Terms

Client Care Charter – Our commitment to you.

We will:

• Protect and promote your interests and act for you free from compromising influences or loyalties.
• Discuss with you your objectives and how they should best be achieved.
• Act competently, in a timely way, and in accordance with instructions received and arrangements made.
• Provide you with information about the work to be done, who will do it and the way the services will be provided.
• Protect your privacy and ensure appropriate confidentiality.
• Treat you fairly, respectfully and without discrimination.
• Give you clear information and advice.
• Keep you informed about the work being done and advise you when it is completed.
• Charge you a fee that is fair and reasonable and let you know how and when you will be billed.
• Let you know how to make a complaint and deal with any complaint promptly and fairly.

The obligations lawyers owe to clients are described in the Rules of Conduct and Client Care for Lawyers. Those obligations are subject to overriding duties, including duties to the courts and the justice system. If you have any questions, please contact us on 09 296 8448 or spalmer@palmertheron.co.nz or the Law Society on 0800 261 801 or lawsociety.org.nz

People responsible for your work

We will advise you who has been assigned the responsibility of working on a matter that you have engaged our firm to complete. Please feel free to contact the partners, Stephen Palmer and/or Jean-Pierre Theron at any time if you have any questions relating to a particular matter.

The basis of our charges

Unless agreed otherwise our fees are based on the range of factors applied by the NZ Law Society, including time, expertise, importance, urgency and results achieved. The author responsible for your work will advise you of their current hourly rate and that of other staff that may work on any matter on your behalf. These rates may change from time to time, and a full list of the rates of any professional staff working for you is available at any time. We also charge for disbursements (court fees, registrations, duties/levies etc) and travel expenses incurred on your behalf. These will be itemised separately, and we will notify you if any fees or disbursements need to be paid for in advance.

Billing arrangements

To help your budget we can issue interim accounts while work is in progress, with a final bill on completion if you would prefer that. Unless otherwise stated invoices are due for payment within fourteen days. We may deduct from funds held on your behalf any fees, disbursements or expenses for which we have provided an invoice.

Disbursements are payments to third parties on your behalf such as Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) fees. There is a separate charge for office expenses to cover our costs for files, stationery, photocopying and general office expenses.

Limitation of Liability

We do not provide taxation or accounting advice. We do not accept liability for any loss arising from non-receipt of any communication including email communications.

Anti-Money Laundering

From 1 July 2018 there has been an obligation on lawyers to comply with anti-money laundering laws. Consequently, we need to obtain, verify and store information that identifies you and your address.

A passport is a primary form of identification, but other sources such as a driver licence or firearms licence may be sufficient. Recent utility bills are used to verify your address. We may need to obtain more detailed information about your financial situation in certain circumstances.

If you are attending our offices in the near future, it will be helpful if you can bring your passport or other ID and a recent utility bill with you.

Complaints

If you have any concerns or complaints that you prefer not to raise with a staff member, please contact either of our partners Stephen Palmer or Jean-Pierre Theron. We are committed to resolving any issues as soon as possible.

You can also contact the NZ Law Society's Lawyers' Complaints Service, at (26 Waring Taylor Street, P O Box 5041, Wellington 6145, Tel (04) 472 7837 or (0800) 261 801, Fax (04) 473 7909).

Professional Indemnity Insurance

We hold professional indemnity insurance that meets or exceeds the minimum standard specified by the Law Society. We will provide you with particulars of the minimum standards upon request.

Lawyers' Fidelity Fund

The Law Society maintains the Lawyers' Fidelity Fund for the purpose of providing clients of lawyers with protection against pecuniary loss arising from theft by lawyers. The maximum amount payable by the Fidelity Fund by way of compensation to an individual claimant is limited to $100,000.00. Except in circumstances specified in the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, the Fidelity Fund does not cover a client for any loss relating to money that a lawyer is instructed to invest on behalf of the client.

Completion

When a matter is completed, we will advise you accordingly and provide a brief summary of the work undertaken if we have not already done so. Where appropriate we will also identify any necessary future action that may be required.

Conclusion

We value your instructions and we also look forward to an ongoing relationship with you. Please refer to these "terms" as the core basis of our relationship and our commitment to you to attend to your affairs diligently, with an efficient, effective and professional service.