Terms of Service for Clients

Tika’s Kaupapa

Tika believes in a survivor-centred approach to the delivery of its legal service.  A survivor-centred approach means a framework that places the rights, dignity, needs, experiences, and wishes of survivors at the heart of all processes and responses. Our service is designed to empower survivors, ensure their safety and well-being, and uphold their autonomy.

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Verifying your identity during registration

To keep everyone safe, we ask all new clients to verify their identity using our online ID provider, IDVerse. This helps make sure no one can pretend to be someone else or join our client pool with harmful intentions. You can learn more about IDVerse here.

When you complete your ID check, you must use your own identification documents and upload a photo of yourself. If you try to use someone else’s identity, Tika may decline your registration. In serious cases, we may also make a report to the New Zealand Police.

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What happens when your registration is confirmed

When your registration is confirmed, you become a client of Tika Legal Limited, which is a law firm. The Director and Chief Legal Counsel is Zoë Lawton.

Because you are now a client of a law firm, you enter a lawyer‑client relationship. All lawyers in New Zealand must follow strict ethical rules called the Conduct and Client Care Rules 2008. These rules are designed to protect you and ensure you receive a safe, professional legal service.

Some of the key rules lawyers must follow include:

• Acting competently, in a timely way, and based on the instructions you give them.
• Protecting and promoting your interests, without any conflicting loyalties.
• Talking with you about your goals and how they can best support you.
• Telling you what work will be done, who will do it, and how the service will be delivered
• Charging fair and reasonable fees and telling you how and when you will be billed (this does not apply to Tika, as our service is free).
• Giving you clear information and advice.
• Protecting your privacy and keeping your information confidential.
• Treating you fairly, respectfully, and without discrimination.
• Keeping you updated about progress and letting you know when the work is completed.
• Explaining how to make a complaint and handling any complaint promptly and fairly.

There are many other rules that apply to legal representation in New Zealand. You can access the full Conduct and Client Care Rules here if you would like more detail.

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Legal services offered

Tika provides legal services on a limited retainer basis. This means our service works differently from most other lawyers or law firms. Our ability to take on new clients or provide certain types of support depends on the funding we have available and our standard operating procedures.

If we agree to help with your case, we will clearly explain:

• What support we can offer
• How we can assist you
• Any limits on what we are able to do

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Costs

Tika covers all costs related to providing legal services, including any disbursements. This means you will not receive any invoices from us. Disbursements may include things like payments to a restorative justice provider, court filing fees, or fees for expert reports.

If you receive a payment as part of a settlement connected to a report you made through Tika, you will not have to give any portion of that payment to Tika.

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The information you provide to us

To assess your eligibility and provide legal support, we need to collect some personal information from you. This may include:

• Your personal details
• Information about the harm you experienced
• Information about the person (or people) who harmed you
• Information about any witnesses, if there are any

All information you share with us is confidential. This means:

• We will not tell anyone that you are a client of Tika
• We will not share any information that could identify you
• We will not contact anyone about your case without your clear permission

These confidentiality obligations apply to everything related to your case and continue even after you stop being a client of Tika.

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When we may need to share information

There are very limited situations where the law requires us to disclose confidential information. We must share information if:

• We believe someone is at serious risk of harm.
  For example, if a client tells a Tika lawyer they plan to harm themselves, we may contact medical professionals to help keep them safe.
• We believe a serious crime may happen.
  For example, if a client tells a Tika lawyer they plan to harm or kill the person who harmed them, we may need to inform NZ Police.

We will only disclose information when it is strictly necessary and always in line with our professional obligations.

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You are in control of the information you provide to us

As a client, you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if you think something is wrong. If you would like a copy of your information, or want something corrected, please contact us.

Tika keeps an electronic file to manage your report. Any physical documents you give us will be scanned or turned into digital files. We will keep your electronic file for up to seven years after our work with you ends. After that time, we will delete your information unless we have agreed otherwise. Any original documents will be returned to you.

