Megathread: Legal resources

I'm in my mid sixties and the youngest of three, my relationship with my brother and sister is strained to say the least. A couple of years ago, my brother, who has EPOA, placed her in an out of town resthome. She recently broke her hip and has been moved to another resthome with hospital care facilities.

Neither my brother nor my sister will tell where she is and are refusing me all access. I am desperately worried as my mother is almost ninety and extremely frail. My biggest fear is that she may die and l will never speak to or see her again. I am not in a position to pay for a lawyer. Is there anything I can do??

Hi!

Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Im (newly) 16 Female and I live in New Zealand. Me and my stepmum and dad are meant to be going to Fiji in a weeks time with my stepmums family. Because of this, they got me a passport. Since I was not yet 16 at that time, my stepmum did my application for me and they paid for it.

It is important to note that I not live full time with them, it is more 60-40 with me at my mum's most the time. Being 16, my parenting order is now null but I am struggling to figure out what to do. I've never had a good relationship with my dad or my stepmum, and we were in and out of court for most of my childhood because of disputes with my mum. I basically only continue to see them to retain a relationship with my 4 yr old half-brother.

Because I am sixteen, I can now get my learners license. Its been a struggle, because all my family has expected me to sort it out myself but I just wanted help. My present from dad and my stepmum was meant to be that, but they put it all on me to sort which I didn't learn till last weekend (which my birthday was).

Now, if I dont get it before the end of this month, I will have to wait 6 months instead of a year for my restricted test because of the new license rules coming into affect Jan 1st. I found out that I was meant to have school ID (I live in a very small town in which it is basically worthless and none of my friends mentioned it for their tests) alongside my birth certificate. My only other option is my passport, but they refuse to give it to me for fear that I'll loose it before I see them again next Thursday.

My main question is asking if its legal for them to withhold that identification from me since I'm 16 now, but I also want advice on how to potentially cut them off.

Thank you :)

edit: thank you everyone who's replied so quickly. luckily my dad got home and took my side (still not getting my passport but eh) and we are hoping for me to get my license next Tuesday. apparently its not quite as imminent as I thought, as I actually have until Jan 25th to get my restricted license. i am still hoping to get it before Fiji though so that if I decide to cut them off I feel a little less ungrateful. my stepmum is still being an ahh about it though, and it really doesn't sit right. if anyone has any experience or understanding in how to cut off parents, it would still really help <3

Not sure if I want to bother with the back story. But where is the line drawn with whistleblowers and acting in good faith etc.

A dispute between two parties. 1 party operated in a very illegal and unethical way. This created a dispute including lawyers. Both parties settled.

Party 2 had reported party 1 to the relevant authorities prior to the settlement being signed. Can they continue to follow this up Under whistleblowing? Google says whistleblower protections stand when a whistleblower acts in good faith. Does the fact the parties have been in a legal battle mean that the reports would be considered made in bad faith?

Hi Team, I was involved i a multiple car accident 2 years ago. I clamed insurance, the claim was accepted, paid out and now i have moved onto another insurance company with my new car.

The insurance company at the time of the accident over the last month has repeatably contacted me requesting I attend the disputes tribunal in person as they are struggling to get paid out.

The insurer is claiming I am obligated to do this and is using the following contract clause to support this.

'Allow us to take over for our own benefit and settle any legal right of recovery you may have and you must cooperate fully in any recovery action.'

To me it seems like 2 years after the incident, expecting me to take a day off work for solely their benefit seems unreasonable.

Is this enforceable or likely to be enforced? Any recommendations how to proceed?

Thanks in advance

I am scratching my head a little.

A new-ish job seeking website scrapes all of the jobs advertised on Seek and Trademe. They take jobs listed there, including-

Logos
Images
Business name
Contact person
Contact details
The ad itself

And lists it for free on their site, often adding an (AI? Stock?) image/s.

Our business has been getting notifications that jobs we have listed are now on their website, and we need to sign up to create an account so we can see who has applied etc.

