New Zealand Law Society - Trust account certificates
Trust account certificates are governed by s115 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 (LCA), and the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Trust Account) Regulations 2008 (Regulations), namely sections 17 (1) & (2) for monthly and quarterly reporting.
The Financial Assurance Scheme certification programme helps alert the Law Society Inspectorate to any potential compliance issues. Monthly and quarterly certificates are required by statute for all lawyers operating a trust account under Reg 17 of the Trust Account Regulations.
Certificates are used for monitoring trust account management and to assist with early identification of possible compliance problems or of lawyers in need of advice or assistance.
Lawyers must ensure that certificates are correctly completed and promptly submitted by the appropriate authority (the Trust Account Supervisor).
All certificates are filed online by the Trust Account Supervisor using their six digit lawyer ID (also known as the lawyer login, and shown on practising certificates).
Lawyers’ monthly trust account certificates are due on the 10th working day of the following month, except December which is due on the 15th working day in January. Normal statutory holidays are taken into account when calculating the due dates, but regional anniversary holidays are not, in other words regional anniversaries are classed as working days because they do not affect the whole country at once.
The dates for 2022 are listed below. Don't forget that quarterly certificates are also due as at the end of March, June, September and December.
The purpose of quarterly reporting is to summarise the scale of any lending operation and any loans in default in addition to the normal 5 monthly questions - if there is no lending, the lawyer will only be required to answer the extra question 6. If there is lending, when the lawyer responds ‘Yes’ to question 6, there will be a requirement to answer questions 7 to 18 in addition.
If you are having difficulty reconciling the trust account, you are still required to submit your certificate by the due date. You would need to declare that you have not correctly reconciled the trust account and provide an explanation.
A full set of instructions on how to file these certificates online is available.
Submission due: no earlier than 1 November 2023 and no later than 14 November 2023
Submission due: no earlier than 1 December 2023 and no later than 13 December 2023
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2024 and no later than 23 January 2024
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 February 2024 and no later than 15 February 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 March 2024 and no later than 14 March 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 April 2024 and no later than 15 April 2024
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 May 2024 and no later than 14 May 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 June 2024 and no later than 17 June 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 July 2024 and no later than 12 July 2024
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 August 2024 and no later than 14 August 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 September 2024 and no later than 13 September 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 October 2024 and no later than 14 October 2024
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 November 2024 and no later than 14 November 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 December 2024 and no later than 13 December 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2025 and no later than 23 January 2025
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2024 and no later than 23 January 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 April 2024 and no later than 15 April 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 July 2024 and no later than 12 July 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 October 2024 and no later than 14 October 2024
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2025 and no later than 23 January 2025
Certificate for month: |
Certificates can be submitted from |
Certificates are due by |
Quarterly certificate also due? |
| October 2023 | 1 November 2023 | 14 November 2023 | - |
| November 2023 | 1 December 2023 | 13 December 2023 | - |
| December 2023 | 1 January 2024 | 23 January 2024 | 23 January 2024 |
| January 2024 | 1 February 2024 | 15 February 2024 | - |
| February 2024 | 1 March 2024 | 14 March 2024 | - |
| March 2024 | 1 April 2024 | 15 April 2024 | 15 April 2024 |
| April 2024 | 1 May 2024 | 14 May 2024 | - |
| May 2024 | 1 June 2024 | 17 June 2024 | - |
| June 2024 | 1 July 2024 | 12 July 2024 | 12 July 2024 |
| July 2024 | 1 August 2024 | 14 August 2024 | - |
| August 2024 | 1 September 2024 | 13 September 2024 | - |
| September 2024 | 1 October 2024 | 14 October 2024 | 14 October 2024 |
| October 2024 | 1 November 2024 | 14 November 2024 | - |
| November 2024 | 1 December 2024 | 13 December 2024 | - |
| December 2024 | 1 January 2025 | 23 January 2025 | 23 January 2025 |