Complaints Procedure

If something about our service has not been right, we want to hear about it. Every law firm in New Zealand is required to maintain a procedure for handling client complaints promptly and fairly. This is ours.

Raising a concern will not affect how we handle your matter, and it costs you nothing.

1. Raising a concern with us

In most cases the quickest way to resolve something is to raise it directly with the lawyer handling your matter. If you would rather not do that, or if you have already tried and are not satisfied, please contact:

You can complain in person, by phone, by email or by letter. It helps if you can tell us what happened, when, who was involved, and what you would like us to do about it — but do not worry if you cannot set all of that out. We will help you.

2. What happens next

• We will acknowledge your complaint within [2] working days of receiving it, and tell you who is looking into it.
• The complaint will be investigated by someone who was not responsible for the matter you are complaining about, wherever that is possible in a firm of our size.
• We may ask you for more information, and we will review the file and speak to the people involved.
• We aim to give you a substantive written response within [10] working days. If it is going to take longer, we will tell you why and when you can expect to hear from us.
• Our response will explain our conclusions, and what we propose to do — which may include an apology, correcting the work, reducing or refunding a fee, or changing how we do something.

We keep a record of complaints and what we learn from them. We will not charge you for the time we spend dealing with your complaint.

3. If you are still not satisfied

You can complain to the New Zealand Law Society Lawyers Complaints Service at any time. You do not have to come to us first, although the Law Society encourages people to raise the concern with the firm where they can.

The Lawyers Complaints Service is free to use. It can consider complaints about the conduct of a lawyer and about fees, although there are time limits and thresholds that apply to fee complaints in particular.

4. Other kinds of complaint

If your concern is about how we have handled your personal information, our Privacy Policy explains how to raise it with us and how to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Our Standard Terms of Engagement set out the basis on which we act, including how fees are charged.