Weston Ward & Lascelles

Successful Commercial & Business Lawyers

Commercial and Business Law deals with all aspects of starting, purchasing, operating and selling a business. There is a significant amount of responsibility with operating a business, Weston Ward & Lascelles are an experienced team of business lawyers based in Christchurch that give practical advice in all legal matters relating to commercial matters.

Starting a Business

Starting a business is an exciting time, but it is important to have your business set up correctly. We are highly experienced firm and focus on setting up setting up small to medium sized businesses. 

These are the three most common types of business structures; 

 Sole Trader

A sole trader operates a business in their own name and are personally liable for the business. This is suitable for a person who is self-employed or owns a small business with a limited number of employees and low risk activity

Partnerships

A partnership is where two or more individuals or entities jointly share the benefits and liabilities in the operation of the businesses. It is encouraged that when you are in a partnership that you have an agreement between the businesses. 

Limited Liability Companies

This is the most common and popular type of business structure operated by small to medium businesses in New Zealand. The company is a separate legal entity in its own right and is separate from its directors and shareholders. Any debt sustained by the company will usually not be imposed on the directors or shareholders. It is common for partners to enter into a shareholder agreement or buy sell agreement, which outlines all their rights and duties as between them. 

It is also important to discuss with an accountant which structure is right for you in relation to taxation matters. If you have any questions feel free to call or email our office for further information.

Supportive, Experienced Family & Divorce Lawyers based in Christchurch

Our specialist family and divorce lawyers in Christchurch offer empathetic, practical support for all of the legal issues affecting your family and relationship with a strong focus on non-confrontational dispute resolution. 

 Providing quality, straight forward and cost-effective legal advice that you deserve. That’s how we earned our reputation as a progressive regional practice with forward-thinking views on client service. If you have any questions feel free to call, email or complete the enquiry form below for further information.

Our Christchurch immigration services

At WWL, we understand how important migrants are to our country and the significant social-economic contribution they provide to our nation.

 We can assist clients from all backgrounds and ethnicities; having within our firm foreign advocates who also have the familiarity of living away from their birth country and settling in Aotearoa. We understand the importance these matters have for you.

 In these unprecedented times, individuals and businesses may be experiencing distress and anxiety regarding personal visa applications, employee’s unlawful status, and several issues arising from all the new changes Immigration New Zealand will be implementing later this year. Many people are facing confusion with which visa to apply for.

 Our dedicated team can help you with all aspects of Immigration Law. We can assist you with visa applications (temporary and residence), appeals to the Immigration & Protection Tribunal, citizenship applications, Employer Accreditation, and more. 

Reap the rewards from our highly experienced Litigation team

We have a highly experienced team of litigators with over 30 years' experience who specialise in advising and representing clients on a range of litigation including civil and personal issues. We have the skills and resources to navigate our clients towards the best possible outcome and most cost-effective solution. 

Successful solutions for our clients

We are in the problem solving business and so, we explore all avenues for dispute resolution, be it court, tribunal or alternative processes such as negotiation, mediation and arbitration. We treat our clients with consideration and aim to minimise stress and worry. 

Take the stress out of buying & selling a property

We understand what is important for our clients and when buying or selling a property we know for most this is one of the largest financial decisions of your life. We use our expertise and knowledge that we have gained over the years to provide a smooth transaction. This makes the transaction easy at the time, but our experience also allows us to alert you of potential costly problems arising in the future.