Your legal rights

You can save money and improve your budget if you know your legal rights.

A practical modern legal habit is to keep a clear digital record by saving contracts and receipts, screenshots, emails and texts, along with key dates, timelines, and names to ensure your rights are easier to enforce if issues arise. It’s easy to create an email folder to retain receipts for “online orders”.

Return goods that are faulty or not as advertised. All goods and services must be fit for the purpose intended. Goods must have a reasonable trouble-free lifespan, regardless of any guarantee or warranty. If buying a new home appliance do not pay for an extended warranty because you are already covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act. You can check your consumer rights at https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz

If you think that the way a product or service is being provided is unfair, you can complain to the Commerce Commission.  If you want to know your rights as a consumer or your rights and obligations when borrowing money or buying on credit, visit Home | Commerce Commission

If you have a dispute with a business or tradesperson, you can take it to the Disputes Tribunal for a ruling. A small fee is charged, and you present your own case without any lawyers being involved.
Disputes Tribunal | Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand

If you have a dispute with your landlord that cannot be resolved,  you can take it to the Tenancy Tribunal for a decision. Tenancy Tribunal » Tenancy Services

If you do need legal advice, you can get free advice from a Community Law Centre.
Community Law - Free Legal Help throughout New Zealand

The Employment Relations Service is a government agency that can give advice on employment rights and resolving workplace issues. Call free 0800 20 90 20 or visit Home | Employment New Zealand

Information about employment agreements, your rights and health and safety is also available by visiting the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions website NZCTU

Before employing a lawyer, find out whether you can get legal aid, go to Ministry of Justice | New Zealand Ministry of Justice. If legal aid is not available, find out which lawyer has the cheapest hourly rate and the cheapest quoted cost for doing the work. It is unwise to employ a lawyer without knowing what you could end up paying. Tell the lawyer in writing that you cannot afford to pay more than what has been quoted.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can load documents, such as a draft Employment Agreement into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask them to review this against New Zealand law. However, when getting a contract written, it pays to get a professional lawyer to review it.

Information on court procedures and forms is available by going to Ministry of Justice | New Zealand Ministry of Justice

If you have a problem with a government department or agency that you cannot resolve, you can make a complaint to the Ombudsman. Ombudsman New Zealand | Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata

There is also a Banking Ombudsman who helps resolve disputes with banks. Home | Banking Ombudsman Scheme

An Insurance and Savings Ombudsman deals with complaints about participating financial institutions. Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme

Information relating to some common legal problems can be found under Guides to the law at NZLS | The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa  Guides include the following: buying and selling property, relationship property, family violence, giving evidence, going into business, living together, making a will, motor vehicles-accidents and alcohol, neighbours, the family trust.

The Citizens Advice Bureau has useful information on the following topics:  consumer rights, government, law, money, education, health, housing, employment, travel and recreation.  Home | Citizens Advice Bureau

The Community Law Manual

The Law Manual Online - Community Law contains over 1000 pages of easy-to-read legal info and comprehensive answers to common legal questions. From ACC to family law, health & disability, jobs, benefits & flats, Tāonga Māori, immigration and refugee law and much more, the Manual covers just about every area of community and personal life. It’s for people living in Aotearoa New Zealand (and their advocates) to help themselves.