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The Disputes Tribunal

The Disputes Tribunal is where ordinary New Zealand money disputes get decided — faulty work, unpaid invoices between people, car-accident damage, consumer fights — now up to $60,000, after the cap doubled on 24 January 2026. It is deliberately informal: a referee decides, filing is cheap, and lawyers cannot appear at the hearing. That last rule means preparation is everything — and preparation is exactly what you can get help with. Call 0800 461 100 free, any hour.

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Disputes Tribunal at a glance

The cap

Claims up to $60,000 — doubled from $30,000 by the Disputes Tribunal Amendment Act 2025, in force 24 January 2026; slightly larger claims can abandon the excess to stay in

Who decides

A referee — not a judge — in a private, informal hearing; strict rules of evidence do not apply

Lawyers

Cannot represent you at the hearing (limited exceptions) — but nothing stops you preparing with advice beforehand

Cost

Modest filing fees scaled to claim size — a fraction of court costs

The usual suspects

Faulty goods and services, building and repair disputes, loans between people, vehicle accidents, fencing and neighbour issues, bond-adjacent flat disputes

Time limit

The Limitation Act's 6-year clock applies to most money claims — old disputes die quietly

What belongs in the Tribunal (and what does not)

The Tribunal hears disputes about contracts, quasi-contracts, and damage to property — which covers most consumer and small-business friction: the botched renovation, the unpaid personal loan, the panel-beater's bill after a careless reverse, the $8,000 sofa that fell apart. It does not hear everything: employment matters belong to the Employment Relations Authority, tenancy matters to the Tenancy Tribunal, debts already beyond dispute can suit court summary processes, and defamation, wills and land title sit outside entirely.

If your claim is worth a little over $60,000, you may abandon the excess and stay — often smarter than funding District Court litigation for the difference. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

Bringing a claim that wins

Filing is straightforward — online, with the fee scaled to the claim. What decides hearings is the bundle you bring: the contract, quote or messages that show what was agreed; the photos and reports that show what went wrong; the invoices and receipts that prove the loss; and a clear, dated chronology one page long. Referees are practical people hearing practical disputes — the party who can show what was agreed, what happened, and what it cost almost always beats the party with feelings and fragments.

Before filing at all, send a letter of demand with a deadline: it is fast, free, sometimes ends the matter, and always reads well at the hearing. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

Defending a claim against you

Take it seriously — an unanswered claim can be decided without you, and Tribunal orders are enforceable like court judgments. The same preparation rules apply in reverse: the documents that show what was actually agreed, evidence of what you delivered, and any counterclaim you hold (which the Tribunal can hear at the same time). Settlement before the hearing is always open — and a realistic assessment of your exposure, made early, is what stops both over-paying to make it go away and over-confidence walking into a loss. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

After the decision: enforcement

Winning produces an order; collecting is a second step when the other side won't pay. Tribunal orders are enforced through the District Court's machinery — attachment orders against wages and benefits, warrants against property, and examinations of the debtor's means. Enforcement takes persistence, and it is why the pre-filing question "can they actually pay?" belongs at the start of every claim. Appeals from the Tribunal are deliberately narrow (essentially procedural unfairness, not "the referee got it wrong") — the hearing is your one real shot, which is one more argument for preparing it properly. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

Running a Tribunal claim, step by step

Demand firstA clear written demand with a deadline — what happened, what you want, by when. It settles a surprising share of disputes and costs nothing.

File and prepare the bundleFile online with the modest fee, then build the evidence: agreement, proof of the failure, proof of the loss, one-page chronology.

Get advice before, argue it yourself on the dayLawyers can't appear, but preparation is legal work you can get help with — call 0800 461 100 free, any hour, and for high-stakes claims book a NZ$295 (GST inclusive) consultation with a New Zealand lawyer on the call before the hearing.

Disputes Tribunal — your questions answered

My claim is $70,000. Am I locked out of the Tribunal?

Not necessarily — you can abandon the amount above $60,000 and claim the maximum in the Tribunal. Giving up $10,000 to avoid District Court costs, delay and risk is often the commercially sensible trade. Above that, the District Court takes claims to $350,000.

Is there really no lawyer allowed at the hearing?

Representation at the hearing is barred in all but limited situations — that is the Tribunal's design, keeping both sides equal. Advice beforehand is a different matter entirely: getting your legal position, your evidence and your number straight before the day is allowed, sensible, and usually decisive.

How long does it take?

Materially faster than court — typically a hearing within weeks to a few months of filing, depending on the venue's list, and most matters are decided in a single sitting. The referee's order follows promptly.

The other party ignored the Tribunal order. Now what?

Enforce it through the District Court: attachment orders against wages or benefits, warrants to seize property, financial examinations. Bring the order and the non-payment evidence; enforcement is procedural but real. An order plus persistence beats a promise every time.

Can the Tribunal handle my dispute with a business over a dodgy product?

Yes — consumer claims under the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act are core Tribunal work: refunds, repairs, replacements and compensation for faulty goods and careless services. Bring the proof of purchase, the fault evidence, and your remedy request.