FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is CL Law?

CL Law Limited is an incorporated legal practice (an incorporated law firm) based in Auckland, New Zealand, and was incorporated in 2010. We provide quality legal services to businesses and private clients across a wide range of matters. We aim to be practical, friendly, accessible and reasonably priced, working with you to understand what you want to achieve.

Read more about CL Law or meet our team.

What languages does your team speak?

Our professional team speaks English, Korean, Japanese, Malay, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Where are your offices?

Our principal office is at Level 5, 205 Wairau Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0627. We also have an appointment-only office in the Canterbury region to serve our South Island clients.

How do I contact you?

Phone: +64 9 485 3434Email: info@cl-law.co.nzDX Mail: DX BP66037Post: PO Box 33969, Takapuna, Auckland 0740Website: www.cl-law.co.nz

You can also send us a message through our contact page.

What areas of law do you cover?

We practise across a wide range of matters, including:

• General legal
• Immigration (including Investor Resident Visa)
• Commercial law
• Company incorporation and company law
• Employment
• Intellectual property
• Sale and purchase of real estate
• Sale and purchase of business
• Family trusts
• Family (separation, dissolution of marriage and relationship property division)
• Wills and estates

See all of our practice areas.

What happens when I engage CL Law?

Before work begins, we provide our Terms of Engagement, which set out the services we will provide. In line with New Zealand's anti-money-laundering obligations, we will also carry out identity and source-of-funds checks. These checks are a legal requirement and do not imply any suspicion of wrongdoing on your part.

See our Terms of Engagement.

What are your opening hours?

Our business hours are 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Holiday closures (for example over the Christmas and New Year period) are advised separately.

How are your fees calculated?

Depending on the matter, fees may be fixed, estimated, charged in stages, or based on the time required and the level of skill and responsibility involved — plus disbursements (third-party costs such as search, registration and courier fees). Where we give an indication of our fees, that is an estimate, not a fixed quote; unforeseen complications may mean additional time is charged at the applicable hourly rate. Our Terms of Engagement set out how fees are charged.

For general guidance on legal fees in New Zealand, see the New Zealand Law Society’s Legal fees and billing page.

Why do you need to check my identity and source of funds?

New Zealand's anti-money-laundering laws require us to verify your identity and, in many matters, the source of your funds before we act. These checks are a legal requirement that applies to all clients and do not imply any suspicion about you.

What is the difference between confidentiality and privilege?

Confidentiality is our professional duty to keep your information private. Privilege is a narrower legal protection that can prevent certain lawyer-client communications from having to be disclosed in legal proceedings. Information can be confidential without being privileged.

Can one lawyer act for both parties?

Usually not, because the parties' interests may conflict — for example a buyer and seller, or two sides of a dispute. In some limited and straightforward situations it may be possible with informed consent, but where there is a real risk of conflict each party should have their own independent lawyer.

What information should I provide at the outset?

Please bring your identification documents, any relevant contracts, correspondence or court papers, key dates and deadlines, and a clear summary of what you want to achieve. Providing full and accurate information early helps us advise you properly and keep costs down.