New Zealand Law Society - Keep track of your costs

Keep track of your costs

Good communication between you and your lawyer will help you stay on top of your legal fees as the work progresses.

Ask your lawyer to keep you updated

You can ask your lawyer to keep you updated on the work they are doing for you and any impact it may have on your fees. This can be part of your initial conversation with your lawyer about fees. 

Communicate your concerns promptly

If you are concerned about costs, communicate with your lawyer directly and promptly in the first instance. They can explain their fees and charges in more detail.

It may be that you can ask your lawyer to reduce costs by limiting the time they spend on your file, but lawyers have certain duties and obligations which may mean that they cannot cut out certain steps even if you consider the work unnecessary.

Factors outside of control

It is important to note that factors outside your or your lawyer’s control may lead to increased costs.

For example, the other side in a dispute may delay things which leads to your lawyer spending more time than they had anticipated on the matter. In these situations, you can ask you lawyer for an updated estimate and if there is anything they can do to keep the costs down.

You can tell your lawyer that you don’t want to spend more than a certain amount in legal fees and ask them to check with you before going over this amount. However, if you decide to stick to this maximum amount, this may mean that they are unable to complete the work.

How to keep costs down

  • Get advice promptly
    It will usually save you stress and money in the long run. If a lawyer is required to help you at short notice, it may also mean you pay more.
  • See a lawyer before you sign any important document
    This will ensure you understand the full implications of the document.
  • Give your lawyer all the relevant documents
    Always supply any relevant legal documents, letters, bank account statements, receipts and other documents to your lawyer. Put the documents in a logical order (often chronological is the best approach).
  • Be well prepared
    If you can explain your situation in an organised and logical way, this can help the lawyer get up to speed quickly. It’s important to be honest with your lawyer on the matter so it can be managed efficiently from the start.
  • Stay focussed
    Getting side tracked can lead to more time being spent on the matter than is necessary, which will increase costs. You can ask your lawyer to let you know if a particular point is relevant or requires further explanation.
  • Keep contact to the essential
    Although you need to keep your lawyer fully informed, remember that lawyers will typically charge for sending and receiving emails and phone calls, so it is best to keep contact to essential matters.

Address unresolved concerns 

Talk to your lawyer as soon as you can if your concern hasn't been fully addressed. Here are helpful tips on managing disagreements on bills.

Each law practice is required to have an internal complaints procedure, and your lawyer must inform you about it before they commence work for you.

If your concern still can’t be resolved through the lawyer’s internal procedure, we're here to assist you to look into the matter through the Lawyers Complaints Service.

Find out more