we think that it’s important you talk to someone who understands the law well if you have questions or are worried about something.

You can talk to Community Law or Citizen’s Advice Bureau about your rights.

Remember that AI can make mistakes, and just reading the law isn’t enough to understand how it could be used in court.