Here is some information below on how you can get legal advice and support:
You can get free legal advice at a community law centre
Find a community law centre (external link) for free legal advice. A lawyer at the community law centre can give you advice but will not be able to represent you. They can also help you find out if you are eligible for legal aid.
Aotearoa Disability Law (external link) is a community law centre that helps deaf and disabled people.
You may be able to get assistance to pay for legal advice from the organisation(s) you are applying for redress from. Please ask us at the Survivor Experiences Service and we can find out for you if we don’t know already.
You may be eligible for legal aid
Legal aid is government funding to pay for a lawyer for people who cannot afford one, and need one in the interests of justice. Legal aid is considered a loan. You may have to repay some or all of your legal aid, depending on how much you earn, what property you own and whether you receive
any money or property as a result of your case.
The information you give on your application form to the Ministry of Justice is used to work out whether you have to repay anything. You would be told the maximum amount you have to repay in the first letter you get from the Ministry of Justice after they assess your application.
The Ministry of Justice has a list of legal aid lawyers who offer specialist advice to survivors of abuse in care (external link).
Find a lawyer to represent you
Find a lawyer by:
- asking friends or family to recommend one to you
- checking out the New Zealand Law Society online database of lawyers (external link)
- checking the The Law Association's nationwide database of lawyers (external link)
- contacting your local branch of the New Zealand Law Society (external link).