Certificates of standing
Find out more information about the Legal Aid Provider Certificate of Standing.
New Zealand practitioners planning to work overseas and seeking admission in another jurisdiction (including admission in Australia under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act) may be asked to produce a Certificate of Standing from New Zealand.
For a certificate issued by the New Zealand Law Society please fill out and submit a request online.
Please note you will need to allow 3-4 weeks processing time.
The cost per Certificate for a lawyer holding a current practising certificate as issued by the New Zealand Law Society (NZLS) is NZ$50 plus GST. The cost for a person not holding a current NZLS issued practising certificate is NZ$75 plus GST. GST is not payable for those applying outside New Zealand. This fee is payable at the time of application
You can pay this directly to the NZLS, bank account (123140.0119103.07) or mail a cheque. If you pay by bank transfer you must include your name and the reference "COS" on the bank detail. Any bank charges are the responsibility of the applicant.
To speed the process, you will need details of:
- when and where you were admitted in the High Court
- the district law societies where Practising Certificates have been held
- the years they were held.
Inquiries must be made in all applicable districts and accurate information will speed the process.
Note: Applicants who have not held a Practising Certificate in New Zealand are encouraged to apply directly to the High Court for a copy of their Order of Admission, in lieu of a Certificate of Standing.
Important notice
Providing Certificates of Standing to an Overseas Regulatory Authority (ORA)
Some overseas regulatory authorities require that a Certificate of Standing be provided to them directly from the NZLS. Provided we are certain that it is a procedural requirement of the ORA that the Certificate of Standing is sent directly to them and not the applicant, we will dispatch your certificate directly to them for you. Under the New Zealand privacy legislation we will only be able to do so if you have provided your consent to the NZLS.
Therefore, you would need to do the following:
- make an application and pay the required fee
- provide your consent in writing to the NZLS to release the certificate to the ORA. Inform the NZLS of the mode in which you wish the ORA to receive your Certificate of Standing i.e. mail, email or fax and provide these details
- await confirmation from the NZLS that your application has been received. We will then inform you if you will need to contact the ORA to confirm to the NZLS their requirements
Note: Once dispatched, if you require a further Certificate of Standing you will be required to make a new application and payment.