Friday, 27 February 2026
Preparing for Hearing
- Approaches to Examination-in-Chief and Cross-Examination
- How to elicit the most relevant evidence during the hearing
- Prehearing Conference memoranda: What’s in and what’s out?
- Basic guidelines for expert witnesses before trial: What is hot-tubbing?
- The art of how to use open questions: evidence in chief made easy!
- Cross examination: the tricks and the pitfalls
Presented by Kay Hoult, Partner, Niemand Peebles Hoult
Chair
Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam Tyree
Learning Objectives:
- Develop practical strategies for preparing evidence, witnesses and memoranda for family law hearings
- Understand effective approaches to examination-in-chief, cross-examination and the management of expert evidence at trial
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Presenters
Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam TyreeHelen is a Director of McWilliam Tyree Lawyers, having been an Associate and then Senior Associate at McWilliam Rennie (predecessor of McWilliam Tyree) since 2014. Helen has practiced all areas of family law since 2003. As well as acting for clients in all areas of family law, Helen has undertaken regular appointments as lawyer for child and as lawyer for subject persons under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act since 2008. Helen is also a contributing author for the legal publication “Brookers Family Law on Family Property”, writing about relationship property agreements (separation agreements, contracting-out agreements, and setting aside those agreements). She also contributed significantly to McWilliam Rennie’s submissions to the Law Commission in relation to their review of relationship property and then succession law. She has presented seminars for Legalwise on a range of relationship property matters, relationship property law developments and on the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act.
Kay Hoult, Partner, Niemand Pebbles Hoult
Kay Hoult is an experienced litigation lawyer and mediator. Kay completed her Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours in 1999. In 2019 Kay became a warranted Judicial Officer for civil matters, as a Disputes Tribunal Referee. Kay first became a partner in a law firm in 2003, and since 2009 she has been a partner at Niemand Peebles Hoult, in Hamilton. During her years of practice Kay’s has had experience in family, civil, coronial and criminal jurisdictions. Kay has appeared in the Court of Appeal, High Court (civil and criminal), District Court, Family Court, Environment Court, Coroners Court and the Māori Land Court. She has particular a expertise in Relationship Property litigation. Through both her firm and her personal practice, Kay has been recognised in the New Zealand Law Awards for excellence in Family Law, Litigation, and client service. Today, Kay brings her extensive courtroom experience and structured advocacy approach to her presentation on effective litigation strategies and courtroom confidence.
