Standard Terms of Engagement & Client Care Information

As required by the Law Society's Conduct and Client Care Rules, we provide you with the following information: E tatau i loia ona mulimulita'i i ni tulaga fa'apitoa o le amio fa'apolofesa o lo'o fa'ata'atia mai i Tulafono Fa'afoe ma le Tausiga a Tagata Fa'atau mo Loia.. I lalo o nei tulafono, so'o se auaunaga fa'aloia o lo'o tu'uina atu e lau loia, e tatau ona usitaia e lau loia mea nei:

• galue ma le agavaa, i se taimi talafeagai, ma e tusa ai ma faatonuga na maua ma faatulagaga
• puipuia ma fa'alauiloa au mea e fiafia i ai ma galue mo oe e aunoa ma ni fa'alavelave fa'aletonu po'o le fa'amaoni
• talanoa ma oe i au sini ma pe faapefea ona sili ona ausia
• tuuina atu ia te oe faamatalaga e uiga i le galuega e fai, o ai na te faia, ma le auala o le a tuuina atu ai auaunaga
• totogi atu ia te oe se totogifuapauina e talafeagai ma talafeagai, ma faailoa atu ia te oe pe faapefea ma le taimi e te totogiina ai
• avatu fa'amatalaga manino ma fautuaga
• protect your privacy and ensure appropriate confidentiality
• treat you fairly, ma le fa'aaloalo, and without discrimination
• keep you informed about the work being done and advise you when it is completed
• let you know how to make a complaint, and deal with any complaint promptly and fairly.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us or contact the Law Society.

The services we will provide for you are outlined in the engagement letter which includes specific details relavent to your matter and who is responsible for providing the services to you on our behalf. The following are standard terms and conditions of your engagement with us and apply to all clients engaged.

From 1 July 2018, matou te manaʻomia e le tulafono e maua nisi faʻamatalaga mai a matou tagata faʻatau i lalo o le AntiMoney Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. O le autu o lenei Tulafono o le taofia lea o tupe e faaofi mai faasolitulafono poo le faatupeina o soo se faiga faatupu faalavelave. E ala i le mauaina o lenei faʻamatalaga, o le a sili atu lo matou malamalama e uiga i fefaʻatauaiga o loʻo matou faia e fai ma sui o matou tagata faʻatau. Afai e i ai so tatou masalosaloga, e iai la matou matafaioi e lipoti atu ai. Pe a matou feiloai ma a matou tagata faʻatau e faʻatalanoa mataupu fou faaletulafono, matou te manaʻomia le mea e taʻua o le "tagata faʻatau e tatau ona filiga" (CDD) lea e aofia ai le fa'amaoniaina o fa'asinomaga o tagata ta'itasi, aso fanau ma le tuatusi. Mo kamupani po'o Trusts, matou te manaʻomia foʻi nisi faʻamatalaga e uiga i isi tagata o loʻo aʻafia i le kamupani poʻo le Trust, e pei o Faatonu, Tagata e umia sea, Tausi Mavaega po'o Fa'amanuiaga. E mafai foʻi ona tatou fesili e uiga i le puna o tupe, ma le mafuaaga o le galuega fuafuaina. Fa'amolemole ia nofouta matou te mana'omia fa'amatalaga/pepa o lo'o i luga a'o le'i mafai ona matou faia so'o se galuega mo a matou tagata fa'atau, ma afai e le mafai ona tuuina mai ona le mafai lea ona tatou galulue.

O totogifuapauina matou te totogiina poʻo le auala o le a taunuu ai, o loʻo faʻamatalaina i le tusi faʻamau. Se'i vagana ua matou fautua atu i se isi itu, o totogi uma e fa'aalu e fa'atatau ile itula i tau eseese e fua ile tulaga o le poto masani a tatou loia.

Ole fua ole itula mo a tatou tagata faigaluega fa'apolofesa e:

• Faatonu $345 – $431.25 i le itula (E aofia ai le GST)
• Pa'aga $287.50 i le itula (E aofia ai le GST)
• Loia $230.00 i le itula (E aofia ai le GST)
• Failautusi Tulafono po o Paralega $115.00 i le itula (E aofia ai le GST)

O le eseesega i fua faatatau e atagia mai ai le poto masani ma le faʻapitoa a le matou aufaigaluega faʻapitoa, lea e faamaumauina i iunite ono minute, lea e fa'apotopoto i le isi iunite o le ono minute. The range of rates offered are dependent on the specialisation required for certain areas of law.

