Last week I went to a lawyer for advice, but was shocked to find out what it would cost me. I am a beneficiary and there is no way I could pay the sort of money he expected me to pay. I thought I’d be able to get some legal aid. Can you give me some advice?
There are still Community Law Centres in most cities around the country offering free legal advice. If you live a long way from any of them, you might even be able to get a lawyer to visit you.
If you are a beneficiary they will probably be able to help you for free. Look up Community Law online or in the phone book. Most centres require that you make an appointment first, though there are drop-in centres in some cities.
There are certain legal areas that Community Law doesn’t help people with, such as business issues. But my experience with them has been extremely positive and they provide a valuable service to New Zealanders.
You use the expression “legal aid”. This is a different matter and refers to assistance given to people who can’t afford to hire a barrister for a court case. I’m assuming you don’t require such help and you are using the expression generally.
But if you do need a barrister for a court case, the Community Law Centre will be able to help you with that, or you can get an application form directly from the Ministry of Justice.
