Official guidance
Official primary
2026-10-09
Next review: 2027-04-09
New Zealand
High confidence
verified
Codex research — original and primary source check
Evidence boundary: Public Trust provider guidance, not legislation or personalised advice. Original publication date is unknown: printed June 2021 footer, November 2023 filename and modification metadata are distinct evidence. Current publisher download was byte-identical to the preserved original on 9 October 2026. The unanimity statement is a default-duty simplification; information disclosure involves statutory presumptions and factors. A 125-year maximum does not automatically extend an existing trust, and age 18 does not establish a particular distribution entitlement. Historical promotional claims are not independently verified current figures. Encoded text on physical p. 6 contains an apparent missing word; the statute supplies the legal rule. Original filename and June 2026 access/capture are preserved.
Short Answer
The ten-page original carries footer PTEL120 06/21, visually verified as June 2021. Its current Public Trust download (opens in a new tab) has a November 2023 filename and modification date; these are separate version and production clues, not proof of first publication. The Trusts Act 2019 (opens in a new tab), checked 9 October 2026, supplies the exact duties, disclosure procedures and duration rules.
Why it matters
Prepare questions for a trust review and distinguish the provider’s explanation from the deed and statutory rules governing the particular trust.
Key Points
- •The guide separates mandatory duties, which cannot be modified or excluded, from default duties. Default duties, including unanimity, can be modified or excluded by trust terms subject to the Act. (Physical pp. 5, 8.)
- •Basic beneficiary information includes beneficiary status, trustee contact details and changes, and the right to request trust terms or information. The Act provides presumptions and factors for deciding disclosure; this is not an unrestricted entitlement to every record. (Physical pp. 6, 7.)
- •The Act generally sets a maximum trust duration of 125 years, allows shorter terms and provides exceptions. Pre-existing distribution dates are not automatically extended. (Physical p. 6.)
- •The age of majority is 18 for express-trust purposes; this does not guarantee every beneficiary a distribution at 18, because the actual entitlement depends on the trust terms. (Physical p. 6.)
- •The brochure describes relationship-property protection alongside a contracting-out agreement and creditor protection in particular situations. It does not establish guaranteed protection from care costs, tax or claims. (Physical pp. 3, 4.)
Full Summary & Notes
Public Trust’s guide to reviewing an existing trust under the Trusts Act 2019. It discusses reasons for having a trust, mandatory and default trustee duties, beneficiary information rights, trust duration and questions about winding up or changing trustees. Its footer is dated June 2021 and the current publisher-linked file carries November 2023 production evidence. Read the simplified guidance alongside the Act: unanimity is a default duty, information rights involve statutory presumptions, and a 125-year maximum does not automatically extend an existing trust.
Read bundled source notes
The saved source file may include fuller notes and references than the indexed summary. Check its dates and evidence limits.
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Document Details & Metadata
Related Resources
The 16-page brochure’s printed code PTPS04 10/25 indicates October 2025, while the current filename web11.25 and PDF creation metadata indicate November production. These clues do not establish a first-release day. The [Public Trust family-trust page](https://www.publictrust.co.nz/products-and-services/trusts/family-trust/) links the byte-identical original. The [Trusts Act 2019](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2019/38/en/latest.pdf) supplies the exact rules for mandatory/default duties and beneficiary information.
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