Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are disbursements included in this quote?

Our quoting tool factors in initial and standard disbursements in accordance with the type of transaction you are completing. Any additional disbursements incurred will on charged to you. For further details on this please see our fee’s page

Q: What happens if my Sale/Purchase Agreement does not proceed but we have already engaged your services?

We understand that agreements do not always proceed, however, before we can commence any work on any transaction we must complete Client Due Diligence for AML
purposes and costs are incurred by us. Once we have initiated this step and if you request a refund we may not be able to offer you a refund or we may be able to refund part of your initial deposit less any costs incurred by us. If your agreement does not proceed, and we have initiated your Client Due Diligence we can still assist you with any subsequent agreement you may enter and it’s a lot easier once your Client Due Diligence is signed off

Q: Who can I record as acting Solicitor on my Agreement for Sale and Purchase?

We recommend you record “Halliwells Lawyers Limited” as acting Firm with [email protected] the contact email. Remember, we cannot commence work without an accepted quote, a deposit and without completion of CDD*. We process transactions in chronological order, so please remember to allow time for each stage of your transaction.

Q: Can I transfer my property to my trust or my company through LegalPath?

You will need to complete a Selling and Buying quote and indicated in your quote that this is the intention. We will confirm if we are able to complete the transaction for you and if there are any additional costs involved based on complexity of the restructure, the property and finance involved and any additional work that might be required such as a Deed of Debt.

Q: Do we need to come into your office to sign any forms?

We like to keep it simple. So long as you have access to a printer and scanner, most interaction is by email, zoom/Microsoft teams or telephone. Please note however that
should we find your interaction such as telephone calls and emails to be more than a standard transaction we will be required to requote you for any additional time spent on your transaction. We refer you to our fees and terms of engagement for further information

Q: I need an Agreement for Sale and Purchase drawn up ASAP can this be done?

A: As long as you have completed your CDD* obligations to us, we have an urgency fee that we can add to your quote at the request of anything urgent. See our fee’s page

Q: Do you do work for people outside of your province?

A: Yes. We assist people from near and far. Our work is undertaken by email, Microsoft teams/zoom and telephone

Q: I am separating from my partner and we have agreed that the house will be transferred into my name. Can LegalPath attend to this?

Even if you have reached an Agreement, it is important that each party receives their own independent advice and a Relationship Property Section 21 Agreement is completed or provided to us if you have already completed this with a separate Solicitor. You could complete a “buying” quote if the house is to be transferred to you or a “Selling” quote if you are transferring your share, however, your partner would need to engage their own Solicitor to complete the transfer of their share so each side of the transaction is completed separate. Please include this information in your quote and we will re-quote you accordingly.

Q: I’m receiving a gift to complete my purchase - is this ok?

When completing your quote it’s important you indicate this as “additional information we should know”. The reason for this is because AML aspects need to be discussed as possible additional work and we also will need to discuss with you the documentation required to record the gift which again, could involve additional work that will need to be quoted. For further information on AML we refer you to our AML/CFT page where you will see we require photo id, proof of address and source of wealth for all parties involved in a transaction, which also includes someone contributing a gift, or even a personal loan. We incur third party costs for AML and this will need to be taken into account and re-quoted

Q. What do you require once a quote has been accepted?

Once you have accepted the quote generated by our system, we collect personal information from you, including information about your…

- Verified identification
- Contact information (verified proof of address, email and telephone details)
- Billing information
- IRD number and other taxation information
- Insurance information

We need this information for various reasons including the following…

- To meet AML/CFT obligations
- To identify you correctly
- We also provide required information to the various parties involved in property settlements, your bank for example, title transfer systems or the IRD.

We are required by law to collect and retain most of the information we ask for and keep that information for at least 7 years. If you choose not to provide your valid, government-issued photographic identification and correct tax information including your IRD number, we will be unable to process a transaction for you.

You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you at any time. If you believe any of it to be incorrect you can ask for it to be updated.

If you would like to receive a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at [email protected] or +64 6 278 5114, or PO Box 422, Hawera 4640.
Rest assured, we will not disclosed your details or any information you provide us with to anyone other than the organisations we are legally obligated to.

Q. What steps are taken once a quote has been accepted?

Once a quote has been accepted you will be provided with a Confirmation of Services Email outlining initial steps. You will also receive a receipt for payment of your initial
deposit. At that stage LegalPath are notified of your accepted quote (please be aware we cannot see any quotes generated until they have been accepted and the deposit has been paid). A staff member of Halliwells will be in touch at the earliest convenient but please allow time for this – this step is not automated. Your quote needs to be checked and if information appears to be missing your quote will go on hold until that further information is provided. You will be asked to complete the “Cient Due Diligence” part of
your transaction. Once AML has been signed off, we can commence work on your matter. It is important you are aware that we cannot commence any work on any transaction until AML has been signed off. We have no control over how quickly this can be completed and have the responsibility to check everything is in order before your matter can proceed. Please allow time for this step and we refer you to our fee’s page should you need your transaction completed as an “urgent” transaction there are additional fees. Once you have been provided with confirmation your Client due diligence is in order your transaction will be assigned to a staff member who will assist you throughout your transaction. You must treat any staff that are assigned to your transaction or assist with your transaction with your utmost respect.

Thanks for reading and thanks for heading on down the LegalPath.