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Returning to New Zealand from overseas?
Did you hold a practising certificate more than two years ago? | Practising on your own | Operating a trust account |
As a New Zealand-admitted barrister and solicitor, when you return to New Zealand you will not have to complete any further study in order to take out a New Zealand practising certificate to practise. To take out a practising certificate, apply to the district law society in the area where you intend to work or have your principal place of business.
Did you hold a practising certificate more than two years ago?
If more than two years have elapsed since you last held a New Zealand practising certificate, you will have to go through a slightly lengthier process to obtain a practising certificate. That process is set out in s58 of the Law Practitioners Act.
The s58 process involves giving the district law society two months' notice of your application for a practising certificate and providing fresh evidence of good character and fitness to practice. You may well be able to set that process in motion before you arrive back in New Zealand.
Practising on your own
If you want to practise as a solicitor on your own account (ie. as a sole practitioner or partner in a firm) and have not done so in New Zealand before, then you will need to go through the s55 process of approval. That does require further study - satisfactory completion of the Flying Start programme, offered regularly in various districts. The district law society will be able to give you details.
Operating a trust account
If you intend to practise as a solicitor on your own account and operate a trust account and you are not already qualified or exempt from qualification as a trust account partner, you will need to undertake that training as well. See training information and the NZLS component of the current (2002) practising fees.
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