Renewal of practising certificates

1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012

Important dates

6 May 2011
  • Renewal forms and invoices posted to lawyers (approximate)
  • Online declarations and payments can be made.
  • Firm liaison person receives a list of all renewing lawyers together with the expected payments.
13 June 2011
  • All payments and declarations due. This allows time for processing and following up any incomplete renewals.
w/c 27 June 2011
  • Practising certificates mailed out to those practitioners who completed the renewals process by 13 June 2011.
1 July 2011
  • New practising certificates in force.
  • Lawyers who have not completed their declaration and payment or who are not renewing will be removed from public register.

Renew your practising certificate

To renew your practising certificate you must complete the renewal form (which includes the declaration) and pay the prescribed fees. Renewal forms will be sent to all currently registered lawyers in early May. Declarations and payments may be made online or by mail. You can:

  • make your declaration and pay online by credit card
  • make your declaration online and pass your invoice to your firm/organisation for payment
  • complete the form, and post the form, remittance advice and payment back to the NZLS in the envelope provide.

If a firm/organisation has appointed a liaison person, NZLS will provide a list of all the lawyers in the organisation and the required payments once the renewal forms and invoices have been sent to the individual lawyers. If your organisation wishes to appoint a liaison person please contact registry@lawsociety.org.nz or phone 0800 22 30 30.

Regulatory fees for the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 (subject to final approval)

Subject to a resolution of the Council and ministerial approval, the Board has recommended that the total fees, levies and contributions for the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 will be as follows:

  • Barristers and employed lawyers - $1240 exc. GST ($1426 inc. GST)
  • Lawyers practising on their own account (without a trust account) - $1625 exc. GST ($1868.75 inc. GST)
  • Lawyers practising on their own account (with a trust account) - $1945 exc. GST ($2236.75 inc. GST)

If finally approved the fees total in each case represents a $20.00 (exc. GST) increase over last year.

The NZLS does not issue receipts for payment of practising fees, levies and contributions.

Please note that these fees do not include a membership subscription for the Law Society.

Update the register

All lawyers should check their records on the register of lawyers and notify the Registry by email of any changes.

Register display - practice options

The register of lawyers is required to show whether a holder of a practising certificate as a barrister and solicitor is:

  • in practice on own account as a sole practitioner, partner in a partnership or director of an incorporated law firm
  • an employed solicitor
  • an in-house lawyer.

There are no alternative options for the purposes of the public register.

Lawyer login

Lawyers can log in and review their register of lawyer record and update certain information.
To do this you will need:

  • your 6-digit User ID (Any zeroes at the start of the number are part of the User ID)
  • your password. You can get this by clicking on the Lawyer Login button on the home page of this website. At the login screen, click on I have forgotten my password. Enter your User ID then click on Send me my password. A new password will be sent to your personal email address.

Once you log on using this password, you will be able to change it to one of your own choice.

Membership of the New Zealand Law Society and local branch

Membership of the Law Society entitles holders to benefits such as preferential rates for NZLS Continuing Legal Education Seminars and selected branch activities. Members of the Law Society are automatically members of the local branch and are eligible to join a Law Society section.

In the 2010 to 2011 practising year, no NZLS membership subscription was struck. The Board’s recommendation to the Council is that members not be required to pay a membership subscription for the 2011 to 2012 year. 

Current members of the Family Law and Property Law Sections, and premium members of the Corporate Lawyers Association of New Zealand will be invoiced for section membership fees as part of the renewal process.

Non-section members who wish to join a section should indicate their desire to join on the renewal application form as part of the renewal process, and they will be invoiced separately. Alternatively, if you wish to join before the renewal process, you can contact christine.pugh@lawsociety.org.nz.

Moving towards Competence and Professional Development (CPD)

Last year we asked all lawyers to keep a record of their professional legal education (PLE) for the 2010 – 2011 practising year. Consequently, the practising certificate renewal packs will include a short PLE Information Return for lawyers to complete.

Respondents have the choice of completing it:

  • On paper, and mailing it in with their application, or
  • Online, as part of the online renewal process.

The information from lawyers will provide a benchmark for the design of the CPD programme. To maintain data integrity, we need lawyers to make individual responses. Firms are able to collect the individual responses and include them with the bulk renewals.

If you wish to discuss this further with us, please contact the Law Society by emailing bronwyn.jones@lawsociety.org.nz or phone 04 463 2906.

Any queries about the register and the renewal process should be directed to:
Registry
New Zealand Law Society
PO Box 5041, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145
DX SP20202

Email: registry@lawsociety.org.nz
Phone: 0800 22 30 30
Fax: +64 4 463 2989

© New Zealand Law Society 2008