
We love this work.
It might sound unusual, but we genuinely love what we do.
At Clean Break, we specialise in relationship property law — and we work with people at both ends of the spectrum: those separating, and those entering new relationships who want to protect what matters. These moments are emotional and often messy, but they’re also full of opportunity.
We love being part of that. Helping people navigate hard conversations, make confident decisions, and come out the other side with their values (and sanity) intact — that’s what we’re here for. This is all we do, and we’re proud to do it differently.
How We Work
The legal work matters — but how we do it matters just as much.
At Clean Break, we don’t just aim for outcomes. We care about how people feel along the way: supported, respected, and genuinely helped. Our values keep us honest, focused, and human — especially when the work is hard.
Here’s what we live by:
We help, never hurt
We’re here to make a difficult time easier — not fuel drama or drag things out. Our advice is clear, respectful, and always focused on doing right by our client.
We excel and improve
We take our work seriously and hold ourselves to a high standard. But we also know we can always do better — so we reflect, learn, and grow on purpose.
We find the joy
Separation is hard, but humour, warmth, and kindness still belong here. We make space for lightness — in our work and in our team — because joy makes us better at what we do.
Meet Sarah Moon
Owner of Clean Break
Relationship Property Lawyer
Sarah Moon (née Sarah Thompson) has helped hundreds of people through their breakups. Sarah understands the pain, the embarrassment and the worry that all separations carry. She opened Clean Break in September 2024 after seeing that people need more from their relationship property lawyer than what she could offer working in a commercial law firm.
Sarah has all of the technical skills and connections you need your lawyer to have. She started her career in large national firms, learning from the best. She attends every relationship property training she can fit into her busy schedule. She is a collaborative law provider and a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Section and the New Zealand Bar Association.
Sarah loves getting feedback about people’s experience with Clean Break. She even loves hearing any not-so-good stuff. She appreciates Kiwi’s don’t usually complain unless something needs to be fixed. She wants Clean Break to be the best it can be. If you have feedback to share – please get in touch with Sarah. You might just make her day.
Sarah’s parents amicably divorced when she was 11, but found themselves in the Family Court over 15 years later.
In her 20s, Sarah spilt from her first de facto partner. They managed to separate all of their assets fairly… until they got to the tea bag cupboard. That memory shapes Sarah’s approach to helping people today. She understands that sometimes these property discussions aren’t actually about the (tea bags).
Sarah is fiercely passionate about preventing heartache for other families. She loves helping people avoid the regret that comes with losing sight of the bigger picture. She also loves clean breaks (ha ha) and doing things right the first time.
Sarah and her husband are foster parents with the Open Home Foundation. An incurable romantic, she was asked to become a marriage celebrant – and said yes! She loves walking up hills with no cell coverage (preferably for days at a time), reading and spending time with her indulged pets, her unusual family and their many friends.
Sarah happily splits her time between Nelson and the West Coast (Karamea). She’ll travel more only if we ask nicely.
Read why so many people recommend us.
Trusted by Clients, Respected in Court
Our Guarantee
You can be confident in your choice with our 30-day money back guarantee. If you aren’t happy in your first 30 days, tell us why. If we can’t fix it and you need to fire us, (provided we haven’t already signed your agreement) we will refund you everything you have paid. We will also point you in the direction of another good lawyer who might be a better match.