The Duty Lawyer usually can’t represent you after the first day of your case. If you can’t afford a lawyer, you’ll need to apply for Legal Aid for a lawyer to represent you for the rest of your case.
If you want the Duty Lawyer to be your Legal Aid lawyer for your case, you can say this in your application form, and the Legal Aid section may be able to assign that lawyer to you. But Duty Lawyers aren’t allowed to ask you to choose them as your preferred lawyer for Legal Aid.
Helping the Duty Lawyer to help you
There are some things you can do to make the most of the Duty Lawyer’s services.
Get there early
Be at the courts early so that there’s plenty of time to talk with the Duty Lawyer about your case. Usually this will mean getting to the court by 8.30am.
Put the key information in writing
Write down and bring with you a statement that explains:
what happened, from your point of view. For example, if you’ve been charged with assault after a fight, including things like why and how it started, who got violent first, and whether you were just acting to defend yourself or someone else against being physically hurt.
your background and personal situation, including things like your income and living costs, and any things you do for your local community, like coaching children’s sports teams or mentoring younger people on your marae.