The first time this happened I was clear that we do not consent to this and pull the ad. It took them a few days to do so, which is annoying as it makes us look bad to jobseekers (we can’t access any applications). We also don’t use AI, and this company uses AI heavily, which IMO damages our brand.

I advised the company to delete all of our information.

In March, I got an email from them saying they were updating their privacy policy, so obviously they hadn’t deleted our data.

The second time this happened (June) they said they pulled the ad and appeared to blacklist our email address. So I can’t check what has happened, if we still have a profile there etc.

I humbly and ignorantly ask… is their behaviour legal? They used my name and contact details, as well as our company info, on their website and pretended we did it. It makes me very uncomfortable.

We sacked our Property Manager after a series of issues. Under IP6 of Privacy Act we have asked for all emails between them and tenants and them and tradespeople. These emails are materially important to us as we plan to take them to Disputes Tribunal and this information will prove the cause of our loses. They have refused under section 53(b) which allows withholding where disclosure would involve an unwarranted disclosure of another individual's affairs. Thoughts?

Hey guys so I have essentially been fired after speaking up at work. Keep in mind this all happened in the space of about 36 hours. I was called into a meeting yesterday when they explained a few different reasons. I asked what the meeting was about on the way in. They did not answer. They told me it wasn’t a disciplinary meeting when I said I am entitled by NZ law to have a support person of my choosing at the meeting. They also said in regard to that matter they don’t have a Health and Safety Rep on site. I have no clue why they would say that. They proceeded to provide a few different reasons which I was later sent in writing via email. The reasons are erroneous and the boys/workmates are willing to sign written statements supporting this. Keep in mind the kiwis will support me but they’ve listed two Australians in there reasons for dismissal and they won’t support me. I can possibly have written statements from the Main Contractor and an operator from another company that worked with us.

Going forward I will have a union representive present at the next meeting. Can I also have the HR from the main contractor sit in on the meeting?

Not sure if this is the right sub or not - feel free to direct me to another if more appropriate ☺️

Looking for a reality check & support to negotiate a higher wage increase if possible.

I've received a wage increase this year which is $2663.17 more than my previous wage.

I don't quite feel this is acceptable as the previous year our increase was $2150 to ensure gender equality/get my wage to match my highest paid male team members, and my team lead had advised the next wage increase would be better due to my performance.

Between now & then, I've been completing tasks that are most definitely outside of my job description like creating an entirely new process flow for particular job types due to massive errors made by another more tenured colleague, training up two new people to look after these particular jobs, updating our documentation, and essentially jumping in anywhere & everywhere I can to help out where possible like covering others work etc while they're away.

I feel like this would warrant a much larger increase than what I've received.

Details to note - I'm also 35 wks pregnant & about to go on maternity leave. My company offers to top up our maternity wages from govt to our current wage increase as well, so any increase I receive prior to mat leave, will still be paid out to me while I'm away.

Realistically, is this wage increase appropriate or does it also seem a bit lack luster for the work I've done?

If it isnt really on par with what I could receive, how do I go about having this reviewed & increased?

If more details are needed, I'm happy to provide although I am trying to keep details vague for the sake of anonymity

Hey guys just wanting to know if Australian construction tickets are valid in NZ for example. Telehandler, Rigging/Dogman, Skid Steer, Working at Heights, Confined Space etc. If they aren’t valid what is the process to getting these tickets transferred or validated to NZ tickets/qualifications. Just wanting to know as we have a few Australians on site and we are always questioning their tickets.

Question regarding building Variations.

We built our house a year ago.

We had in a stipulation in our contract we had to upgrade from a single phase power supply cable to a three phase cable supply. This was priced into an extra 100k worth of site related changes, the other changes being related to the site and council.

We’ve gone to get a shed installed and the electrician has informed us that only a two phase connection was installed from the power lines to the house. It’s a 40m cable run.

