Tammy McLeod (BA LLB) is a director at Davenports Harbour and a trust and asset structuring specialist. Tammy leads the Davenports Harbour Trust Team and enjoys providing clients with advice and assistance on a broad range of issues involving the structuring and establishment of asset plans, interpretation of trust deeds, the management and administration of trust funds and trust disputes. An important part of Tammy’s practice is reviewing existing asset holding structures to ensure they achieve the needs and requirements they were established to meet. She is also experienced in Property (Relationships) Act issues and advises clients on both contracting out agreements and separation. Tammy is a past president of the Auckland Woman Lawyers’ Association and is the current vice-president of the North Harbour Club.
Rose and Jacob had been introduced by friends who had known that they would be perfect for each other. When they first got together, Jacob had a four year old daughter, Sarah, from a previous marriage and Rose had a two year old son, Ethan. Rose and Jacob married and then had two more children, Emily and Molly, together. While they didn't like the "blended family" label, Rose and Jacob agreed that their blended family worked very well.
After they had been married around ten years, Jacob developed a cough which just would not go away. He never got sick, and after about three weeks of continuous coughing, he finally went to the doctor. Sadly Jacob was quickly diagnosed with stage four cancer. The cancer quickly progressed and Jacob died within four months of his diagnosis.
Before Jacob died, a devastated Rose had engaged a lawyer to write wills for both of them. It wasn't something that they had thought of doing before - they seemed to be too young to have to worry about things like that. They didn't have a lot of assets, but had saved hard and bought a family home. They had also taken out life insurance to help cover the mortgage in the event one of them died, at the time they bought the house. In his will Jacob left everything to Rose, as he knew that she would take care of Sarah, his daughter from his first marriage.
Before Jacob died he and Rose had had virtually full time care of Sarah and Rose had been like a mother to her. But since Jacob had died 14 year old Sarah was starting to spend more time with her mother. Rose was horrified to receive a letter from a lawyer who said she was acting for Jacob's ex-wife who was making a claim against his estate on behalf of Sarah. Rose couldn't believe it and quickly went to see her own lawyer. One more thing for her to cope with on top of the emotional and financial stress of her husband dying.
Blended family situations can be complicated and when thinking about things like wills, it is important to get quality advice and consider every possible scenario.
