Regulatory & Compliance Information
A factual summary of Lawmateanz's business model, fee structure, and disclosures — prepared for regulators, auditors, or anyone reviewing the platform.
What Lawmateanz is
Lawmateanz is operated by LawMate Limited, a company incorporated in New Zealand. It is an online directory and matching platform operating in New Zealand and Australia. It connects clients who need legal help with independent lawyers, and connects lawyers with independent accountants, virtual assistants, and cybersecurity providers. Full detail in our Terms of Service.
Fee structure — no share of any professional's fees
| Who | What they pay | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | Nothing | Always free |
| Lawyers | Free until first client match, then NZ$250/month | Flat subscription — fixed regardless of case count or value |
| Accountants / VAs / cybersecurity providers | One-off flat fee per batch | Fixed price, not tied to any transaction value |
Concretely, Lawmateanz does not:
- Take any percentage or share of a lawyer's fees, settlements, or awards
- Process, hold, or have visibility into any payment between a client and a lawyer — clients pay lawyers directly, entirely outside the platform
- Determine, cap, or influence what any lawyer charges their own client
- Charge per-lead or per-referral — every fee is flat, described in full on our pricing pages
Not a referral-fee arrangement
Lawmateanz's fee to lawyers is fixed and disclosed in advance — it does not vary with case value, outcome, or whether a match ever converts into a client relationship. This distinguishes it from a referral-fee or fee-splitting arrangement, which typically involves a percentage tied to a specific matter. Lawmateanz does not select which lawyer a client should use based on any payment received, does not receive any portion of a lawyer's fee from any individual client, and has no visibility into the terms, value, or outcome of any engagement formed through the platform. Each lawyer independently decides whether to accept any client, on their own professional judgment — Lawmateanz's matching is a directory function, not a referral or brokering service acting on the client's behalf.
No involvement in outcomes
Lawmateanz is not a law firm, does not provide legal or financial advice, is not a party to any engagement between a client and a professional, and does not supervise or control the day-to-day conduct of any listed professional once a match has been made. Responsibility for advice, conduct, and outcome sits with the professional a client engages — to the maximum extent permitted by law, not as an absolute claim, since New Zealand's Fair Trading Act and Australia's Consumer Law don't allow a business to exclude rights that can't lawfully be excluded. Full wording in Terms of Service, sections 11 and 16.
What's disclosed, and where
- On every lawyer profile and directory card a client sees — a visible notice stating the fee structure, that Lawmateanz takes no percentage, and that suitability is the client's own decision to make.
- Before any request or question is sent — clients must tick a box agreeing to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (and to their details being shared with the lawyer) before they can submit. Lawyers and providers must agree to the Terms before they can use their dashboards.
- To lawyers specifically — a dashboard tool providing ready-to-use wording for disclosing this fee arrangement to their own clients, in line with their professional conduct obligations (e.g. Rule 12.4 of the Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules, or the equivalent NZ Law Society duty).
- Self-reported information is labelled as such — Legal Aid availability, fixed-fee availability, and lawyer response rates are all clearly marked as self-reported or client-sourced, not independently verified by Lawmateanz, wherever they're shown.
Verification
Every lawyer's practising credential is checked against the relevant public register (the NZ Law Society's national register, or the applicant's state Law Society/Bar Association register in Australia) before being listed. This confirms a credential was current at the time of approval — it is not an ongoing guarantee, and this limitation is stated plainly wherever verification is referenced.
Data handling
Full detail in our Privacy Policy, including what's collected, retention, security measures, and our breach-notification commitment under NZ's Privacy Act 2020 and Australia's Privacy Act 1988.
Referral partners and referral links
Organisations in New Zealand and Australia can register free as referral partners and share a link with people they cannot help, or with lawyers who were not selected for a role. Partners are unpaid: Lawmateanz pays and receives no fee, commission, credit or other benefit for referrals, consistent with the flat-fee structure above and with matching being a directory function rather than a referral or brokering service. A referral link does not influence which lawyer is chosen, except that a referred client is never matched to the lawyer or firm that referred them.
Links carry a referral code only. Partners never send, and never receive, personal information about clients or applicants, and see counts only. Partners must comply with the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 (NZ) and the Spam Act 2003 (Australia) for any message that includes a link, with the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ) and Privacy Act 1988 (Australia), and with their own professional obligations. Lawmateanz is not a recruitment agency. See the Referral Partner Terms.
Contact
reuben@lawmateanz.com