Category: News

Nana Helen’s Christmas Mince Pies 🥧

Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, along with eating great food! My Nana was an amazing baker, and her Christmas mince pies are the best! I have been given the go ahead to share her recipe, so please enjoy!!  Mince Filling 1 cup currants   1 cup sultanas   1 cup raisins […]

Welcome to SCO Ashleigh! Our new Trust Administrator

Ashleigh joined us last week as our new Trust Administrator. This is newly created role and will help strengthen the service our Trust and Estate Planning team can offer clients. Ashleigh is a born and bred Northshore local and is also completing a law degree at AUT, due to graduate in 2026. The team at SCO […]

OCR reduced again. What does this mean for you?

As summer arrives and Pōhutukawa trees burst into bloom across Auckland, the Reserve Bank has also delivered a bright note to end the year — reducing the Official Cash Rate by 0.25%, now sitting at 2.25%. This adjustment offers greater financial flexibility and opens new opportunities as we move into 2026. At SCO we can […]

SCO joins The Takapuna Business Association

SCO has just become a member of I Love Takapuna (The Takapuna Business Association). At SCO, law is about people – not just paperwork. We combine deep expertise with a practical, people-first approach across Family Law, Property, Commercial, Civil Litigation, Trusts, Asset Protection and Estate Planning, Deceased Estates and Elder Law. From our lawyers to support […]

Congratulations Olivia Crum!!

 CONGRATULATIONS  Olivia Crum!! Olivia was admitted to the bar in September, and we are excited to see her career flourish. We can already tell she is going to be a great, personable lawyer with passion and drive! Well done OLIVIA

Welcome to SCO Maria!

Maria Vergara-Oesterle joined us last week as a Senior Solicitor in our Trusts, Asset Protection and Estate Planning team. Maria grew up in the Philippines and later moved to New Zealand where she requalified and was admitted as a lawyer in 2021. She brings with her a diverse background and experience that enrich her practice. She […]

Big win for grieving families in NZ!!

Starting on the 24th of September 2025, the probate threshold will rise from $15,000 to $40,000, meaning fewer estates will need costly High Court approval. The change means small, straightforward estates can be quickly distributed without incurring court or legal costs. This change will save time, money, and stress, allowing quicker access to loved ones’ […]

Trust Property Sales/Transfers Just Got Easier

Good news for families selling or transferring homes held in trusts: the Government is simplifying anti-money laundering checks for low-risk transactions. This will hopefully mean less paperwork and more streamlined transactions. Further details will be announced shortly and we hope that this will include an easy-to-understand interpretation of what a low-risk transaction is. At SCO, […]

April Refinance Special – Last few days!!

To celebrate the Reserve Bank cutting the OCR to 3.5% (which is the lowest it’s been since October 2022) we are offering a 10% discount on all refinances completed with us this month.  Whether you are looking to save or just reassess your mortgage, now is the time.  Get in touch with us on (09) […]

Time for change – Brand new website launches!

It has been a long time in the making, but the brand new SCO website is finally ready to hit your screens!  A huge thanks to the team at Benefits and Zib Digital for all your help getting this off the ground.  A lot goes into building a new website and we hope you find […]

Gifts for Woven Earth

MERRY CHRISTMAS to the Woven Earth team! Our awesome staff at SCO have donated gifts to go towards helping families in need this Christmas. Thanks to the team at Woven Earth for the work they do in our community, and we hope our small donation makes a big difference to the lives of families out […]

Deceased Estates team welcomes Karen Erasmus!

Karen grew up in South Africa where she worked for a large insurance company.  Her expertise was Deceased Estates, wills, trusts and investments.  When the economy in South Africa became challenging Karen bought a funeral home.  This enabled her to provide her clients with full circle planning. Karen moved to New Zealand in 2020 where […]

Another Lawyer joins our family

In September we welcomed Kimberly Laude to our family team. Kimberly was born and raised in Indonesia and moved to Auckland to pursue her undergraduate studies. She graduated from the University of Auckland in early 2023 and was admitted to the Bar on 7 July 2023. Before joining the Schnauer and Co team in September […]