Increase in Disputes Tribunal Jurisdiction

From 24 January 2026, the Disputes Tribunal’s financial jurisdiction will increase from $30,000 to $60,000. These changes will improve New Zealanders’ access to cost-effective justice.

Filing fee increase: The Tribunal’s filing fees will also increase as they are set in tiers according to the amount in dispute. The filing fee for claims of $30,001 or more will be $468.

The tiered filing fee system reflects the amount of time taken to hear the dispute with larger claims assumed to take longer and have greater impact on the parties. While the new tier is higher than the current cost to file a claim in the District Court, the Tribunal does not charge additional hearing fees so access to justice is still improved.

Tribunal process: The Disputes Tribunal provides timely, low-cost, and accessible resolutions for many civil or contractual disputes. Hearings are run by a referee in an informal setting, unlike the formal court process. Lawyers are not permitted.

The Tribunal does not deal with undisputed debts, disputed debt valued over $60,000, employment issues, tenancy issues, social benefit disputes, wills or estate disputes, land disputes, intellectual property or family law. For these disputes there are other means of seeking justice such as the District or Family Court and so on.

Good for resolving contractual disputes: For farmers, this expansion provides a more accessible avenue for resolving contractual disputes. It offers a cheaper, faster alternative to the court system and avoids the common issue where civil claims between $30,000 and $60,000 are uneconomic to pursue. Previously, claims were partly abandoned to limit a claim to $30,000 and stay within the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal. The ability to abandon part of a claim will still be available to bring larger claims down to $60,000 but, as before, one large claim cannot be broken up into multiple smaller claims.

Time limits: It is still important to be mindful of any applicable time limits involved in a claim. For example, some contract milking agreements require specific notice of disputes to be raised within 28 days of either becoming aware of the issue or the end of the season, whichever occurs earlier. While those clauses may not apply to claims before the Disputes Tribunal, it would be wise to ensure they are met to avoid any argument, especially if the Tribunal’s jurisdiction will be exceeded.

Although we cannot appear at the Disputes Tribunal, if you would like some advice on a potential claim or defence we are happy to help.

DISCLAIMER: All the information published is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this article. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of this firm. Articles appearing in this newsletter may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source. Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2019. Editor: Adrienne Olsen. E-mail: adrienne@adroite.co.nz. Ph: 029 286 3650 or 04 496 5513.