0800 COURTS closes at 3:00pm 24 December 2025, for urgent matters (relating to family matter or bail conditions), please call 0800 253 425. 0800 4 FINES closes at 7:00pm, 24 December 2025. Our Contact Centres will reopen at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. National Office (Aitken Street, Wellington) reception will be closed from 3:00pm on Friday 19 December, reopening at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. For more information, see Court and Tribunal hours
One way that we ensure the quality of legal aid services is through investigating complaints about the provision of legal aid services. We assess complaints received about legal aid lawyers through the Ministry's complaints management process. If an investigation proceeds on a complaint made against a legal aid lawyer, we will notify the lawyer in writing and seek their response to the allegations made by the complainant.
Find out more in our complaints management policy [PDF, 624 KB]
Clients and others can also complain about the performance of a legal aid lawyer to the New Zealand Law Society(external link).
The Law Society will tell the Ministry if it upholds a complaint.
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