# Public Trust – Family Trusts brochure Document ID: doc-0117 Publisher: Public Trust Physical PDF pages: 16 Original capture/access label: June 2026 Original and primary sources reviewed: 9 October 2026 [Preserved bundled original](/pdfs/2025%20-%20Public%20Trust%20-%20Family%20Trusts%20Brochure.pdf) [Primary publisher PDF](https://content.publictrust.co.nz/storage/files/brochures/ptps04_family-trust-brochure_web11.25.pdf) [Publisher guide page](https://www.publictrust.co.nz/products-and-services/trusts/family-trust/) ## What the document contributes Public Trust’s family trusts brochure explains the roles of settlors, trustees and beneficiaries, the transfer of asset ownership, planning a trust, trustee duties and ongoing administration. It describes potential purposes and limitations, beneficiary information rights, records, tax reviews and Public Trust’s professional trustee services. The printed version code is October 2025 while file-production evidence is November 2025. Trusts involve costs and legal duties; the brochure’s conditional protection claims and provider recommendations should not be treated as guarantees or personalised legal advice. ## Included material - What a family trust is, purposes and downsides (physical pp. 2–3) - Settlor, trustee and beneficiary roles; planning a trust (pp. 4–7) - Trustee responsibilities and professional trustee services (pp. 8–9) - Duties and beneficiary information (p. 10) - Administration, records, accounts and reviews (pp. 11–12) - Provider information, contacts and version code (pp. 13–16) ## Substantive findings - Transferring assets into a trust relinquishes personal ownership; the brochure warns that a trust is complex, has ongoing costs and is not easily reversed. (Physical p. 3.) - A settlor establishes the trust, trustees manage its assets and beneficiaries may benefit under its terms. (Physical p. 4.) - Potential relationship-property protection is described alongside a contracting-out agreement, and creditor protection only in certain circumstances. These are conditional purposes, not guaranteed outcomes. (Physical pp. 3, 6.) - The brochure explains mandatory and default trustee duties and basic beneficiary information. Default-duty variations and statutory disclosure factors remain relevant. (Physical p. 10.) Statutory reference: Trusts Act2019 ss22–39 physical18–20; ss49–55 physical23–26. - Records, accounts, family circumstances and possible distributions are part of the administration discussion; its annual-meeting and three-year will-review advice are provider recommendations, not demonstrated universal statutory deadlines. (Physical pp. 11, 12.) - Printed footer PTPS04 10/25 and current filename web11.25/November metadata provide differing edition and production clues; the bundled file matches the current publisher download exactly. (Physical p. 16.) ## Identity, dates and provenance Footer PTPS04 10/25 says October 2025; publisher-linked filename web11.25 and PDF creation/modification metadata 12 November 2025 indicate later production. Preserve both clues without claiming a verified first-release day or silently reconciling them. Preserve June 2026 catalogue capture. The cover identifies this as “Family Trusts”. The original contains 16 physical pages. Its SHA-256 is d66a403d02da3c9217bb23e29e0f18ba0491ede1312c4e92bc2c103b39c856ce; the current publisher-linked download was byte-identical when checked on 9 October 2026. The earlier Parliament homepage catalogue link was not this brochure’s publisher source. The original PDF, filename and June capture/access label are retained. The 9 October review date is not a publication, metadata-update or legislative commencement date. ## How to use it - Assess questions about a trust’s purpose, ownership, ongoing administration and costs before obtaining advice about establishing or reviewing one. - A trust transfers ownership and creates ongoing duties and costs. Its protection claims are conditional, and annual meetings or three-year will reviews are provider recommendations rather than established universal statutory deadlines. - Professional trustee service claims are provider statements; ongoing fees, records, conflicts and the deed require individual consideration. - Trustee accountability combines non-excludable mandatory duties, modifiable default duties and statutory information procedures. ## Evidence limits Public Trust provider brochure with a printed October 2025 version code and November 2025 filename/production evidence; the catalogue retains year precision because first public-release day is unknown. Current publisher PDF matched the preserved original on 9 October 2026. Protection from relationship-property or creditor claims is conditional; the brochure is not personalised advice or proof of guaranteed tax, care-fee or claim protection. Unanimity is a default duty, information rights involve statutory presumptions and factors, and review intervals are provider recommendations. Physical pp. 11–13 carry printed numbers 12–14, so physical page references are used. Original filename and June access/capture remain unchanged. - Physical11 has printed page12, physical12 printed13 and physical13 printed14; use physical page references and do not infer an absent page solely from the numbering. - Do not recast a simplified relationship-property explanation as a complete statement of eligibility, exceptions or contracting-out formalities. - Public Trust professional trustee benefits and service claims are provider material, not independent comparisons. ## Statutory references [Trusts Act 2019](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2019/38/en/latest.pdf), current official version as at 28 October 2021: mandatory/default duties and unanimity, physical pp. 18–20; core documents and information procedures, pp. 22–26; maximum duration, p. 17; age of majority, p. 18; existing trust duration, Schedule 1 clause 3, p. 78. The statute references qualify the brochure’s simplified guidance. They do not determine a particular person’s entitlement or replace advice about the relevant deed, will, ownership and circumstances. ## Research evidence The review preserves complete original page text, metadata, hashes, live download equality, publisher download links and selected current statutory pages in artifacts/research/public-trust-guidance-source-audit-2026-10-09.json.