YES WE CAN HELP YOU DURING THE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN.
Call or email now and speak to the Legal Response Team and see how we can help!
Call or email now and speak to the Legal Response Team and see how we can help!
support@Portia.law |
Freephone 0800 339 223
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We're one of the largest specialist family litigators in New Zealand. Get in touch and see what we can do to help you.
Latest News
Te Hunga Rōia Māori O Aotearoa Hui-ā-Tau
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By AMY C.
Lawyer/Rōia I attended the 2019 Te Hunga Rōia Māori O Aotearoa annual conference in Wellington, from the 28th to the 31st of August. The theme was Nā ko te pō he rā ki tua (Here we are in the dark, a new day is yet to come). According to the conference organisers the theme not just applies to Māori, but also to “those whom the legal system has let down, ignored or forgotten. Too often the legal system leaves Māori in the dark, and Te Hunga Rōia Māori has a responsibility to bring Māori out into the light”. |
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Family Violence ReformsBy BEN W.
Lawyer/Rōia On July 1st 2019 the Family Violence Act came into effect, repealing and replacing the the Domestic Violence Act 1995. The new law was a response by the government to what seems to be an ever-increasing epidemic in New Zealand. While the changes it made weren't necessarily radical they have provided a great deal of clarity to those of us who work in the field. Most significantly, the new Act has more clearly defined family violence. For example, the Act now specifies that dowry-related abuse falls under the definition of family violence. That isn't to say that lawyers or the judiciary wouldn't have viewed it as violence under the Domestic Violence Act. Then, economic abuse was defined as violence anyway, and dowry-related abuse sensibly fell under the economic abuse category. However it is important legislation keeps up with decisions made by the courts, and by including instances such as dowry-related abuse in the new Act the government are making a stand and calling out the behaviour as unacceptable. This is a common theme throughout the Act, which also specifies that things like violence towards a partner's pet, or elder abuse, fall under the definition of family violence. Again, these are things that would have come under the jurisdiction of the old Act, but specifying it leaves no doubt in society. The Act also includes new provisions on sharing information. Family violence agencies and social services are encouraged by the legislation to work together and share information, in the interests of identifying and ultimately preventing family violence. Under the Act these ‘NGOs’ are allowed to request information about someone involved in family violence. The information holders then have discretion to decide whether or not to make a disclosure if they believe it will help the recipient use the information for a valid purpose (e.g. preventing family violence or making a risk assessment). There have been many other practical changes in the Act, such as extending the maximum length of a police safety order from five to ten days. Also introduced to the statute books is the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018, which amended various Acts (such as the Crimes Act 1961) to include, amongst other things, the new offences of strangulation and assaulting a family member, and making a Protection Order being in place when an offence is committed an aggravating factor to be considered at sentencing. It has also made the safety of victims, and in particular children, a priority when determining bail. Overall the changes are welcomed, and we look forward to seeing how they help New Zealand rid itself of the scourge of family violence. Please scroll down to see where you can go to get help with family violence in New Zealand. Remember, it's not OK to be violent toward anyone! |
Greater service, faster response
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By JARROD C.
CEO/Kaiwhakahaere "Le client n'a jamais tort" (The customer is never wrong) was the motto of hotel pioneer César Ritz and was a value shared throughout the world as far back as the start of the 1900s. Coming from a hospitality background myself I understand how this is important but in the profession of law it can create some conflict. For example, lawyers are experts in their field and their job is to help people through the complex maze of our justice system. The way to reconcile this is to say "the customer is always right, but the client often needs guidance". Traditionally when you |
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LawFest 2020 - revealing the future of law
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LawFest is the legal technology and innovation conference of the year that attracts legal professionals from across the country, and abroad. If you want to learn how to adapt and thrive in an industry that’s facing considerable change, and explore opportunities to adapt how you deliver legal services for today and the future, then you need to be at LawFest on 18 March 2020 in Auckland.
Portia Principal Lawyer Erin Ebborn will join Justice Minister Andrew Little on a panel discussion around the future of law, while CEO Jarrod Coburn will present his take on the 'Lawyers Act 2025'. |
Jarrod Coburn is a commentator on management and law and has shared his opinions on the subject quite a lot of times.
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Appearing in CourtLawyers Tania Williams Blyth, Kiriana Tan and retired Family Court Judge, John Adams, scripted and produced a series of videos with funding from the New Zealand Law Foundation and supported by the University of Waikato's Te Piringa - Faculty of Law.
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Visiting Family in PrisonOn 1 September 2016 the Department of Corrections changed their policy about who can visit someone in prison. If there previously was a parenting order that provided for children to have contact with someone in prison then that contact could usually occur without an issue.
The changes mean that anybody (child or adult) who wishes to have contact with someone in prison, must now be approved as a visitor. Contact includes phone contact, as well as written contact such as letters and cards. Click here to find out more information. |
Getting Fair Outcomes
Ebborn Law and FairWay Resolution Services have worked together for three years, ensuring people entering the family justice system have the best chances to gain a fair outcome - be they in court or in a mediation setting.
Mediation (sometimes called alternative dispute resolution) is an option in almost any dispute. For family matters people with low incomes can get free legal advice and free mediation. Call us or FairWay Resolution (0800) 77 44 20.
Ebborn Law BlenheimWe're located at 13 Charles Street. Our Blenheim branch gives Marlborough access to eight more legal aid lawyer and should mitigate the problems the area has faced because of high demand.
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Portia ChristchurchWe're in the central city at the BNZ Centre, opposite Ballantynes at 111 Cashel Street. Remember we are now called Portia! Go up the lifts (next to the pharmacy) and find us on level 1.
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Portia TimaruOur Timaru office is open and can be found under our new brand name: Portia. It's located at 3 Butler Street (close to the courthouse) and is open daily between 9 AM and 5 PM.
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ExpertsHow Much Does it Cost to See a Lawyer? Maybe not as much as you think, as the government provides assistance for some people through Legal Aid and FLAS. Here are the costs of initially talking to a lawyer:
We have legal products that range from a DIY approach to the full service. Give our friendly staff a call on 0800 339 223 or email suppport@portia.law. If you live outside of Christchurch, you can call us on (0800) 339 223, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. |
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Member of the
New Zealand Law Society Canterbury-Westland Branch |
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Free Phone Helplines
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Aviva
Family Violence Services 0800 2848 2669 |
Te Whare Hauora
0800 11 74 74 |
Womens Refuge
0800 733 843 |
Lifeline
0800 543 354 |
CAB Language Link
0800 788 877 |
Support for men - contact the Canterbury Men's Centre
