My relationship has ended - I want to leave my partner
'My relationship has ended.' 'I want to leave my partner.'
The end of an intimate relationship can be an extremely difficult time, potentially even more so if there are children or property involved. On top of this, there may have been a breakdown of trust between you and your former partner. If you're planning to leave the family home, ensure you take the following steps:
1. Obtain all your important documents or copies of important documents, such as your passport, birth certificate, insurance policy documents, and physical bank statements.
2. If possible (and this may not be appropriate in situations where family violence exists), discuss with your partner how you are going to each meet your outgoings moving forward. For example, is the person who stays in occupation of the family home going to meet all the mortgage repayments? Are you both going to keep using the joint bank account for a while?
3. If you have children, complete the Ministry of Justice's Parenting Through Separation – it's free of charge – and, if there are no safety concerns, ask your ex-partner if they are willing to attend family dispute resolution to come to an agreement for the care of your children.
4. Make an appointment with your lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and entitlements.
What to do if you are feeling unsafe
Please seek support from the police and community organisations such as Women’s Refuge and Pet Refuge. Arrange to meet with a lawyer as soon as possible so they can help you put a plan in place to keep you safe.
My relationship has broken down over Christmas, who can I contact for help?
Turner Hopkins offices close on 23 December 2022 and reopen on 16 January 2022, although there will be skeleton staff available from 13 January. Most family courts will also be closed for two weeks over the Christmas period.
However, if you require urgent help during this time, the family courts will be dealing with urgent applications (e.g., without notice protection orders and without notice parenting orders) on specific dates. You can file these applications yourself or you may be able to seek assistance from Citizens Advice Bureau, NZ Police, and Women’s Refuge.