What the Disputes Tribunal does
The Tribunal decides disputes about contracts and quasi-contracts, and about damage to property — the territory covering most consumer and small-business friction. It sits at District Court venues nationwide, in private, before a referee rather than a judge; strict rules of evidence do not apply, and its design keeps both sides equal by excluding legal representation at the hearing (with narrow exceptions). Since the Disputes Tribunal Amendment Act 2025 took effect on 24 January 2026, its jurisdiction runs to $60,000 — double the previous cap — and claimants slightly above the line may abandon the excess to stay in. It applies the general law, with the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and Fair Trading Act 1986 doing the heavy lifting in consumer cases. Its orders bind like judgments and are enforced through the District Court's machinery; appeals are deliberately narrow, essentially confined to procedural unfairness.
What it hears
- Consumer disputes — faulty goods and defective services under the Consumer Guarantees Act, misleading conduct under the Fair Trading Act
- Building, repair and trades disputes within the cap
- Loans between individuals, unpaid invoices and other contract claims
- Vehicle-accident property damage between drivers and insurers' subrogated claims
- Fencing and some neighbour disputes
- Claims up to $60,000 — with abandonment of the excess available just above the line
Before your first court date
Send a letter of demand before filing — a clear statement of what happened, what you want and by when. It resolves a share of disputes outright and reads well later. Then file online with the scaled fee, and build the bundle the hearing will turn on - the agreement (contract, quote, messages), proof of the failure (photos, expert notes, the faulty item itself where practical), proof of the loss (invoices, receipts, quotes to remedy), and a one-page dated chronology. Think about the remedy you actually want — refund, payment, repair — and its exact number. If you are the respondent, prepare the same way in mirror image, and bring any counterclaim into the same hearing.
What happens at your first appearance
Hearings are private, around a table more than a courtroom, and the referee runs the conversation — questions to each side, documents examined, sometimes a settlement nudge before decision. You speak for yourself; support people can attend, but lawyers cannot represent you save in narrow circumstances. Be concrete and chronological, answer what is asked, and hand up the documents that prove each point as it arises. Decisions (orders) usually follow promptly, in writing. Non-attendance is the worst strategy in the building — the Tribunal can decide without you.
What to prepare
- The application (or notice) and the fee receipt
- The agreement — contract, quote, invoice, or the message thread that shows what was agreed
- Proof of the failure — dated photos, videos, reports, the item itself where practical
- Proof of the loss — receipts, invoices, remediation quotes
- A one-page chronology and your remedy figure — the exact order you want the referee to make
- Your counterclaim documents, if you are respondent with a cross-claim
When to get legal advice
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. The Tribunal's no-lawyers rule applies to the hearing — not to preparation. Understanding which guarantee or term your claim stands on, what your remedy is worth, and how to organise the evidence is legal work you can get help with beforehand — and for claims near the $60,000 ceiling, an hour of advice is trivially good value. Legal Hotline's free line covers the preparation questions any hour on 0800 461 100, and a one-hour consultation with an experienced New Zealand lawyer (NZ$295, GST inclusive) can be booked right on the call.
Where it is
The Disputes Tribunal sits at District Court venues throughout New Zealand — applications are filed online and the hearing is scheduled at the venue serving the relevant district. Your hearing notice names the venue, date and time.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file?
Filing fees are modest and scaled to the claim's size — a fraction of court costs, by design. The bigger investment is preparation time, and it is the investment that decides hearings.
Really no lawyers at all?
At the hearing, representation is excluded in all but narrow situations — that is the Tribunal's equalising design. Before the hearing, advice and preparation help are entirely allowed, and the well-prepared party usually wins.
The other side ignored the order. What now?
Enforce through the District Court — attachment orders against wages or benefits, warrants against property, financial assessments. Tribunal orders bind like judgments; collection is a second step, not a second argument.
Can I appeal if I think the referee got it wrong?
Only narrowly — appeals essentially require procedural unfairness in how the hearing was conducted, not disagreement with the outcome. The hearing is your real opportunity, which is one more reason to prepare it properly.