Income from legal services totalled $3.464 billion in the year to 30 June 2017, according to provisional information released by Statistics New Zealand.
The information, from the Annual Enterprises Survey, shows this was up by 4.6% from the previous year.
Total expenditure was estimated at $2.002 billion of which $1.042 billion (52%) was salaries and wages paid. The salary and wage expenditure was up 6.5% from the previous year.
Statistics New Zealand estimates the total before-tax profit for legal services at $1.211 billion - up 8.2% on the previous year.
Legal Services Annual Enterprise Survey ($ million) (provisional)
| Measure | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total Income | 3,464 | 3,311 | 3,059 |
| Interest and dividends | 30 | 36 | 35 |
| Indirect taxes | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Depreciation | 48 | 46 | 45 |
| Salaries and wages | 1,261 | 1,184 | 1,042 |
| Purchases and operating expenses | 864 | 896 | 827 |
| Non-operating expenses | 28 | 22 | 46 |
| Total expenditure | 2,259 | 2,193 | 2,002 |
| Opening stocks | 38 | 47 | 53 |
| Closing stocks | 44 | 48 | 39 |
| Surplus before tax | 1,211 | 1,120 | 1,044 |