Emergency Legal Help
Facing a legal emergency in New Zealand? If anyone is in immediate danger, call 111 first. For everything else, Legal Hotline's free legal information line answers 24/7 on 0800 461 100 — police questioning, an arrest in the family, a protection order served on you, an urgent court date, a bond or eviction crisis — so you understand where you stand straight away. It is an AI legal assistant trained on New Zealand law; it gives legal information, not legal advice, and a NZ$295 (GST inclusive) consultation with a New Zealand lawyer can be booked right on the call.
Free legal information, 24/7. Want a lawyer? Book a one-hour consultation with a New Zealand lawyer for NZ$295 (GST inclusive) — right on the call.
What Counts as a Legal Emergency — and What To Do First
Some legal problems cannot wait for business hours. If the police want to question you or someone you love has been arrested, you have rights before you say anything — and if you are being held, the government's Police Detention Legal Assistance scheme gives you free advice from an on-call lawyer. If you are unsafe at home, the Family Court can grant a temporary protection order on an urgent without-notice application, often within 24 to 48 hours. If you have been served with court papers, the clock on your response is already running. In every one of these situations the worst move is guessing. Legal Hotline's free line on 0800 461 100 explains, immediately and in plain English, what the law says about your situation, what happens next and which deadlines matter.
Free Information First — a Lawyer If You Need One
The information call costs nothing, any hour of any day, and for many emergencies it is enough to know your rights and next step. When the situation needs a lawyer — a court appearance, a protection order application, an employment ultimatum with a deadline attached — you can book a one-hour phone consultation with a New Zealand lawyer for NZ$295 (GST inclusive) right on the same call. And where a free service is the better fit, we point you straight to it: your local Community Law Centre, the Citizens Advice Bureau, legal aid through the Ministry of Justice, or the duty lawyer at court.
How It Works
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free 24/7 legal advice line in New Zealand?
There is no government-run, around-the-clock line for general legal questions in New Zealand — the free 24/7 schemes are situation-specific, like Police Detention Legal Assistance for people being questioned or held by police, and services such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Community Law Centres run limited hours. Legal Hotline fills that gap: a free, private, 24/7 legal information line on 0800 461 100 for any legal question. It gives legal information, not legal advice, and a NZ$295 (GST inclusive) consultation with a New Zealand lawyer can be booked on the call.
The police want to talk to me — what should I do first?
You generally must give police your name, address and date of birth, but beyond that you have the right to remain silent and the right to speak to a lawyer — and if you are detained or arrested, the free Police Detention Legal Assistance scheme connects you with an on-call lawyer at any hour. Before any interview, get legal information first: call 0800 461 100, free, and understand your position before you decide what to say.
I've been served with court papers after hours — can anyone help tonight?
Yes — call 0800 461 100 now, free. The assistant explains what the documents mean, what the process is, and how long you have to respond under New Zealand court rules, so nothing expires while you wait for offices to open. If you need a lawyer to act, a NZ$295 (GST inclusive) consultation with a New Zealand lawyer can be booked on the same call.
Is this legal advice or legal information?
The free line gives legal information — what New Zealand law says, how the process works, and what options people in your situation generally have. Legal advice — a qualified lawyer applying the law to your specific facts and telling you what you should do — is what the paid NZ$295 (GST inclusive) consultation is for. Calling the hotline is free and creates no lawyer-client relationship; we are not a law firm.
Who answers when I call?
An AI legal assistant trained on New Zealand law answers immediately, 24 hours a day — no hold music and no call-back queue. It talks with you in plain English (or your language), explains where you stand, and if you want a lawyer it can book a one-hour consultation with a New Zealand lawyer (NZ$295, GST inclusive) before you hang up.
Need legal help right now?
Call the free information line any time, day or night — and if you want a lawyer, book a NZ$295 consultation (GST inclusive) right on the call.
Call the Free Hotline 0800 461 100Free legal information. Not legal advice.