From Invercargill and Bluff to Gore, Te Anau and Riverton, when you're charged with an offence, separating from a partner, or facing a problem at work, you need clear answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline is a free legal-information line you can call on 0800 461 100: an AI legal assistant trained on New Zealand law gives you clear, plain-language information any hour, and you can ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it won't create a lawyer–client relationship. The guide below explains how the courts and laws that apply in Southland actually work — and a paid consultation with a New Zealand lawyer is coming if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Southland.
Tell the AI legal assistant what's happening — an excess-breath-alcohol charge heading to the Invercargill District Court, a care-of-children dispute, a personal grievance against an employer, an immigration question — and get clear legal information on how New Zealand law works and what your options are. Ask as many questions as you like. That's legal information, not legal advice on your specific case, and using the service won't create a lawyer–client relationship — we're not a law firm. A paid consultation with a New Zealand lawyer is coming if you decide you want representation. New Zealand has one national legal system, so the law that applies in Southland is the same law that applies across the country; what's local is the court you deal with and the services near you.
People moving to New Zealand, or those used to overseas systems, are often surprised to learn they generally cannot sue for personal injury. Under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, New Zealand runs a no-fault accident-compensation scheme administered by ACC. If you're injured in a car crash, at work, or in an accident, you claim from ACC for treatment, rehabilitation and a portion of lost income — but in return the law bars most lawsuits for compensatory damages for that injury. This applies the same way in Southland as everywhere else in the country. It means the right first step after an accident is usually an ACC claim, not a court case, and the deadlines and review rights for ACC decisions are different from the ordinary six-year limit for suing under the Limitation Act 2010. If your problem involves an injury, getting this right early matters. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on how ACC and civil claims work here — a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming if you need one.
Southland has real, free and low-cost legal help, but most of it runs on business hours and many services are income-tested. These organisations are genuinely useful for problems like family disputes, employment, tenancy and benefits — just know they can be busy and eligibility-gated. The Legal Hotline is designed to be different: instant, free legal information with no income test, live now on 0800 461 100. These are also real, currently available Southland and national resources worth knowing right now.
Wherever you are in Southland, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Is there a free legal hotline for Southland I can call?
Yes — the Legal Hotline is a free legal-information line you can call on 0800 461 100. An AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information on New Zealand law any hour, with no income test, and you can ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it won't create a lawyer–client relationship. Other local resources can also help right now: the Southland Community Law Centre in Invercargill (0800 550 800) gives free legal advice, and the Citizens Advice Bureau offers free guidance. A paid consultation with a New Zealand lawyer is coming if you want one.
Which court will hear my case in Southland?
It depends on the problem. Most criminal charges, drink-driving matters and civil claims start in the District Court — for this region the Invercargill District Court at 35 Don Street, or the Gore District Court at 6 Hokonui Drive in the north. Serious crimes, jury trials and larger civil disputes can be heard in the High Court, which also sits in Invercargill. Family matters such as care of children and relationship property go to the Family Court, and small money disputes up to $60,000 go to the Disputes Tribunal. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on which forum fits your situation.
What's the drink-driving limit in New Zealand?
Under the Land Transport Act 1998, the adult limit is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, or 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. For drivers under 20, the limit is zero. New Zealand calls this drink-driving, or excess breath or blood alcohol — not 'DUI'. Charges are dealt with in the District Court, and penalties can include fines, disqualification from driving and, for higher readings or repeat offences, more serious consequences. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on how a charge works; a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming if you want to defend it.
I'm separating from my partner in Southland — where do I start?
Family matters are dealt with under national law in the Family Court, which sits within the Invercargill and Gore courthouses. Care of, and contact with, children comes under the Care of Children Act 2004; dividing relationship property (often the home and shared assets) comes under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976; and formally ending a marriage or civil union comes under the Family Proceedings Act 1980. Many separations are resolved by agreement without a hearing. Call the Legal Hotline for free legal information on how these laws apply to you — that's information, not advice on your case — and the Southland Community Law Centre can also help.
