Members Area
    
 
   

CIVIL LAW

Court Costs - Win Or Lose

 Select Topic
 
 Related Topics
Feedback/Reviews/Blogs


This site provides you with an overview of who pays the legal costs if a dispute is settled or the subject of Court action.

 

You should also look at all the topics in the related topics box above as well as scan through our Master Index to see if there are any other sites which can assist you.

 

NB - The costs schedule below are being increased in April 2006 and this site will be updated as soon as the figures come to hand.

 

Legal costs to day seem extraordinary high.

 

The costs of running a legal practice involving the hiring of senior secretaries and office staff and providing the highest quality technical back up such as computers etc has seen lawyers fees rise to very high levels.

 

In the 21st Century an average legal charge out for a lawyer with even three or fours years experience is frequently $240.00 an hour plus GST.

 

The basic legal aid rate for Family Court work is still $140.00 an hour inclusive of GST, but if legal aid is not involved, an average figure to work on for legal fees must be something in the region of $200.00 plus GST.

 

The first part of this topic has been displayed free of charge. Join up for $45 to have access to this and all other topics!


Feedback/Reviews/Blogs
"It's not fair that when you win a case you still have to beg a judge to award you costs and even then the award is always less than you have to pay your lawyer. This happened to me. My lawyer told me that there's always two sides to a story but the judge didn't recognise any validity in the other side's claim yet the nett result is that I recover only about 60% of my costs to my lawyer and the other 40% is about half of what I won in the case. That isn't justice. A real pissed off Kevin J. - Auckland - June 2007"
"NETLAW replies. Yes, we agree. What you need to do in these cases is make an Application for "Full and Reasonable Costs" and argue that the Court should (it can) make a full award. You need to convince a Judge that the other side never really has a chance of winning and that it is unfair that you should have to pay any costs. That is the way it is in the UK and Australia. But in New Zealand, it is usually only a percentage of the costs that you get back. That is unfair in many many cases. NETLAW - June 2007"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"I liked you Civil Index. Not much need for family or criminal but you civil index is very good to have at my fingertips. Thanks for providing this service T. (name withheld)"
"Great assistance. I agree with the above. Your civil topics are great. Better than we get at Polytech where I am studying Business Law. Terry -Dunedin - June 2007"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"I found all this Company Law stuff really helpful. Not too academic but enough to get a really good grounding in some of the pitfalls. You need to read all the company topics to get a handle on this huge area. Anthony - Christchurch - April 2007"
"it is utterly unfair that a debtor can get away with not paying, and often does simply because the creditor doesn't have the money (because the debtor didn't pay!) to go through all of this process. I'm sickened by the proceess which has seen me now not only being ripped off by this debtor, but then(and still) by the debt collector I folishly decided to use because I couldn't afford the intial legal fees (due to not being paid by the debtor!). Court has finally decided in our favor, but debtor still hasn't paid and I have to find more yet money to apply to have him liquidated, without any promise of getting anything back."
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"Bloody useful and practical. I sued for the recovery of money owing to me by a former friend. He owed me &11,000 so I could not use the Disputes Tribunal. I used a simple Statement of Claim. I forgot the Notice of Proceeding and the Court helped me but I then noticed that you had one on Netlaw. Your documents helped me and the Court staff were pretty good too. Cheers . . . Colin Dunedin - May 2007"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"I am a retired Solicitor from Kent in England and the $45 I spent on your site was really helpful because I am intending settling in New Zealand and your "one stop shop" was a real boon to me. Thanks again. Arnold T. Devon, England"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"I found this interesting. I want to sue for punitive damages and I was interested to learn that our courts are pretty conservative. I think the Welfare have quite wrongly taken my kids and I have found out that the affidavit they gave to a Judge to get an order to uplift them was known to the Welfare to be incorrect. They told the Judge that I had drug convictions but when I found out 5 months ago that they thought that I proved then to them that this was untrue yet I have now found that they have still put this false evidence in an affidavit. But they have also told other people about my "drug convictions". You have to watch these people. (name witheld) - May 2007"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"I got so much from this site. You are right. It is better to "upskill" myself first before paying megabucks to a lawyer just to get an opinion.

I liked access to the case law and the real life submissions. Tim Shadbolt's case was a dag. How much did he get? Bud. Auckland

Thanks a lot . . . Max (Devonport)"

Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"Never knew what this meant. Now I do. Needs to be read with your other civil topics on suing people etc. Pete A - Whakatane - May 2007"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"Great. See the other topics on Statement of Claim -Some Examples - Graeme - Tauranga"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"A fun topic. I can remember when I was a lawyer's secretary. He had a wee figurine of a barrister on his desk with a sign on it saying "Sue The Bastards" but, then, he should know because he was a bastard too, but a very good lawyer. (name withheld)"
Feedback/Blogs/Reviews from related topic: Alternative Dispute Resolution
"Very helpful . . . McBreen"
"Now that I understand the principles it has made it easier for me to prepare and make final decisions. thank you. Kirsten."
"Great coverage to have it all laid out. Could you try and give us some uncomplicated documents. yours are useful but are there any simpler docs? Keep up the good work. A really helpful website. Graeme H. Wellington - May 2007"
"I have made good use of this topic and the other topics on Wills. Well done. Jim H (retired) - Devonport - May 2007"
"Bloody Hell! You provide us with the documentation as well! This is great stuff. I will still use a lawyer but I now have enough information to make some informed decisions myself.
Kevin M - Hamilton"

"Hi Netlaw...i have found your site very helpful to me in applying for a parent order. Anexcellent site with the right information, easy to use steps.

Thanks so much :)))"

"HI, posted yesterday trying to find application boilerplate for challenging will due to unsound mind (with medical evidence). Thanks"
 Select Topic
 
 Related Topics