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1. Can I get criminal legal aid?

   Legal aid may be available if: you are charged with an offence that could be punished with a prison term of 6 months or more you are appealing your conviction or sentence for 1 of these offences you are appearing before the parole board (in some cases). Legal aid is less likely to be available for minor charges as a duty lawyer can help you with these matters. However, legal aid may be available for these cases if you face a special barrier of disability, such as difficulties with reading or w...

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2. Can I get family or civil legal aid?

   On this page: Legal aid for family disputes Legal aid for civil disputes Other factors considered for family and civil legal aid Assessing your income and assets Legal aid for family disputes Legal aid may be available for family disputes or problems that could go to court, including: disputes over relationship property, child support or maintenance, and care of children protection orders care and protection orders for children and young persons adoption paternity mental health (compulsory t...

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3. Make a lump sum payment to legal aid

   If you are required to, or wish to, make a lump sum payment to legal aid, you can do this over the phone or using internet banking: Over the phone You can pay over the phone using your credit or debit card. Call 0800 600 090 (free from NZ mobile or landline) We accept Visa, Visa Debt, MasterCard and Prezzy Card. There are no additional transaction fees for the payment. Internet banking These are the details you need to make an online payment to Legal Aid Debt: Field Details Note Payee nam...

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4. Make a complaint about a legal aid lawyer

   If you are not happy with the standard of legal services you receive, you should first try to talk about the issue with your legal aid lawyer. Legal aid lawyers must give you written information about how they handle client complaints and are obliged to deal with complaints about their services promptly and fairly. If you have talked to your legal aid lawyer about the issue and you are not satisfied with the response, or your concern cannot be raised with your lawyer, you may contact us about y...

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5. Get a family or civil legal aid lawyer

   Before you apply for legal aid, find the lawyer you want to advise and represent you. Some lawyers will answer questions about legal aid for free but you should always check this with them first. Always check that the lawyer you talk to does legal aid work and can be at court when you need them. Find a lawyer If you don’t know a family or civil lawyer already you can: use the 'find a legal aid lawyer' tool look under ‘Barristers and Solicitors’ or ‘Lawyers' in the Yellow...

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6. Interim guidelines released for family & civil legal aid

   1 August 2013 Interim guidelines for the way lawyers will be paid for Family and Civil (ACC) legal aid cases have been released today by the Legal Services Commissioner. Legal Services Commissioner Nigel Fyfe said these guidelines have been published following a request from the Secretary of Justice to review current policies in light of the Court of Appeal’s decision on the Criminal Fixed Fees framework. “Although this judgment made no findings in respect of the Family or Civil (ACC) Fixed...

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7. What to expect from your legal aid lawyer

   On this page: Standards of service Lawyer fees Contacting your lawyer Useful tips Legal aid lawyers must meet certain standards for the conduct of their work and the ways they relate to you and other people in the justice system. Standards of service All lawyers have to meet standards of professional behaviour set out in legislation. Legal aid lawyers must also comply with the Ministry of Justice practice standards. Under these rules, you can expect that your lawyer will protect and promote y...

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8. Whats New for lawyers providing Legal Aid

   This is the What's new for legal aid lawyers archive for news items from 2025. For current news items, please see the main What's new for legal aid lawyers section. Legal Aid Applications for Substance Addiction Act proceedings Legal Aid  - Refugee Practice Standards Court of Appeal judgment on the Legal Services Commissioner v Fawcett case Duty Lawyer Rostering Changes – Transition Plan & Survey   Issue with Westpac Corporate Online The Ministry is updating the process...

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9. Apply to write off your legal aid debt

   ...this page: What is a write off? How do I apply for a write off? What grounds can I apply for a write off under? Reasons that don't meet the criteria for a write off What if I disagree with the decision made on my application? What is a write off? If a legal aid debt is written off in full, you won’t have to pay the remainder of that debt. Sometimes a partial write off will be approved. This means the debt will be reduced, but you’ll still have to pay back a certain amount. How do I apply...

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   4. Do you need to pay back your legal aid?

10. Apply for criminal legal aid