Legal Help for Civil/Family Matters
If you have a legal problem but can’t afford a lawyer, you may be able to get one through civil / family legal aid. If you’re granted legal aid, it will cover all your lawyer’s fees and all other fees and expenses of your court case. You may have to repay some or all of your legal aid. Back to Legal Aid Guide home page
What Sorts of Problems is Legal Aid Available For?
You can find out if legal aid is available for your problem below
If it is, you can apply for legal aid. The Legal Services Agency has rules to help it decide whether or not to grant you legal aid.
You don’t have to be a New Zealand citizen or be living here permanently. There are special rules if you’re under 20 and for domestic violence .
If you are granted legal aid and have a problem with your legal aid lawyer that you can’t solve by talking, you can contact the Agency.
What sorts of problems is civil / family legal aid available for?
Civil / family legal aid is available for many types of private disputes and other non-criminal problems that will go, or could go, to court.
- Family and domestic disputes dealt with by the Family Court, such as –
- matrimonial and relationship property problems
- maintenance (financial support)
- problems to do with care of children
- applying for a protection order or other order under the Domestic Violence Act 1995
- care and protection orders for children and young people adoption
- paternity
- mental health compulsory treatment orders.
- Suing someone or being sued in the District or High Court, or otherwise appearing in the District or High Court over a civil matter, such as –
- recovering a debt
- a breach of contract (for example, a hire-purchase agreement)
- defamation
- bankruptcy or insolvency.
- Disputes 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
- Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal
- Refugee Status Appeal Authority
- Social Security Appeal Authority
- Taxation Review Tribunal
- Tenancy Tribunal
- Waitangi Tribunal
Legal aid is also available for mediation to solve disputes that would otherwise have to go to court.
What sorts of problems is civil / family legal aid NOT available for?
It is not available for:
- divorce ("dissolution of marriage")
- the Disputes Tribunal
- work by a lawyer that doesn’t involve a problem that could go to court (for example, getting a will drawn up)
- immigration matters (except for refugee matters)
- companies or groups of people (except in some cases)
- reviews by Work and Income (but legal aid is available for you to appeal their review decision to the Social Security Appeal Authority)
- problems with schools, universities and other educational institutions (for example, suspension meetings before a school Board of Trustees).
