Terms Of Engagement

NZ Law Society Client Care & Service Information

Lawyers must follow certain standards of professional behaviour. These are set out in the Rules of Conduct and Client Care for Lawyers and came into effect with the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006.

Under these rules you can expect that, whatever legal services your lawyer is providing, he or she must:

• act competently, in a timely way, and in accordance with any arrangements made
• protect and promote your interests and act for you free from compromising influences or loyalties
• discuss with you your objectives and how they should best be achieved
• provide you with information about the work to be done, who will do it and the way the services will be provided
• charge you a fee that is fair and reasonable and let you know when you will be billed
• give you clear information and advice
• protect your privacy and ensure appropriate confidentiality
• treat you fairly, respectfully and without discrimination
• keep you informed about the work being done and advise you when it is completed
• let you know how to make a complaint and deal with any complaint promptly and fairly
• You may complain about a lawyer who does not meet these standards.

Lawyers must have a practising certificate issued by the NZ Law Society. You can look up the New Zealand Law Society Register to find out if the person you plan to consult holds a current practising certificate. More information about what you can expect from your lawyer is available on the New Zealand Law Society website.

Please find a copy of our full terms of engagement here

Customer due diligence requirements

Customer due diligence requires a law firm to undertake certain background checks before providing services to clients. Lawyers must take reasonable steps to make sure the information they receive from clients is correct,and so they need to ask for documents that show this.

We will need to obtain and verify certain information from you to meet these legal requirements. This information includes:

• your full name; and
• your date of birth; and
• your address.

To confirm these details, your passport or your driver’s licence and your birth certificate, and documents that show your address, such as a current bank statement or utility account will be required.

If you are seeing us about company or trust business, we will need information about the company or trust including the people associated with it (such as directors and shareholders, trustees and beneficiaries).

We may also need to ask you for further information. We will need to ask you about the nature and purpose of the proposed work you are asking us to do for you. Information confirming the source of funds for a transaction may also be necessary to meet the legal requirements.

What happens if you do not provide information to us?

If we are not able to obtain the required information from you, it is likely we will not be able to act for you.

Because the law applies to everyone, we need to ask for the information even if you have been a client of the firm for a long time.

Before we start working for you, we will let you know what information we need, and what documents you need to show us and let us photocopy. 

We also use an electronic identity verification software, which makes the process easier for our clients.

Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns  ↗