Articles
Guides for hard moments.
Practical guidance, honest answers, and thoughtful explanations — written for New Zealanders navigating death and what comes after.
Wills, probate and letters of administration in New Zealand — explained simply
When someone you love dies, the last thing you want to think about is legal paperwork. But at some point in the weeks that follow, you will likely need to work out what your loved one left behind, who has the authority to deal with it, and what the law requires you to do. This article explains wills, probate, and letters of administration in plain language — what they mean, when they apply, and what you actually need to do — so you can face the admin with a little more clarity and a little less dread.
Estate AdminFinancial and legal steps after someone dies in New Zealand
When someone you love dies, the world carries on making practical demands that feel completely at odds with grief. Bank accounts need to be managed, KiwiSaver balances claimed, insurance policies tracked down, and an estate wound up — all while you are also trying to simply get through each day. This guide walks you through the key financial and legal steps after a death in New Zealand, in plain language, at your pace.
Estate AdminWhat to do in the first 24 hours after someone dies in New Zealand
The moment someone you love dies, time shifts in a strange way — it can feel like everything has stopped and like you're being swept forward all at once. You don't have to know what to do next. This article walks you through the practical steps that need to happen in those first hours, and gently separates what is truly urgent from what can wait — so you can be present with your grief and your people without feeling lost.
Estate AdminLooking after yourself while grieving — NZ support services and what to expect
Grief has a way of arriving all at once and then catching you off guard for months, sometimes years, afterward. Whether your loved one died recently or some time ago, the weight of loss can affect your sleep, your appetite, your ability to concentrate, and your sense of who you are in the world. This article is about looking after yourself through that — what to expect from grief, what support is available in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how to ask for help without feeling like you're doing something unusual.
Estate AdminClosing accounts after a death — Subscriptions, IRD, electoral roll and digital accounts
When someone you love dies, the admin can feel relentless. Alongside the grief, the cards, and the phone calls, there are accounts to close, organisations to notify, and a whole digital life to wind down. It is a lot to carry. This article walks you through the key things that need to happen in New Zealand after a death — notifying IRD, removing your loved one from the electoral roll, cancelling subscriptions, and handling social media and digital accounts — so you can move through it steadily, without missing anything important.
Estate AdminTelling people your loved one has died — What to say and how to let others help
Someone you love has passed. In the hours that follow, you may find yourself facing one of the hardest tasks grief asks of you: telling the people who need to know. You might not have the words. You might feel as though saying it out loud makes it more real. This article is here to help you think through who to tell, how to tell them, and how to let the people around you carry some of the weight with you.