O le a matou totogiina oe mo le lautele o auaunaga ua malilie i ai. So'o se galuega e pa'ū i fafo atu o le lautele o le a totogi i luga ole fua fa'atatau ile itula e pei ona e malilie i ai ma fa'aopoopo i tu'utu'uga na mua'i malilie iai.. . Matou te fautuaina oe i se taimi vave e mafai ai pe a mana'omia le tu'uina atu o auaunaga i fafo atu o le va'aiga ua malilie i ai ma, pe a talosagaina, avatu ia te oe se fa'atatauga o le aofa'i o isi tau.

O le i ai o se fa'atulagaina o totogifuapauina e mafai ona sili atu ona aoga ma taugofie. E maua ai fo'i le fa'amautinoaga atili i le tau tonu o auaunaga e tu'uina atu i le tele o auaunaga e tu'uina atu e le kamupani. Afai e faatatau lea i lau mataupu, ona fa'amauina lea i luga o le tusi fa'amau ma se fa'asologa o pili tau pili fa'apipi'i mo lau iloiloga. Afai e te malilie i le faʻatulagaina o totogi faʻamautu, e tatau ona e tu'uina atu se fa'amaoniga tusitusia o lau filifiliga tau pili lea. Afai e te le faia, ona fa'aaoga lea ole fua fa'atatau ile itula.

I le tu'uina atu o Au'aunaga e mafai ona matou fa'aalu tupe fa'aalu ma totogi i isi vaega e fai ma ou sui. E te fa'atagaina i matou e fa'aalu nei tupe fa'aalu (e mafai ona aofia ai mea faapena e pei o totogi o sailiga, totogifuapauina a le faamasinoga, totogifuapauina o le resitala ma totogi o femalagaiga ma felauaiga) lea e talafeagai lelei mo le tu'uina atu o Auaunaga. You also authorise us to make payments to third parties on your behalf which are reasonably required to undertake the Services (which may include items such as experts’ costs or specialist counsel’s fees). These will be included in our invoice to you, shown as “disbursements” when the expenses are incurred (or in advance when we know we will be incurring them on your behalf).

Travel costs such as airfares or mileage for travel necessary carrying out your instructions will be charged to you either immediately upon booking or when you are due for your next invoice. Mileage will be charged at the current rate per kilometer approved by IRD for the relevant time.

In addition to disbursements, we may charge a fee of 5% of our fee in our invoice to cover out of pocket costs which are not included in our fee and which are not recorded as disbursements. These include items such as photocopying and printing, postage and phone calls and other activites that are incidental to progressing work on our behalf. O le fa'amoemoega o nei tau e fa'aalu ai tau o le fa'atulagaina o au faila, fomu, meli, telefoni feaveai (if any) ma le taofia o lau faila. Afai e mana'omia se kopi tele, e mafai ona matou totogiina mo lenei mea i .17 sene (plus GST where applicable) i le itulau (uliuli ma paepae) ma .35 sene (fa'atasi ai ma le GST pe a talafeagai ai) i le itulau (lanu).

Afai o se faatonu poo se tagata faigaluega a le Tuitala Law Limited e galue o se faafoe poo se tausi mavaega, a trustee responsibility fee may be charged in addition to any fee for legal services (pe a fa'atagaina i lalo o aiaiga o le mana'oga po'o le fa'ailoga) at the relevant lawyer rates as outlined in these terms of engagement.

Lafoga o Oloa ma Auaunaga a Niu Sila (GST) e te totogiina i luga o pili ma tau, vagana ua tuusaunoa oe.

E totogi a matou pili i tala Niu Sila, sei vagana ua tatou ioe i se isi itu. We operate a Solicitor’s Trust Account which is used to take retainer

O le a matou pili i taimi masani pe i le maeʻa o laasaga taʻitasi o lau galuega ua maeʻa mo oe, or on a weekly or fortnightly basis depending on your fee structure. You will then receive a final invoice at the completion of your case.

O pili uma e tatau ona totogi e tusa ai ma le matou tusi faʻamau ma lau filifiliga o le faʻasologa o pili (this varies between each matter). Generally speaking fixed fees invoices are payable immediately upon completion for immediate payment and hourly rate invoices are due for payment within 14 aso ole aso ole pili.

E te fa'atagaina i matou e toese a matou pili ma isi tupe fa'aalu mai tupe o lo'o teuina i totonu o la matou teugatupe fa'alagolago e fai ma ou sui i le tu'uina atu o se pili ia te oe, sei vagana ua taofia na tupe mo se faamoemoega faapitoa.

Afai e malie se isi vaega e totogi a matou auaunaga o se vaega o lau faʻatasi ma matou, e tumau pea ona e nafa ma le totogiina pe afai e le mafai e le isi vaega ona totogia matou pili.

