The Solicitors’ Fidelity Guarantee Fund (SFGF) has now been wound up pursuant to section 367 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 (the Act). The SFGF provided for claims of theft by solicitors occurring on or before 31 July 2008. The SFGF was replaced by the Lawyer’s Fidelity Fund on 1 August 2008. Section 370 of the Act came into force today, repealing the provisions related to the SFGF. The value of the fund upon distribution was $14.62m.

Section 369 of the Act required one third of the fund to be paid to the Lawyers Fidelity Fund and the other two thirds to be held in trust by the New Zealand Law Society Te Kahui Ture o Aotearoa to be applied in carrying out its representative functions under section 66 of the Act.

The Law Society carries out its representative functions and advocates on behalf of the legal profession. Representative services include education, collegial, wellbeing and support services, delivered across 13 branches and via the sections. Our services and support are available to the whole profession, not only members. In the 2024-2025 period, the branch network (excluding sections) hosted 240 events, attended by approximately 10,000 lawyers.