Section 145 of the Trusts Act 2019 enables the High Court to order that a dispute (as defined) be submitted to mediation (or other ‘ADR process’), provided the terms of the trust do not indicate a contrary intention and the dispute relates to an 'internal matter' (i.e. a matter to which the parties are trustee / beneficiary, or trustee / trustee).
In Terry v Terry [2023] NZHC 884, 21/4/2023, Palmerston North, Johnston AJ decided that the particular circumstances of that case meant there was no realistic prospect of a settlement, and the dispute was not submitted to mediation. The Associate Judge considered the case of Wright v Pitfield [2022] NZHC 385.
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