Welcome to Ward Adams Bryan-Lamb


When you need legal services you want efficient, practical and knowledgeable advice. The team at Ward Adams Bryan-Lamb is here to listen and give you the right advice for your situation. We pride ourselves in helping people achieve all of their personal business and legal solutions.

We are proud of our Southern roots and with offices in Invercargill and Riverton, Southland, New Zealand.  Our lawyers capably assist clients locally, throughout Otago, Central Otago and the rest of New Zealand as well as internationally to achieve the best possible outcomes. Whether you require assistance with issues relating to your family, house, business, farm, trust, civil or employment disputes, succession planning, retirement, estate planning, immigration or any other legal matter, we are here to help.

At Ward Adams Bryan-Lamb we understand that what you are experiencing may be challenging. Our firm was established over 100 years ago and we continue to offer an experienced team who take pride in handling all legal matters in a confident, professional and caring manner, with utmost respect and integrity. We ensure that you are kept informed about the process every step of the way while delivering up-to-date and effective solutions.

Our expertise covers all areas of legal practice. We represent a wide variety of clients including individuals, families, large and small businesses, retailers, the rural sector trade and professional organisations, as well as community groups.

Common Legal Questions


Need help?
  • What is an Enduring Power of Attorney?

    An Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document where a person (the donor) gives authority to someone (the attorney) to act on their behalf when they are unable to do it themselves.  Find out more about Enduring Power of Attorney.

  • How does an Enduring Power of Attorney work?

    There are two types of Enduring Power of Attorney. Property, and Personal Care and Welfare.  Although they address different decisions, both come into effect when you are unable to make decisions yourself.  Find out more about Enduring Power of Attorney.

  • How do I set up an Enduring Power of Attorney?

    You should set up an Enduring Power of Attorney through a lawyer who will discuss exactly how your EPOA will work best for you.  The biggest decision you will make is who will be your attorney(s).  Find out more about Enduring Power of Attorney.

  • My employer acted unfairly, what do I need to do?

    If you have ever found yourself as an employee in a position where you wish to make a formal complaint against your current or former employer, you may have a personal grievance. Find out more about raising a personal grievance.

  • Unfair dismissal - where do I start?

    If you think you have been unfairly dismissed you need to raise a personal grievance. An employee may claim their dismissal was unjustified if they can show they were dismissed, and they believe that the employer did not have good reason or the process used by the employer to dismiss was unfair.  Find out more about personal grievances.

  • How do I raise a personal grievance?

    You can make your employer aware of your personal grievance either directly or in writing. It is better to do this in writing so that you have a record of all the details. If you do this verbally, you should take notes. Be aware that your claims need to be clear, and in enough detail for the employer to be able to respond to, or your ability to take legal action may be affected. Find out more about personal grievances.

  • How do I challenge a will?

    There is a lot to consider when you wish to challenge a will.  Importantly you will need to know what the grounds are for challenging a Will or contesting an estate. Consideration will also need to be given as to what the value of the estate is and how you go about actually lodging a claim to challenge an estate.  Find out more about challenging a will.

Articles


By Nicola McLeish 17 Aug, 2023
The partners are delighted to announce that Jonathon Amtmann has been promoted to Associate of the firm.
The Fencing Act
By Jonathon Amtmann 16 Aug, 2023
The Fencing Act 1978 (“the Act”) deals with boundary fences between neighbours. Read on to find out all you need to know when erecting a boundary fence.
By Roosje Rabusa 23 Nov, 2022
With the use of social media and online platforms becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives, it is also becoming easier for people to use these platforms as a way to inflict psychological and verbal abuse or harm on other people. Individuals are now able to use online platforms to create fake profiles, post, threaten, and stalk people as a form of psychological harm. It is even becoming increasingly common for people to send messages by entering text into the reference box in a bank transfer. Individuals are becoming more creative, so it is important that we are aware of the risks of harm, and take the necessary steps to avoid such behaviour from continuing. Under the Family Violence Act 2018, such online behaviour may constitute “family violence” and an application to the Family Court for a Protection Order may be necessary. In order to make an application under this Act, you and the person exerting this harmful behaviour (the Respondent) must have been in a “family relationship”. The Respondent may be a current or previous spouse or partner, or a family member. You may wish to seek special conditions to be included in the Protection Order should the Court grant one. This may include that the Respondent must take all reasonable steps to remove harmful material about you from social media. If you are not in a “family relationship”, an application can be made in the District Court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. In contrast to an application under the Family Violence Act 2018, for an order to be granted under this Act, it must be satisfied that the other party had intention to cause you harm, and such communication would cause harm to a reasonable person and did cause you harm. If successful, the Court may make orders against the other party including taking down or disabling the material, ceasing or refraining from the conduct concerned, or publishing an apology. This Act is narrow and more targeted, and is not likely to result in quick or efficient redress compared to the Family Violence Act 2018. In any event, it is important that you put necessary measures in place to stop this behaviour from continuing including not sharing your passwords, disabling GPS tracking on online platforms, blocking others on social media, and making a complaint to the relevant agencies.
By Debbie Bryan-Lamb 12 Oct, 2022
Looking to buy your first home but having to rely on Mum and Dad to cough up some money? How would that work and what risks do you need to be aware of?
By Debbie Bryan-Lamb 27 Sep, 2022
Four important legal documents essential in most people’s lives include having a: • Will; • Enduring Powers of Attorney (Property and Personal Care and Welfare); • Family Trust; and • Relationship Property Agreement.
By Debbie Bryan-Lamb 07 Sep, 2022
Question – do you want to have peace of mind about what will happen to your property if you die or separate from your partner? If you answered “yes” then yes you definitely need a pre-nup agreement.
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