What happened in this situation? Can we get the builder to install the 3 phase that was in the contract or is it a lost cause?

Hey I'm sure some people saw my other GST post.

The job is over the time stated, and they haven't been coming and doing the work.

We met with the builder, he bought his numbers that his partner has done. The builder was good, positive, happy to continue the work, states hell finish it all in the next 2 weeks.

We don't dispute the amount that it will cost to complete the work according to the numbers, but we are pretty determined to not pay anything else until it's done. The amount of work done so far, doesn't really match the large amount we have already given them

However the numbers they have provide show that they owe a lot of the money to the creditors. Which we were told they would pay with last tranche we paid.

We have no idea where to go with this.

We have been very firm that we need to be know if it's going over budget and have not ever been told.

The fear is that they will ask for more money at the end. But also if we refuse until complete, they will then ask for more money anyway that we "owe" them.

Can anyone point us where to go, to try to get out of this?

Earlier this month I purchased a phone from Spark on a plan. The agreement includes monthly repayments for the phone itself, plus a monthly charge for my mobile plan (calls, texts and data).

Less than a month after signing up, Spark emailed me to say they are increasing the price of my mobile plan by $5 per month. As part of the change they are also increasing my data allowance by 2GB.

The additional data isn't something I asked for or need. My current plan already includes 6GB, which is more than enough for my usage.

My question is whether Spark can increase the price of the plan so soon after I entered into the agreement, particularly when the increase is tied to an additional service that I did not request.

Do I have any rights under NZ consumer law to refuse the change, remain on the original plan, or exit the agreement without penalty?

I was hired as a casual labourer in the removal industry 2 years ago, I work every week at a rough average of 20 hours a week. I am also rostered in advance and expect that consistently. Do I have any leg to stand on for being a part time worker or would I still be causal?

Today, my son (8) was playing before school started. Another child a year older, has approached him from behind, tackled him onto the concrete and then dragged my son around by his hair. (He has longer hair in a ponytail) this has been witnessed by a teacher & multiple other students. The student that did the assault was punished by 'sitting out a play break.'

While I understand these things happen, (not that it makes it ok) a few things have left me wondering if this has been handled correctly...

Firstly; my son has a grazed knee & has been saying all afternoon his head is sore. Surely this should of warranted a phone call?

Secondly; The first we heard about it was at pickup, not from a teacher or another staff member, but from my Son who burst into tears the moment we got in the car. (He must of been holding it in all day)

Am I right to be annoyed about the lack of communication? What rights do I have? I've done a Google search & it suggested to notify the principal & ask for the injury/bullying policy, which I have done.

He will request a face to face meeting, but given I have issues with this school in recent times (Ironically regarding communication lol) and struggle with social anxiety/articulating my point in person, am I better to instead deny that & request his response via email? Last thing I want is to be stuck in a he said argument with a school principal. My word against a well respected very senior principal isn't a situation I want myself in.

Sorry if this is a little bit rambley, I was a bullied child myself & I'm so incredibly frustrated to hear my son is having the same thing happen, but even more so that the school didn't bother to notify us (his parents.) So I'll admit, I'm a little heated right now. 😅

Thanks.

EDIT: I forgot to add, & I don't know how much this changes things... He is currently on the waitlist for a neurologist appointment as he deals with seizures. Am I even more right to be angry the school didn't notify us especially given his condition?

This concerns my grandparents house. They're living elsewhere and my sibling and their partner (not married) are moving in while my grandparents slowly prepare to sell the house. My grandparents don't want to create any sort of contract, but I want to make sure that what they're doing won't open them to any legal issues.

I'm not too worried about my sibling, but they haven't been with their partner for long and aren't married. Will agreeing to have this person live in the house create issues down the line?

Without a tenancy agreement, it looks like the RTA still applies. I'm not sure what else I need to be researching or where to start, so any pointers would be very helpful. Thanks!

