Jo-Anne Savage
Estates Manager
tel:+6475778006
mailto:joanne.savage@hobec.co.nz
Qualifications
- 30 years experience in Estate Management
Contact
- DDI: +64 7 577 8006
- M: +64 21 576 423
- E: joanne.savage@hobec.co.nz
Jo-Anne is the Estates Manager of Holland Beckett’s Estates Team.
She joined Holland Beckett in April 1989 and has specialised in estate administration for over 30 years.
Jo-Anne can assist clients with estate planning (including preparing Wills and enduring powers of attorney) and estate administration. Jo-Anne has the experience and expertise to administer even the most complex estate.
She is known for her personability and efficacy in guiding clients through what is often a challenging time in their lives.
Jo-Anne tutored at the BOP Polytechnic for a number of years teaching Estates Law and Practice.
Jo-Anne Savage's Expertise
Jo-Anne Savage's News & Resources
September is Wills Month.
A Will is perhaps the most important piece of paper you can leave behind to support your loved ones. Why do you need a Will, what happens if you pass without a Will, and how best should you prepare your Will for your circumstances?
Download our Wills Month Information Pack.
September is Wills Month. Holland Beckett offer a free “Simple Will” if you leave a gift to charity in your Will.
Speak to the Holland Beckett Estates team about Wills Month and what charity giving options would best suit you.
Contact the team on estates@hobec.co.nz or call our offices on 07 578 2199.
The Last Lost Will – How to find a missing Will?
We often get enquires for missing Wills.
(Of course, these are not Wills that we have drafted - those are safely stored in the Holland Beckett deeds safe.)
Locating a missing Will can be very stressful and locating the original requires a systematic search.
If you know someone had a Will, the search must commence - without it, obtaining a grant of Probate is much more complex.
If you have a copy of the will, you may be able to seek Probate of a lost Will.
If the will does not surface, could it be that the person never did a Will? If so, an advertisement (discussed below) must be advertised before a grant of Letters of Administration will be issued by the Court.
If a Will cannot be found, the estate may have to be distributed according to New Zealand’s intestacy laws.
How to find a missing Will:
Check personal records and safe places:
Search the deceased’s home and personal papers.
Look in safes, safety deposit boxes, and any hidden or secure places where important documents might be stored.
Family and friends:
Sometimes family members or close friends may have a copy of the Will or know where the Will might be.
Contact their lawyer:
Reach out to the lawyer who may have drafted the Will. Lawyers often (and in our view should) keep copies of their clients’ Wills.
High Court:
If the Will has been probated (or perhaps it was made and sealed via Court proceedings - more on this another day), the High Court might have a copy. Contact the High Court in the region where the deceased lived.
Law Society advertisement:
If you are unsure which lawyer might hold the Will, contact the New Zealand Law Society to place an advertisement in newsletters received by all lawyers.
You can contact the Law Society to advertise for a will here: NZLS | Advertise for a will (lawsociety.org.nz)
As a matter of good practice, a lawyer will not release details of a Will to anyone - that is confidential to the Will-maker during their lifetime and when they have died, it is up to the executors.
The above also illustrates the need to talk to your friends and family about your Will, and where to find it should they need to. This can alleviate a lot of stress during what will be a difficult time.
For any Estate and Will queries, get in touch with our specialist team at estates@hobec.co.nz.