Each month, our team puts a fair bit of thought and work bringing you the latest legal news, so we were fascinated to go back and see what really tweaked Off the Record readers’ interest throughout 2015.
We thought you might be kind of curious, too. So, here goes … our top 10 most-read stories were:
Coming in at the 10th most read story ... “Commission commitments” - Director Janice Hughes’ Hard Case piece in January which let readers know of the new voluntary clauses in real estate agency agreements, aimed at clearing the confusion around more than one agent claiming commission.
A big deal for many families claimed the number 9 spot … “Child support changes” featured in January, outlining the new-look child support system.
At number eight, real estate news struck again … “Hot property” - Director Janice Hughes’ February Hard Case piece on just what it takes to be a property investor clearly struck a chord with many.
They say prevention is better than cure, so it was great to see a protective measure that many don’t know about take out the seventh most-read story … “Contracting out” - our Family Law specialist Gillian Stuart’s guide to contracting out of the Property (Relationships) Act, published in July.
Death and denial tend to go hand in hand, but that didn’t stop readers bravely making a Will-based story 2015’s sixth most popular - “Preparing for the inevitable” - a reminder from Director Janice Hughes in May, through her Hard Case column, about confronting mortality, and the do’s and don’ts of drafting a sound Will.
You guys and gals love property. This year’s fifth most popular story? “Selecting the right section”, a piece by Director Mike Toepfer in February canvassing all those important considerations when securing your piece of paradise.
If the fourth most popular article is anything to go by, we’re a mighty clean bunch in the Wanaka-Upper Clutha area. After shonky showers started hitting the headlines nationally, our solicitors penned this very popular piece in July, “When showers go bad”, looking at how to avoid a poorly-constructed leaky shower, and what to do if a leak has already sprung.
Well, it gripped the nation, so it’s probably not too surprising to see this one grabbing third spot … yes, it’s “Affairs of the workplace”, Director Janice Hughes’ April Hard Case column offering some sober advice in the wake of that steamy Friday night in a Christchurch office, with a pub-full of spectators across the road – and a large Internet audience, to boot – right in on the action.
There’s nothing surer than death and taxes, so, perhaps, no surprises as to our second most popular story of the year … Director Janice Hughes gave readers a heads up in September on the new property taxes in “Countdown to tax changes”.
And … drumroll, please … the most read story in Off the Record all year is a fair reflection of how many folks in our neck of the woods have an interest in a trust – “Clayton versus Clayton” - our Family Law specialist Gillian Stuart’s September article outlining a ground-breaking case that made it to the Supreme Court, and looks set to shake up both trust and relationship property law.