How LawMate matches you with a lawyer

Finding the right lawyer shouldn't take hours of searching. Here's exactly what happens when you use LawMate, and what we do and don't do.

1. Describe what's going on

Tell us about your situation in your own words, with no legal jargon needed. We suggest which area of law it falls under, such as family, employment or property, and show you verified lawyers who practise in that area.

2. Every lawyer is verified first

Before any lawyer appears on LawMate, we check their practising certificate against the official register: the New Zealand Law Society's register, or the relevant regulator in Australia. Details like Legal Aid, fixed fees and rates are provided by the lawyers themselves and marked that way, so always confirm them with the lawyer.

3. Local lawyers come first

When we match you, lawyers in your own region come first, and requests are shared fairly between them so no single lawyer gets every one. If nobody local is available, we'll try to match you with the closest available lawyer and tell you that's what we've done. If no lawyer is available at all yet, we tell you straight away rather than leave you waiting.

4. You connect directly

Once you're matched, your details go to that lawyer (only with your consent), and you get theirs. From there it's between you and the lawyer: you agree any fees directly with them, and you pay them directly. LawMate never takes a share.

Just have a question?

You can ask it on LawMate Answers instead. Questions are anonymous and checked before they're published, and verified lawyers answer them publicly under their own names. Answers are general information, not legal advice about your situation.

Free for clients, always

Clients never pay LawMate anything. We're new and growing city by city, starting in Christchurch and Perth, so in some places there may not be a lawyer listed yet.