Afai e faigata ona e totogiina soʻo se matou teugatupe, fa'amolemole fa'afeso'ota'i matou ile imeli: accounts@tuitalalaw.com i totonu o le tolu aso talu ona maua a matou pili ina ia mafai ona matou talanoaina le faʻatulagaina o totogi.

Afai ua tuai lau tala e mafai ona matou:

1. mana'omia le tului e totogi i so'o se aofaiga e sili atu nai lo 14 aso ua tuai, fuafuaina i le fua faatatau o 15 % i luga a'e o le fua faatatau o tupe e totogi e le faletupe autu o fefa'ataua'iga a le matou kamupani mo le vaitaimi o lo'o totoe ai le pili.;
2. taofi le galue i soʻo se mataupu e faʻatatau i ai matou te tuʻuina atu auaunaga ia te oe;
3. mana'omia se totogi fa'aopoopo o totogifuapauina muamua po'o isi puipuiga a'o le'i toe amata galuega;
4. toe fa'afo'i atoatoa mai ia te oe so'o se tau e maua (e aofia ai i luga ole loia/client) i le saili e toe maua mai le aofaiga mai ia te oe, e aofia ai a tatou lava pili ma totogifuapauina a soʻo se lala sooupu e aoina.

Matou te faagaoioia se teugatupe tausi mavaega. O tupe uma e maua mai ia te oe poʻo lou sui i luma o soʻo se galuega ua maeʻa poʻo faʻamatalaga tuʻuina atu o le a taofia i lau aitalafu i la matou teugatupe faʻalagolago.

Totogi mai le teugatupe fa'alagolago o le a faia ia oe po'o isi i lau pule. Written authorisation from you (ma afai matou te galulue mo le sili atu i le toatasi o outou, mai ia te outou uma) will be required when payment is to be made to a third party. Before making a payment to another account we may require verification of the account details by provision of (faataitaiga) se kopi o se lisiti tupe teu, cheque or bank statement showing the account number, se pulega sainia mai ia te oe e aofia ai faʻamatalaga faʻamatalaga faletupe, or a signed letter from the relevant financial institution providing bank account details.

O se fa'amaumauga atoa o la matou teugatupe fa'alagolago e teuina i taimi uma. A statement of trust account transactions detailing funds received and payments made on your behalf will be provided to you periodically and at any time upon your request.

Please note that we do not have an interest bearing trust account. This means that funds that are paid to our trust account will not be able to accrue interest.

The New Zealand Law Society maintains the Lawyers Fidelity Fund for the purposes of providing clients of lawyers with protection against pecuniary loss arising from theft by lawyers. The maximum amount payable by way of compensation to an individual claimant is limited to $100,000.

Except in certain circumstances specified in the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, the Fidelity Fund does not cover a client for any loss relating to money that a lawyer is instructed to invest on behalf of a client.

Matou te tauaveina inisiua fa'aletupe e sili atu i mana'oga a Lōia.

Matou te tausia se faiga mo le taulimaina o soʻo se faitioga mai tagata faʻatau, designed to ensure that a complaint is dealt with promptly and fairly.

Afai e iai sau fa'aseā e uiga i la'u tautua po'o totogi, fa'amolemole fa'afeso'ota'i le Fa'atonu, Semisi Pohiva, e ala i imeli: semisi@tuitalalaw.com po'o le telefoni 0275092799 in the first instance so that it may be dealt with under certain complaint procedures.

Afai e te manao e fai lau faasea i le Sosaiete a Loia, e mafai ona e fa'afeso'ota'i le Law Society's Complaints Service.

I le tulaga ua faatagaina e le tulafono, la matou noataga atoa ia te oe (pe i konekarate, fa'alavelave, tutusa po'o se isi mea) in connection with our Services is limited to the amount available to be payable under the Professional Indemnity Insurance held by the firm.

When we are acting for you on a matter, we will not (without your consent) act for another client against your interests on the same or any closely related matter. Nor (without your consent) will we act for another client where we hold confidential information concerning you or your affairs that we have acquired while acting for you, where disclosure of that information to that other client would be likely to affect your interests adversely.

If a conflict of interest arises, we will tell you and, if bound to do so by the Law Society's Conduct and Client Care Rules, or if we choose to do so, we will terminate our engagement.

We will hold in confidence all information concerning you and your affairs that we acquire while acting for you. We will not disclose this information to any person, unless you expressly or impliedly authorise me to do so, except to the extent required to represent you or as permitted by the Law Society's Conduct and Client Care Rules.

Our duty of care is to you and not to any other person. We owe no liability to any other person, including for example any directors, shareholders, associated companies, employees or family members unless we expressly agree in writing. We do not accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever to any third parties who may be affected by our performance of the Services or who may rely on any advice we give, except as expressly agreed by us in writing.

