Paying back legal aid

Ways to repay your legal aid debt

You can repay legal aid:

• Over the phone by debit or credit card – call 0800 600 090 (free from NZ mobile or landline). We accept Visa, Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, Mastercard and Prezzy Card. There are no additional transaction fees.
• With voluntary deductions from your wages, bank account or benefit. Call us to help set this up. 
• By bill payment using the Internet banking instructions below.

• By automatic payments using the Internet banking instructions below:  

  • Set this up yourself, making payments weekly, fortnightly or monthly.   

  • Let us know you’ve set this up by emailing legalaiddebt@justice.govt.nz with the following details:

    • payment amount

    • how often (weekly, fortnightly or monthly)

    • payment start date. 

  • We may ask you to increase the amount, depending on your outstanding balance. 

Internet banking

To make a bill payment or set up automatic payments, log into your bank account and use the following details:

• Payee name: search for ‘justice’ and select one of the following:

  • Ministry of Justice - Legal Aid
  • Ministry of Justice - Legal Aid Recoveries  

• Bank Account number: 03-0049-0001063-20 (or 020)

• Particulars: your legal aid number (found on your Final Grants Letter, text or email from us. For example, 06W123456 or 16345678)

• Code: your name and initials (for example, Doe J D)

• Reference: leave this blank 

Some more conditions

• If a condition of your legal aid grant places a Statutory Land Charge on property you own, you will need to repay your legal aid debt if the property is sold. You may still be required to make regular payments, even if your debt is secured in this way.

• If you receive any money or property as a result of your court case (civil and family cases), this can and may be used to repay your legal aid.