A family member has died with cryptocurrency. Where do we start?+
With two things at once. First, what physically exists, any devices, written phrases, or exchange records, which tells us the technical situation. Second, the legal authority, since an executor or administrator generally needs a grant of probate or letters of administration from the High Court of New Zealand to deal with estate assets. We handle the technical recovery and coordinate with your solicitor on the authority side so both progress together.
Do we need probate before you can help?+
We can begin identifying and valuing what exists early, which often helps the probate or letters of administration application itself, since crypto must be disclosed as estate property. Actually moving recovered funds into the estate's control requires the proper authority from the High Court of New Zealand, and we work with your solicitor to make sure that is in place before anything is transferred.
The deceased used an exchange. How is that different?+
An exchange holds the keys, so it is a custodial claim rather than a technical recovery. These go through the platform's estate process, which is paperwork-heavy but workable: typically a death certificate, a grant of probate or letters of administration from the High Court of New Zealand, and identification. We help you assemble what each platform requires and set realistic expectations on timeframes.
We found a wallet but no complete seed phrase. Is the crypto lost?+
Not necessarily. A partial or damaged phrase, a forgotten password, or a locked device are exactly the situations our technical methods are built for. We assess what the estate holds and give an honest read on what is recoverable before any work is quoted.
We suspect someone moved the crypto before the estate was settled. Can you help?+
Yes. This is a contested-estate matter, and it combines documentation with blockchain tracing to establish where funds actually went. We work under proper legal authority and can produce material suitable for proceedings through Crypto Consulting NZ's forensics and expert-witness practice.
Are there tax implications we should know about?+
In New Zealand there is no inheritance tax. How inherited crypto is taxed when later sold or transferred depends on the beneficiary's circumstances, and a date-of-death valuation often matters for the estate accounts. We are not tax advisers, but we document recovery and valuations in a way that supports whatever your accountant and solicitor need.
How do we know you're not a scam, at a vulnerable time?+
Fair question, and an important one, because these situations are targeted. We never ask for a seed phrase through a website, we never ask for payment before an assessment, we are a registered New Zealand business you can look up, and we work through your solicitor under proper authority. Anyone contacting your family unprompted about a deceased person's crypto should be treated with suspicion.