Our advice is not to be referred to in connection with any prospectus, financial statement, or public document without our written consent.

You are the only person who may rely on our advice. We owe no duty or liability to any other person, including for example any associated companies, shareholders, directors, employees, or family members. If you want any other person to be able to rely on my advice, our written agreement is required.

Our advice is opinion only, based on the facts known to us and on our professional judgement, and is subject to any changes in the law after the date on which the advice is given. We are not liable for errors in, or omissions from, any information provided by third parties.

Our advice relates only to each matter in respect of which you engage us. Once that matter is at an end, we will not owe you any duty or liability in respect of any related or other matters unless you specifically engage me in respect of those related or other matters.

Unless otherwise agreed, we may communicate with you and with others by electronic means. We cannot guarantee that these communications will not be lost or affected for some reason beyond my reasonable control, and we will not be liable for any resulting damage or loss.

We will keep a record of all important documents which we receive or create on your behalf on the following basis:

1. We may keep a record electronically and destroy originals (except where the existence of an original is legally important such as in the case of wills and deeds).
2. At any time, we may dispose of documents which are duplicates, or which are trivial (such as emails which do not contain substantive information), or documents which belong to us.
3. We are not obliged to retain documents or copies where you have requested that we provide them to you or to another person and we have done so, although we are entitled to retain copies for our own records if we wish to do so.
4. We will provide to you on request copies or originals (at our option) of all documents to which you are entitled under the Privacy Act 1993 or any other law. We may charge you our reasonable costs for doing this.
5. Where we hold documents that belong to a third party you will need to provide us with that party’s written authority to uplift or obtain a copy of that document.
6. Unless you instruct us in writing otherwise, you authorise us and consent to us (without further reference to you) to destroy (or delete in the case of electronic records) all files and documents in respect of the Services 7 years after our engagement ends (other than any documents that we hold in safe custody for you or are otherwise obliged by law to retain for longer). We may retain documents for longer at our option or indefinitely for documents such as Will instructions and enduring powers of attorney, relationship property, long term leases and creating of trusts or matters where evidence may be required after the standard limitation period has expired.
7. We may, at our option, return documents (either in hard or electronic form) to you rather than retain them. If we choose to do this, we will do so at our expense.
8. We own copyright in all documents or work we create in the course of performing the Services but grant you a non-exclusive licence to use and copy the documents as you see fit for your own personal or commercial use. Ae ui i lea, you may not permit any third party to copy, adapt or use the documents without our written permission.

Where you give us an instruction, and we rely on that instruction in something we do, you may not revoke that instruction. Subject to this, you may terminate our engagement at any time.

We may terminate our engagement at any time if:

• you misrepresent or fail to disclose to me relevant facts.
• you mislead or deceive us in a material respect.
• you adopt a course of action that we believe may be inconsistent with our professional obligations.
• we consider that a conflict of interest has arisen.
• you do not pay our invoices by the due date.

We may also terminate our engagement in any other circumstances requiring or justifying termination in terms of the Law Society's Conduct and Client Care Rules.

If our engagement is terminated, we may retain your files until our invoices are paid and these terms of engagement will continue to apply to the extent that is appropriate.

While acting for you, we may collect and hold personal information concerning you. This information may be used by us to provide services to you. You authorise us to obtain from any person, or release to any person, any information necessary for that purpose, and you authorise any person to release to us information that we may require for that purpose. Under the Privacy Act 1993, you have the right of access to, and correction of, your personal information held by us.

You authorise us to disclose, in the normal course of performing the Services, such personal information to third parties for the purpose of providing the Services and any other purposes set out in these Terms.

We may disclose your name and address to third parties such as credit agencies to perform a credit reference or to undertake credit management or collection processes if it is reasonable to do so.

The information we collect and hold about you will be kept at our offices and/or at secure file storage sites (including electronic file storage sites) elsewhere. If you are an individual, you have the right to access and correct this information. If you require access, please contact Semisi Pohiva.

This document contains our standard terms of engagement. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, these terms of engagement will govern our relationship. By instructing us to act for you, you will be deemed to have agreed to these terms.

These terms apply to any current and all future engagements. Ae ui i lea, we may vary these terms from time to time and, if we do so, we will inform you of the varied terms. If you continue to instruct us and do not terminate your engagement with us following a variation, you will be deemed to have agreed to the varied terms.

You agree that we may provide you from time to time with other information that may be relevant to you, such as newsletters and information bulletins or correspondence. At any time you may request that this not be sent to you. You agree also that we may collect your personal contact details and include you in our mailing lists for marketing purposes.

If you have any questions about these terms, please do not hesitate to contact the director, Semisi Pohiva, via email on semisi@tuitalalaw.com po'o le telefoni 027 509 2799.