What the Disputes Tribunal is
The Disputes Tribunal, established under the Disputes Tribunal Act 1988, hears civil claims up to $60,000. The limit was raised from $30,000 on 24 January 2026. Hearings are held in private before a referee, are informal, and do not involve lawyers. The filing fee is modest and rises with the amount claimed; the current fees are on the Ministry of Justice website.
It is well suited to an invoice the debtor says they dispute, where the amount does not justify the cost of the District Court.
Who presents the claim
Parties generally present their own case. A business is represented by someone from within it, such as an owner, director or employee. Lawyers cannot appear, and other representatives are allowed only with the Tribunal's approval in limited circumstances.
That shapes what we do. In the Tribunal, our work is in the preparation and in what comes after, not in the hearing room.
What we do
- Before filing: decide whether the Tribunal is the right forum at all. An undisputed debt, or one above the limit, is usually better in the District Court or by statutory demand.
- The claim: we prepare the claim and the evidence, and the person who will present it.
- After the order: a Tribunal order the debtor does not pay is enforced through the District Court. That part we run for you; see judgment enforcement.
Limits worth knowing
- The Tribunal's ability to award costs is limited, so the claim fee and your time are usually yours to bear.
- Appeals are narrow. A party can generally appeal only on the ground that the hearing was conducted unfairly and that affected the result, so the first hearing is the one that counts.
- A claim above the limit cannot be split to fit, though you can abandon the excess to bring it within the Tribunal's jurisdiction.
Not sure which forum fits? Our guide compares the Disputes Tribunal and the District Court for unpaid invoices.
General information, not legal advice. This page describes New Zealand law and practice as at October 2026; the right step for a particular debt depends on its facts. Where a matter needs legal advice, we will say so.