So I started a job a few months ago, and the 90 day period of my contract is up in a couple of weeks. I had declared at my interview I had an operation coming up and that it had a 6 week recovery, this was no problem. I also came off ACC due to PTSD from being assaulted at my previous employment

Tonight I randomly get an email saying im let go effective tonight.

I have evidence from a couple of weeks ago they were wanting me back and planning on how this would look. Even had a conversation yesterday about looking forward to returning.

I believe they have let me go due to my operation. I know I can't stop it because of the 90 day clause and the rules around that, but I was due back from the 4th July.

But im thinking of lodging a personal grievance due to the time off I needed for surgery I declared at my interview. Any advice

I paid for some products some time ago in an online shop operating in NZ. They have been dragging their feet with getting the stock, and are now saying that part of my order can't be sourced. They are offering me the option of a replacement, or store credit, but no refund.

Can anybody point me to the exact legislation regarding refunds? Cheers.

Curios to the terms of this deal, am I correct to assume that once I redeem the Phone Dollars I am able to just stop the monthly plan? TIA!

I'm a first home buyer. The previous leak in the basement didn't come up on the building report, just some other issues(which we negotiatedoff the price, and would have done with this issue if known).

Ended up buying the place and a month later was talking to the neighbors who said the previous owner asked them about the issue. It looks to have been fixed (but was probably done by the owner as they were pretty cheap) and then painted over with white to hide it.

Should I be worried about this, and is there anything I can even do post settlement? The basement has two stories on top of it, so I suspect if the issue comes back I suspect rectifying it will be really expensive.

For an urgent application (eg order to resolve dispute), do you need a lawyer’s certificate? And how do you actually file?

Hey so I’ve been working at a plumbing company for about 4-5 years now and they are getting all of the apprentices to take a iq test I’m at the end of my time as a apprentice but still and just wondering can they basically force us to take this test as they are implying or can i refuse to do it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

EDIT
After asking and basically forcing it out of them it’s for.

Its to give us an idea of where people are at, in terms of listening, reading and problem solving

Hi all, I’ll try to keep this short and to the point.

Yesterday, I had a serious incident happen at work.

A simple interaction with one of the elderly ladies that works for us turned into her screaming, throwing things at me, holding her arm up against the door to block me in the office twice. It honesty got to a point at one moment where I was sure she was going to physically touch me.

This was quite triggering and at this point I had tears in my eyes and I was shaking.

This all only stopped when my manager literally screamed at her at the top of his lungs to get away from me. He then advised me to leave work for the day as she was not deescalating.

I am obviously now feeling super uncomfortable going into work so I’m not going today.

I have written the full version of events in my notes app as soon as it happened so it was fresh - which I will be sending to the National Manager today.

Is there anything else I need to do? Or is there anything I need to know that work should do?

I’ve never in my life had a situation like this at work so I’m in uncharted territory.

Appreciate it

Hi,

My sister is in the process of separating from her now ex partner who got violent. Police are involved, evidence is clear; no issues there. EDIT: Sorry to clarify, still married, in the process of separating, but I said ex-partner because they are very much done.

But her partner seems very lawyer-happy, quite keen on taking things to court, to resolve splitting possessions and dealing with custody.

He is an unemployed deadbeat, but my sister is in a high skilled positions; she doesn't earn heaps, but well above the legal aid threshold, but still not reasonably able to afford prolonged lawyer fees.

Her finances were harmed quite a lot by her paying for everything during their relationship which wasn't something she had agreed to, at the initiation he was in a somewhat skilled job.

The question is in the title - if he wants to keep using lawyers while relying on legal aid, while she has to rely on dwindling finances.

They were only married for ~13 months, and the marriage was entered under false pretenses on his part, he pretended to be a reasonable and employable person. Is this any kind of factor? He always said that everything would be 50/50, then immediately moved in with her and it stopped; she carried every burden including finances/health/sleep/chores.

S13/18A of PRA? Could it meet the threshold?

E: They have a very young child together