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 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 February 2025 and no later than 17 February 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 March 2025 and no later than 14 March 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 April 2025 and no later than 14 April 2025
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 May 2025 and no later than 14 May 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 June 2025 and no later than 16 June 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 July 2025 and no later than 14 July 2025
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 August 2025 and no later than 14 August 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 September 2025 and no later than 12 September 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 October 2025 and no later than 14 October 2025
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
Submission due: no earlier than 1 November 2025 and no later than 14 November 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 December 2025 and no later than 12 December 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2026 and no later than 23 January 2026
Note: Quarterly Certificate also due
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
Submission due: no earlier than 1 April 2025 and no later than 14 April 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 July 2025 and no later than 14 July 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 October 2025 and no later than 14 October 2025
Submission due: no earlier than 1 January 2026 and no later than 23 January 2026
Certificate for month: |
Certificates can be submitted from |
Certificates are due by |
Quarterly certificate also due? |
| 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 |
| January 2025 | 1 February 2025 | 17 February 2025 | - |
| February 2025 | 1 March 2025 | 14 March 2025 | - |
| March 2025 | 1 April 2025 | 14 April 2025 | 14 April 2025 |
| April 2025 | 1 May 2025 | 14 May 2025 | - |
| May 2025 | 1 June 2025 | 16 June 2025 | - |
| June 2025 | 1 July 2025 | 14 July 2025 | 14 July 2025 |
| July 2025 | 1 August 2025 | 14 August 2025 | - |
| August 2025 | 1 September 2025 | 12 September 2025 | - |
| September 2025 | 1 October 2025 | 14 October 2025 | 14 October 2025 |
| October 2025 | 1 November 2025 | 14 November 2025 | - |
| November 2025 | 1 December 2025 | 12 December 2025 | - |
| December 2025 | 1 January 2026 | 23 January 2026 | 23 January 2026 |