Lawyer Help

Tell us what's happened. We'll call you back.

You don't have to explain it well, and you don't have to have decided anything. Leave your number and we'll ring you, usually within the hour. Nothing about that call costs you anything.

Call 021 911 133 Request a callback

Within 1 hour

Our best effort on every callback, in business hours. Often sooner.

Same day

A phone or Zoom appointment with Melanie, if you want one.

9am to 9pm

Monday to Friday, and Saturday 2pm to 6pm.

0800 OK2DRIVE

Freephone, free from a mobile with no credit.

If we haven't rung you back, ring us. We're probably just helping someone else get back on the road.

Request a callback

Fill in what you can. Four fields are enough, and you can leave the rest blank if you'd rather talk than type.

On that call you get told what you're realistically facing, whether there's an application worth making in your situation, and what it would cost as a fixed number.

The number to ring. We don't text marketing.
If you'd rather we emailed than rang.
You don't have to explain it well. A sentence or two is plenty. For example, "drink driving charge, court date next Tuesday."

The callback is free. The appointment after it is $230, and by the end of that one you'll know exactly where you stand. All fees, published →

What happens to this. It goes to Melanie and nowhere else. We don't sell it, and sending it doesn't make us your lawyer: no engagement starts until it's agreed in writing. If you decide not to go ahead, that's the end of it. No follow-up calls, no marketing emails.

Or just ring. Any of these reach us.

Mobile021 911 133
The fastest way.

Freephone0800 OK2DRIVE
Free to call, including from a mobile with no credit.

Emailok2drive@lawyerhelp.co.nz
Answered the same day, in business hours.

Two times to ring instead of filling in the form

You're at the roadside right now. If you've been asked to give a breath or blood test, you have the right to speak to a lawyer first. Make that call before you do anything else.

Your court date is this week. Ring 021 911 133 and say so at the start of the call. Some options close once you've been dealt with, so a few days matter.

Outside our hours, txt and we'll call you back the next morning.

The questions people ring and ask

Does it cost anything to ring?

No. Ringing us, and the callback where we work out whether you need a lawyer, costs nothing. If you decide to go ahead, the first proper appointment, where you get actual advice on your case, is $230. You'll know that before it's booked, and every fee we charge is published.

We'll also tell you if you don't need a lawyer at all, and that happens regularly. Some charges are better dealt with by turning up, pleading guilty and saying very little. We'd rather tell you that on a free call than take an appointment fee to reach the same answer.

Who actually rings me back, Melanie or someone else?

Melanie is a barrister sole: there are no juniors and no hand-offs, so the person who does the legal work on your case is the person you speak to about it.

I'm not in Auckland. Are you any use to me?

Yes. We act for clients throughout New Zealand. Appointments are by phone or Zoom, and where the court allows it Melanie appears by Zoom too, so many clients never travel and often never attend court. Our appearance fee is $230 at the Auckland District Court and $287 at other greater Auckland courts. If your case is elsewhere, ask on the callback and you'll be told the number before anything starts.

I don't want to talk on the phone. Can I email instead?

Yes. Email ok2drive@lawyerhelp.co.nz, or use the form above and tell us you'd rather not be rung. A lot of people can't take a private call at work, and some just find it easier to write it down. That's fine, and it makes no difference to how your case is handled.

Is what I tell you confidential?

What you tell us about your case is treated as confidential, and it stays that way after your matter has finished. The form above goes to Melanie and nowhere else. If it makes you more comfortable, leave the detail out and just give us your number. You can tell us everything on the phone instead.

Most people who get in touch have been putting it off for days. It usually stops feeling unmanageable in the first ten minutes.

Call 021 911 133