Service

We believe that it is important to provide personalised service to our clients. Every client’s needs are different and we want to work with our clients to determine what help the clients needs. It is important for the clients to also provide us with full information and details as without full and frank disclosure, we are unable to fully ascertain the facts and therefore, the clients will not be able to benefit from a fully considered response to their needs.

We aim to provide top quality service in all our dealings with our clients. We try to work quickly and efficiently, and we hope you find us friendly and approachable. At the end of the transaction, we hope you will think our fee represents good value for money.

Our office is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Our telephones will always be answered. If there is nobody in the office, you can leave a message on our answering machine.

Our fax line (360 0163) is open at all times and we can also be contacted on our email address:  JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING .

The nature of legal work often makes it difficult to estimate precisely how long something will take to complete. We do attempt to meet timescales indicated to you - preferably to beat them – and always deal with everything quickly and efficiently.

GST at 15% is payable on all fees. Our charge our rates are reviewed on 01 April each year. It is our practice to charge for office disbursements covering facsimiles, photocopying and telephone calls.

Other disbursements such as LINZ charges, courier charges, bank fees and travelling expenses will be itemized separately.

Our practice is to invoice at regular interval. Generally, this will be on settlement date, but if there are other appropriate times during your matter, we may invoice at other times if there is a “natural pause”.

Payment is due within 7 days of the date of account. If payment is not made by the due, you will be liable for any costs we or our agents incur in recovering the outstanding payment(s).

We will keep all files and documents (other than any documents that we hold in safe custody for you) for 7 years after engagement end, or earlier if we have converted those files and documents to an electronic format.

We retain ownership of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the papers and documents that we produce for you in course of carrying out our engagement. However, you will be entitled to use the documents for the purposes for which they were produced as our licensee subject to payment of our fees

Like all New Zealand solicitors, we are members of the New Zealand Law Society and subject to its professional rules at all times. We draw your attention to the following:

Every person (corporate or individual) who instructs a New Zealand lawyers is entitled to a minimum standard of care and service in respect of those instructions.

A lawyer must:

• act competently, in a time way, and in accordance with instructions received and arrangement made


• protect and promote your interest and act for you free from compromising influences and loyalties


• discuss with you your objectives and how they should be best achieved


• provide you with information about work to be done, who will do it and the the services will be provided


• charge you a fee that is fair and reasonable and let you know how and 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

However, our obligation to you is subject to you making full and frank disclosure to us. Failure to do so may affect the outcomes of our work. The obligations lawyers owe to clients are described in the Rules of Conduct and Client Care for Lawyers. Those obligations are subject to other overriding duties, including duties to the courts and to the justice system.

If you have any questions, you can visit www.lawsociety.org.nz or call 0800 261 801.

All law firms hold professional indemnity insurance that meets or exceeds standards specified by the Law Society. The Lawyer’s Fidelity Funds also provides a limited form of cover up to specified maximums in certain circumstances, generally excluding investment monies.

We cannot act for two parties if they have conflicting interests unless both parties after being advised of the potential of such conflict, waives the right to have separate legal representation. If any unforeseen conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is identified, we will let you know, with a view to discussing with you suitable procedures for dealing with the conflict. In such instances both parties will have to be referred  to separate legal counsel.

Solicitors are under professional obligation to hold information about your business and affairs in strict confidence. There are limited occasions when information can be disclosed (including if you have authorized the disclosure, disclosure is required by law or the court, or the information has become public knowledge).

We hope that you will not encounter any problems in your client relationship with us, if you do have any concerns; you should refer these to the Principal responsible for the firm’s relationship with you. If you have any concerns or complaints that you prefer not to raise with the Principal, please contact the Practice Manager, Catherine Lee. We will attempt to resolve any issues as soon as possible.

In the unlikely event the problem cannot be resolved between us, you have a right to complain to the NZ Law Society’s Lawyers’ Complaints Service (0800 261 801).