Raising the limit: Disputes Tribunal hears claims up to NZD60,000

The Disputes Tribunal Amendment Act 2025 (the Act) came into force on 24 January 2026. The Act amends the Disputes Tribunal Act 1988 to increase the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from NZD30,000 to NZD60,000.

The previous limit often meant that low to medium-value claims were abandoned due to the costs of bringing them in court, or claimants would lower their claim to fit within the NZD30,000 limit.

What does this change mean in practice?

The lift of this financial jurisdiction is likely to impact how businesses should prepare for, manage and respond to low- to medium-value disputes. We outline some of the key implications below:

• Broader jurisdiction: This change will bring a wider range of matters into the jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal and consequently, corporate entities are likely to face more In particular, insurance providers and banks may want to start considering how they can prepare for a potential increase in claims, including training personnel to deal with these issues directly.
• Building and construction disputes: Residential building work valued at NZD30,000 or more is required to have a written contract. The Disputes Tribunal’s financial jurisdiction rising to NZD60,000 means that some of these more complex contractual building disputes will now be within the Disputes Tribunal’s jurisdiction. This may lead to practical issues as Disputes Tribunal referees facilitate hearings of such complex claims, where these would usually go to court.
• More claims? The Disputes Tribunal is a lower risk forum for people to bring claims without the procedural requirements and high costs of taking a claim to court. People may be more motivated to bring claims in the Disputes Tribunal which they would have previously not considered bringing in the courts.

We will be keeping an eye on the developments that ensue following this change. If you have any questions about how your business might be impacted, or if you need assistance with a Disputes Tribunal claim, please reach out to our Litigation and Regulatory team.