Legal Services Agency

If you have a legal problem but can'’t afford a lawyer, you may be able to get one through Civil/Family legal aid. Legal aid covers all your lawyer’s costs.

Civil/Family legal aid is available for many types of private disputes and other non-criminal problems that will, or might, go to court:

• Family matters, such as:
  • relationship property problems
  • child support or maintenance
  • problems to do with care of children
  • protection orders (domestic violence)
  • care and protection orders for children and young people
  • adoption
  • paternity
  • compulsory treatment orders (mental health)
• Suing someone, being sued or appearing in the District or High Court over a civil matter, such as:
  • recovering a debt
  • breach of contract (for example, hire purchase)
  • bankruptcy or insolvency
• Matters dealt with by some tribunals and specialist courts, such as:
  • Employment Relations Authority
  • Environment Court
  • Human Rights Review Tribunal
  • Legal Aid Review Panel
  • Maori Land Court
  • Refugee Status Appeal Authority
  • Social Security Appeal Authority
  • Taxation Review Tribunal
  • Tenancy Tribunal
  • Waitangi Tribunal

Civil/Family legal aid isn't available for

• problems that would not go to court
• divorce itself ("dissolution of marriage")
• Disputes Tribunal
• immigration matters (except for refugee matters)
• companies or groups of people (except in some cases such as Waitangi Tribunal)
• reviews by Work and Income (but legal aid is available for an appeal of the review decision to the Social Security Appeal Authority)
• problems with schools, universities and other educational institutions
• Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal