Support for Legal Costs
There are several stages at which you may seek a payment for your legal costs associated with the Dilworth Redress Programme. The stages are:
- If you seek legal advice before registering for the Dilworth Redress Programme, you may be paid for reasonable legal costs up to a maximum of NZ$1,000 (plus GST). You should ask your lawyer to send his/her invoice to [email protected]. If your legal costs at this stage exceed NZ$1,000 (plus GST) you will need to pay any legal costs above the Dilworth Redress Programme contribution of NZ$1,000 plus GST.
- If you seek legal advice before submitting your full Application (including the Redress Report and your Statutory Declaration), the Dilworth Redress Programme will pay your reasonable legal expenses of up to NZ$2,000 plus GST. You should ask your lawyer to send his/her invoice to [email protected]. If your legal costs at this stage exceed NZ$2,000 plus GST, you will need to pay any legal costs above the Dilworth Redress Programme contribution of NZ$2,000 plus GST.
- At the stage you receive an Offer from the Dilworth Independent Redress Panel and the Dilworth Trust Board’s Settlement document, it is a condition of acceptance of the Settlement that you receive appropriate legal advice. To that end, the Dilworth Redress Programme will pay your reasonable legal costs to enable you to receive independent legal advice when considering whether to accept or reject the Offer. The cost of receiving legal advice at that stage, and of completing the Statutory Declaration and Settlement Agreement is not likely to exceed NZ $3,500 (plus GST) and this sum is available to you for those costs. You should ask your lawyer to send his/her invoice to [email protected]. If your legal costs at this stage exceed NZ$3,500 (plus GST) you will need to pay any legal costs above the Dilworth Redress Programme’s contribution of NZ$3,500 (plus GST).
The Dilworth Redress Programme’s contribution to your legal costs listed in 1,2, and 3, is over and above any Settlement sum agreed. These contributions will not be taken into account in any Redress Payment.
Your independent legal advice may be sought from any independent lawyer in New Zealand or in your country of residence. The Dilworth Redress Programme is aware the following lawyers have provided advice to other Dilworth former students. These lawyers’ names are provided solely for your information; they are not a recommendation.