The Property (Relationships) Act 1976 came into effect on 1 February 2002. It has radically reformed the property-sharing regime used to determine the shares of each party in a marriage or defacto relationship on separation and on death. The Act touches on virtually everyone's life and we recommend that all couples review their circumstances from time to time to ensure that their property expectations are or will be met.

We can advise you on the changes to the law, how they affect you and develop strategies to achieve the outcome you seek. Strategies include:

• Contracting-out agreements
• Setting up family trusts to preserve separate property
• Drafting wills to reduce claims on death
  

For specialised advice in this area please contact Roger Hayman, John Evans or Wendy Lindsay.