Can I get free legal help in Southland if I can't afford a lawyer?
Yes. The Southland Community Law Centre at 33 Don Street, Invercargill provides free legal advice and information (phone 0800 550 800), and the Citizens Advice Bureau gives free guidance and referrals. Government-funded legal aid can pay for a lawyer if you qualify financially, though it's income-tested and often repayable; you can apply through the Ministry of Justice or ask the duty lawyer at court. The Legal Hotline adds instant, free legal information with no income test — call any time and ask as many questions as you like.
I have a problem at work — how long do I have to act?
Under the Employment Relations Act 2000, if you want to raise a personal grievance — for example over an unjustified dismissal or unfair treatment — you generally must raise it with your employer within 90 days of the problem, or of when you became aware of it. That's a strict deadline, so don't wait. If it isn't resolved, the matter can go to the Employment Relations Authority and then the Employment Court. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on how the 90-day rule and the process work; a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming if you want representation.
How long do I have to bring a civil claim, and where does it go?
For most civil claims the Limitation Act 2010 sets a general deadline of six years, though some claims differ, so timing matters. Where a claim goes depends on its size: the Disputes Tribunal handles claims up to $60,000 without lawyers, the District Court hears civil claims up to $350,000, and larger claims go to the High Court. Importantly, if your problem involves a personal injury, the Accident Compensation Act 2001 usually bars a lawsuit and sends you to ACC instead. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on how the deadlines and forums apply to your situation.
Does New Zealand law change from region to region?
No. New Zealand has one national legal system — there are no states or provinces with their own laws. The same Acts of Parliament apply in Southland as in the rest of the country, so the offences, rights and deadlines are identical whether you're in Invercargill, Gore or anywhere else. What's 'local' is the court you attend — the Invercargill or Gore District Court — and the services near you, like the Southland Community Law Centre. The Legal Hotline's AI legal assistant is trained on New Zealand law, so the information you get reflects how things actually work here.
Can the Legal Hotline help with an immigration matter in Southland?
Immigration is national law under the Immigration Act 2009, administered by Immigration New Zealand, with appeals to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal — so the rules are the same across the country. Call the Legal Hotline for clear legal information on visas, residence, work and study permits, deportation and appeals — that's information, not legal advice on your case. The Southland Community Law Centre also helps with some immigration questions, and a paid consultation with a New Zealand lawyer is coming if you want representation.
How is the Legal Hotline different from a lawyer or community law?
We're a fast first step, not a law firm. Our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about New Zealand law instantly when you call — but it does not give legal advice on your specific case, is not a substitute for a lawyer, and using it won't create a lawyer–client relationship. We're also not a community law centre or legal aid: the Southland Community Law Centre and legal aid offer advice and representation but can be income-tested and run mostly in business hours. A separate paid service — booking a consultation with a New Zealand lawyer — is coming. For now, you get clear legal information fast, any hour, with no income test and as many questions as you like.
I was just arrested in Southland. What should I do?
Stay calm and give police your name and details if required, but you have the right to remain silent beyond that, and the right to speak with a lawyer — say clearly that you want to do so before you answer questions. There's a free Police Detention Legal Assistance scheme for people held by police, and the duty lawyer at the Invercargill or Gore District Court can help at your first appearance. You can also call the Legal Hotline for free legal information on how the criminal process — bail, first appearance, charges — works; that's information, not legal advice. A paid consultation with a lawyer is coming if you want representation.
Are you a lawyer practising in Southland and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is live on 0800 461 100, and paid consultations with local lawyers are live too — connecting people in Invercargill, Gore, Te Anau and across the region with a lawyer when they need representation. Join the network now to receive matched, paying referrals in your practice areas — criminal, family, immigration, employment, civil, and more.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Whether you're in Invercargill, Bluff, Gore, Te Anau or a small town across the region, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline gives you free, plain-language legal information on New Zealand law, available any hour — ask the AI legal assistant as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and we're not a law firm. A paid consultation with a New Zealand lawyer is coming if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.