A Contracting Out Agreement is essentially a legal agreement between a couple that says: “We want to decide for ourselves how our property will be treated, rather than relying entirely on the default rules under the Property (Relationships) Act.” It allows couples to “contract out” of the standard equal-sharing rules which sounds very formal and dramatic, but in reality it is often just a practical conversation about expectations and fairness.

Will my ex get half my Kiwisaver or superannuation? As this blog points out, not necessarily.