You can only provide legal aid services if you’ve been approved and entered into an agreement with the Secretary to do so.
To be approved, you must provide sufficient information to satisfy the criteria set out in the Legal Services Act 2011 and the Legal Services (Quality Assurance) Regulations 2011.
Before you apply, please take the time to read the Applying to be a legal aid provider – Step-by-step guide. This guide will help you to determine what sections of the form you need to complete and what supporting documents you need to provide. It also provides information about the application process and what to expect.
All applications need to be completed digitally using the below PDF forms and submitted electronically by email to legalaidprovider@justice.govt.nz along with any supporting information.
To read and complete PDF files from our website, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download this software free of charge from the Adobe website.
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Before you begin filling in the PDF form, open it and save it to your computer. Once you have completed the form save it again before sending it to us.
We recommend you keep your application to 150 pages or less.
Below are the application documentation and guidance reference documents:
Applying to be a legal aid provider
Application to provide legal aid services [PDF, 1.4 MB]
* When accessing the application please do not use Microsoft Edge to download the application, please use another browser, as the macrons are not appearing in Microsoft Edge.
Additional case example coversheet [PDF, 1.3 MB]
Additional reference declaration [PDF, 1.5 MB]
Firm undertaking [PDF, 954 KB]
Guidance and reference documents
Applying to be a legal aid provider - Step-by-step guide [PDF, 655 KB]
Legal Aid specific information for client care letters [PDF, 64 KB]
Contract for services [PDF, 475 KB]
Applying for an internal review of an application decision
Application for internal review [PDF, 2.1 MB]
Applicants can apply to provide legal aid services in the following areas of law:
Applicants can also apply for approval to provide the following specified legal services:
There are different types of approval depending on your level of legal experience and the circumstances of your application.
Lead provider approval is granted to applicants who can demonstrate they have the knowledge, experience and skill across the area(s) of law they’re approved in. The lead provider is responsible for all work undertaken on the legal aid cases that are assigned to them. The Ministry aims to get you a decision on your lead application within 15 working days.
Supervised provider approval is granted to applicants who haven’t yet demonstrated they have the required knowledge, experience and skill to be approved as a lead provider. The Secretary will grant approval provided the applicant is under the supervision of an approved lead provider. The Ministry aims to get you a decision on your supervised application within 5 working days.
Limited approval is granted to applicants who wish to seek approval for a proceeding or type of proceeding. This approval is granted to provide continuity of services, because of their specialist skills and experience or a shortage of existing providers with the necessary skills and experience. The Ministry aims to get you a decision on your limited application within 15 working days.
All applications for lead provider approval will be referred to the relevant Selection Committee for their consideration and recommendation to the Secretary.
Please note that applications are added to Selection Committee meetings as they are received. A maximum of five applications are considered at each Selection Committee meeting.
To be included in a Selection Committee your complete application must be received at least five working days before the meeting date. If there is insufficient capacity your application will be considered at the next available meeting date.
Additional information on how the Selection Committee assesses applications can also be found here:
Selection Committee guidance [PDF, 653 KB]
A list of the upcoming Selection Committee meetings is below:
| Criminal Selection Committee | Upcoming Committee Meetings |
|---|---|
|
The Criminal Selection Committee assesses applications for all the following approvals: Criminal Provider Approval Level 1-4 |
3 July 2025 (FULL) |
| Family/Civil Selection Committee | Upcoming Committee Meetings |
|
The Family/Civil Selection Committee assesses applications for all the following approvals: Family |
8 July 2025 (FULL) |
| Waitangi Selection Committee | Upcoming Committee Meetings |
|
The Waitangi Selection Committee assesses applications for all the following approvals: Waitangi Tribunal |
11 July 2025 |
(This page is updated monthly)