As we approach the end of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year, it is a good time for lawyers to check in on their CPD plan and record (CPDPR) and the activities they have completed so far. Understanding the minimum number of CPD hours required is a good place to start. This will vary from lawyer to lawyer, and all depends on the number of months that regulated services have been provided in the CPD year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
Lawyers who have provided regulated services for more than nine months must complete at least 10 hours of CPD activities under rule 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Ongoing Legal Education - Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2013 (the CPD rules). This applies to both part- and full-time practice. It is ultimately up to a lawyer’s professional judgement to decide whether they have been providing regulated services throughout the year, and it’s helpful to note the definition provided in section 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 (the Act) and our regulated services quick guide.
Guidance for lawyers who have been providing regulated services for fewer than ten months:
Those who have recently received their practising certificate or are returning from extended leave may be entitled to a reduction in the minimum number of CPD hours they have to complete. Schedule 1 of the CPD rules outlines the minimum number of hours required by lawyers who have provided regulated services for a period of nine months or less. Periods are rounded up or down to the nearest full month. For example, under Schedule 1, a lawyer who receives a practising certificate in early February will have a minimum CPD requirement of two hours.
CPD hours to complete per months providing regulated services*.
| Months providing regulated services | Hours of CPD to complete |
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 11 | 10 |
| 12 | 10 |
* Adapted from Schedule 1 and rule 5 of Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Ongoing Legal Education – Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2013.
To ensure they will have completed their requirements by the end of the CPD year on 31 March 2026, lawyers should take the time now to confirm the minimum number of CPD hours required in their circumstances. It is important to note that this is a minimum, rather than a target. Lawyers are encouraged to engage in a variety of learning opportunities throughout the year.
For support or queries, please contact the CPD team at cpdinquiries@lawsociety.org.nz.