This comprehensive and up-to-date text explains the legislative framework within which societies, incorporated, unincorporated, and charitable, and charitable trusts, operate.

An essential resource for legal advisers, the text will also be invaluable to the many New Zealanders actively involved in setting up and running societies and charitable trusts as it provides officers and members with the basic legal resources to carry out their tasks, while providing enough information to indicate when formal legal advice should be sought.

This edition has been totally revised to incorporate new case and statute law since publication of the first edition in 2000. In particular, the Chapter on charities has been substantially re-written to reflect the new Charities Commission regime under the Charities Act 2005.

Features include:

• provides concise and valuable outlines of the types of societies and charitable trusts
• xplains the rules governing membership, meetings, and constitutions
• provides advice for problem solving when difficulties arise.