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No Win No Fee - Employment Advocates New Zealand
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No Win No Fee

No Win No Fee employment advocacy means you usually do not pay our professional fees upfront. We assess the merits, then charge our fee only on a successful outcome (typically a settlement or a favourable determination), subject to disbursements and your Terms of Engagement.

Employee Case Review Compensation

No Win No Fee Employment Law (NZ)

"No Win, No Fee" usually means you do not pay our professional fees upfront. If we take your case on under a no win no fee arrangement, we are generally paid when a successful outcome is achieved (often a settlement, or a favourable result), subject to the Terms of Engagement.

It is important to understand: no win, no fee is not "free". You may still need to cover disbursements (for example, filing fees, a small upfront start/commitment fee) and the arrangement relies on you giving us a genuine opportunity to run the case properly.

How it works in practice

  • Merits first: We assess whether the case has merit and whether no win no fee is appropriate for your situation.
  • Early resolution where reasonable: If a reasonable settlement is available, we will usually recommend taking it rather than "dragging it out".
  • Escalation if needed: If the employer won't engage reasonably, the matter can progress through negotiation/mediation and, if required, to the Emplopyment Relations Authority (ERA) (and sometimes to the Employment Court).
  • Fees at the end: On a successful outcome, our fee is paid from the settlement/resolution on the basis set out in the engagement terms.

What is a "win"?

A "win" is typically a practical outcome that resolves the employment relationship problem in your favour - commonly:

  • A financial settlement (for example, compensation and/or lost wages), or
  • A favourable determination (or a strong position that leads to settlement), and/or
  • A meaningful outcome such as reinstatement or agreed exit terms (depending on what is realistically achievable).
No guarantees: Employment disputes involve risk. We will give you realistic advice about strengths, weaknesses, and likely settlement range.

Client commitment matters

No win no fee only works if we can actually run the case. We will usually need you to:

  • Provide documents: employment agreement, letters, emails/texts, meeting notes, policies, rosters, wage records.
  • Act promptly: delays and missing information can weaken leverage and limit options.
  • Support your loss claims: job-search evidence and mitigation steps (where relevant).
  • Engage with the process: particularly around instructions, drafting, and evidence.

Upfront costs and "termination fees"

  • Disbursements may apply: in some cases we may require an upfront disbursement (for example, an Authority filing fee) where early filing is necessary.
  • If you withdraw or do not cooperate: where the case cannot be progressed because you pull out or do not give a real opportunity to achieve an outcome, fees for work done to date may become payable (as set out in the Terms of Engagement).
  • If you reject a reasonable offer: if we advise an offer is reasonable and you choose not to accept it, the engagement may move to hourly billing from that point (subject to the Terms).

Start here

The fastest way is to submit the case form with a short timeline and key documents. We will confirm whether no win no fee is available for your matter.
Employee Case Form

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ERA settlements and s 150A "Payment on resolution of problem": paying advocates directly and GST Invoices

ERA settlements and s 150A "Payment on resolution of problem": paying advocates directly and GST Invoices

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No Win No Fee Employment Lawyers Employment Law Advice For Employers

Parties can agree that an advocate is paid directly by the employer in terms of an s 149 record of settlement. "Payment" excludes legal or advocacy services where such service is a separate term of the settlement and a GST invoice for a defined sum is provided to the other party.

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