In some cases, Tika may need to keep your information for longer if this is reasonably required.

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How we use non-identifiable information

We also collect non-identifiable information about all our clients. This means information that cannot be connected back to any individual person.

We use this information to create public reports that may include statistics such as:

• The percentage of clients of different genders
• The percentage of clients from different ethnic groups
• The regions our clients live in

These reports help show the impact of our service and support our funding, but they will never include anything that could identify you personally.

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Conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest happens when a lawyer’s ability to act in your best interests could be affected by something else. This might include:

• Helping another person whose interests clash with yours
• Having a personal interest in the outcome of your case
• Having confidential information about someone else that could affect how we support you

In simple terms, a conflict of interest is when we might not be able to be fully loyal to you because of another connection or duty.

If a conflict arises, we will tell you straight away and explain your options. In some cases, we may need to stop acting for you to protect your interests—but this will only happen if there is no other way to keep you safe and supported.

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Your obligation to other clients of Tika

You are welcome to tell anyone that you are a client of Tika and to talk about your experience of sexual harm. You can also share this publicly, including on social media.

However, you must not identify the perpetrator while you are receiving our legal service. This is to protect you and to protect other clients who may have named the same perpetrator. It reduces the risk of threats, intimidation, or legal action from the perpetrator, and helps make sure nothing interferes with your case.

Talk to your lawyer about when it is safe and appropriate to speak publicly about the perpetrator—they will guide you.

If you have already identified the perpetrator publicly before registering with Tika, don’t worry. You can still register. It’s just important that you tell your lawyer so they can be aware of this and manage any risks.

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Your obligation to protect Tika’s intellectual property

You must not use any information you learn through your engagement with Tika to create, or help anyone else create, any product, platform, or service that is substantially similar to—or competes with—Tika’s work. This includes any ideas, processes, designs, know‑how, or other intellectual property you access while working with us.

All intellectual property belonging to Tika—including software, data models, user interface designs, processes, systems, and other materials—remains the exclusive property of Tika or its licensors. You are not granted any licence or rights to this intellectual property, other than the limited right to access and use it as part of your engagement with Tika.

These obligations continue even after your engagement with Tika ends.

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Insurance

All lawyers must tell their clients if they hold insurance, so that clients can decide whether they feel comfortable receiving legal services from them. Tika holds insurance that covers the work our lawyers do, as well as the security and functioning of the technology we use. Our insurance is higher than the minimum level required by the New Zealand Law Society (the organisation which regulates lawyers).

Our liability to you—whether in contract, tort, equity, or any other area of law—for any loss, damage, or expenses (including legal costs) that you suffer directly because of something we did or did not do, is limited to the amount covered by our Professional Indemnity Insurance.

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Termination

You may terminate our services to you at any time.Tika may terminate our services at any time for good cause (in accordance with our professional rules for lawyers) and after giving a reasonable period of notice specifying the grounds for termination, which we will discuss with you.

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How to contact us if you have concerns

If you have any concerns or complaints about our services, please tell us as soon as you can. You can contact us at: [email protected]. We will review your concerns and respond as quickly as possible.

If you are not satisfied with our response, Tika will arrange for an independent third party to review and consider your complaint. This will be paid for by Tika, and you will not have to cover any costs. If appropriate, this process may include mediation.

If we still cannot resolve your concerns, you can take your complaint to the New Zealand Law Society, which runs an independent complaints service for all lawyers in New Zealand. You can phone their enquiries line on 0800 261 801 for guidance, to lodge a concern, or to make a formal complaint please email [email protected]

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And finally…

By joining Tika, you’re part of a community working together to create safety and change. Your voice and your actions matter. We appreciate your trust in us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way as we work toward a safer future for everyone.

And don’t worry — we know these Terms are a bit on the heavy side, but that’s only because keeping you safe is serious business.

Remember, there are absolutely no dumb questions. You can ask your lawyer anything, at any time — that’s what we’re here for.