KEY FEATURES OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU
What we will do for you
We will keep you informed about the work we are doing. If you have a question or concern about what we are doing, please contact us so we can discuss it. If you are concerned about how much the work will cost, just let us know. We will give you an estimate of our fee based on the work we think we will need to do. If this changes at any time, we will let you know and provide an updated estimate.
What we need from you
Please take time to confirm your requirements. It is important that you do this so we can do our best to meet your expectations and deliver the service you require.
Please keep up to date with the payment of our fees or any agreed payment arrangements so we can continue to act on your behalf.
Please provide all the information we request from you, and you are responsible for the provenance and accuracy of any documents or material you provide.
Our full terms and conditions in more detail will be provided to you if you are looking at engaging our services. Please take time to read these carefully. We are happy to discuss and explain any of these if they are unclear.
Covid 19- Vaccinations
Our staff work in public places in close confines with people such as Court, Police Stations, Health institutions etc.
As per the advice of the New Zealand Law Society (19 November 2021), we have an obligation to our staff and clients visiting our premises. Our staff are fully vaccinated. We do require persons visiting us to scan/provide a Covid Pass or evidence of vaccination (or exemption) prior to coming to our office. We will need to ask you contact Covid questions prior also. You have the right of privacy and to decline that information, however we would need to assume that you are not vaccinated and may have to arrange other ways of contact for you. If those non-contact options are not suitable, then we have the right to refuse to act for you if we can not get proper instructions.
Legal Aid
You may be eligible for legal Aid. Go to https://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/going-to-court/legal-aid/
If you have been granted Legal Aid , it is important to advise me (or Legal Aid) of any changes to your financial situation.
If you have another Legal Aid Lawyer, and you are not happy, it is best to contact Legal Aid and ask for your case to be reassigned. We do not do that for you
Instructions
We will only act on your clear and reasonable instructions. Your instructions form the basis of the accounts we render. If you instruct us on behalf of someone else, you are liable to pay our bill should we not be paid by that other person.
How we charge
We charge for our services in accordance with guidelines established by the New Zealand Law Society. The fee is set after taking into account: the time taken in doing the work, the degree of specialist skill needed, the urgency, and the importance and value of the work undertaken. In calculating the fee, office costs are included in our fees. More details are provided in the specific fee information below.
You are responsible for Disbursements (where we are invoiced by some other party for any cost directly associated with your legal work) and in addition to our fee you are responsible to pay GST and the costs we incur not covered in our fee. The total of our fee, other charges, and GST are referred to as our bill.
By instructing us to act, you authorise us to incur such other charges as are reasonably necessary to put your instructions into effect.
Where possible, we will provide you with an estimate of our fee and other charges. This is provided by way of guidance only and is not intended to be a binding commitment on our part. We will endeavour to keep you informed of changes of circumstances which substantially alter this estimate.
How you pay
We may either bill you at the completion of the work or we may interim bill you throughout the course of completing the work (for some matters after each Court appearance). We may interim bill you where transactions or court proceedings are likely to take longer to complete.
Current payment terms are set out on our invoices and unless otherwise stated are due for payment within seven (7) days following the issue of the invoice.
For fixed fees (so you know what it will cost), we Invoice early on in the proceedings for file opening/conflict checking (they we are/have not acted for another party)/ initial evidential analysis/discussions/confirming and scheduling the time you need us to be at Court (or other place). Early payment of a fixed fee for the initial work also indicates to us that you are committed to us doing your work (we get a lot of people wanting the benefit of our expertise and being able to say we act for them).
Credit Policy and Guarantor
If requested, and agreed by us prior, you may have an agreed credit limit which will be confidential between the client and ourselves. The total amount that we will allow to be owed may be increased or decreased or withdrawn by us at any time without notice.
Where a guarantor is arranged, then that person guarantees full payment of your fees and disbursements in terms of this agreement.
Lien
Where work has been done by Pawson Law Ltd but we have not been paid by you, then we have the right to retain original documents, Disclosure and correspondence on your files until such time as all outstanding fees, disbursements, and other expenses have been paid. This is known as a lien. This will be particularly important in circumstances where the client decides for whatever reason to instruct another Lawyer or firm.
Information
We request that you promptly provide us with any information that we may reasonably require to carry out your instructions and meet our statutory obligations. You are responsible for the accuracy of any information provided to us. This may include personal information as defined under the Privacy Act 1993.
We will collect, store, and use your personal information securely and only for the aforementioned purposes. As your solicitors, there are only very limited circumstances in which your personal information may need to be disclosed such as where required by law or the New Zealand Law Society’s Rules of Professional Conduct. You have the right to the personal information held about you as well as the right to correct the information that we hold. For more information on this, please contact us.
Our Responsibility and Liability
We will keep you informed of the work we are carrying out for you, and we will carry that work out to a proper and professional standard. We will ensure that your instructions are undertaken by those with appropriate levels of expertise at the most cost effective rate available.
Limitation of Liability
To the extent permitted by law. We do not hold Professional Indemnity insurance given we do not undertake investments, hold money/valuable property, operate a Trust Account or do conveyancing.