Director
Maxine Knowler
Relationship property, employment and estate planning lawyer with more than 35 years’ experience advising clients across Central Otago and Southland on complex disputes, property matters and personal legal issues.
Areas Of Practice
Based in Cromwell
Maxine is a highly experienced relationship property, employment and estate planning lawyer with more than 35 years’ experience advising clients across Central Otago and Southland. She assists individuals, families and businesses with relationship property matters, employment matters, estate planning and property transactions, and is widely respected for her pragmatic, solution-focused approach to resolving complex legal issues.
Maxine’s practice focuses on relationship property, employment matters, estate planning and property transactions. She regularly advises clients on relationship property disputes, separation matters and asset protection issues, often involving complex property, trust or business interests.
Maxine also provides trusted advice to employers and employees on a wide range of workplace matters, including employment agreements, workplace disputes, disciplinary processes and health and safety issues.
Alongside her dispute-related work, Maxine advises clients on wills, trusts, estates and succession planning. She works closely with families to ensure their affairs are structured clearly and their assets are protected for future generations.
Maxine’s long career in dispute resolution includes 24 years as a Tenancy Tribunal Adjudicator, where she presided over a large number of hearings and developed a strong reputation for fair, practical decision-making. This experience gives her valuable insight when assisting clients to resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation or formal proceedings.
Maxine is known for building strong relationships with her clients based on trust, clear communication and practical advice.
Outside her legal practice, Maxine has been actively involved in the Central Otago community. She served for nine years on the Cromwell College Board of Trustees, including six years as Chairperson.
Representative Experience
Maxine’s recent experience includes advising on:
- Relationship property disputes involving trusts, businesses and complex asset structures
- Employment disputes, disciplinary processes and workplace investigations
- Employment agreements and workplace policies for local businesses
- Estate planning and succession arrangements for families and business owners
- Residential property transactions and related asset structuring
- Dispute resolution matters involving property, tenancy and employment issues
