Get Started

FAQs.

How Fixed Operates

We offer a variety of family law and litigation services. To see if your issue qualifies, visit our services page or contact us.

At Fixed, we operate predominantly online, using video or phone calls for consultations and email or text for correspondence. Our client portal offers tools like a secure chat, calendar for important dates, and the ability to send, upload, and sign documents. We don’t require a physical office because almost everything can be done online – an approach many clients find convenient and accessible. Before starting Fixed, Alex worked remotely for a law firm and is highly experienced in delivering personalised, professional legal services online. 

Traditional firms often have high costs due to overheads, like rent. Our online model reduces these costs. This allows us to offer fixed fee packages and competitive rates, giving you clear costs from the start.

Yes, Fixed can appear in court, attend mediations, or meet with you in person (in-person work). However, this must be arranged and agreed in advance, and in-person work may incur additional costs.

Alex Fanning is the lead lawyer at Fixed. He is experienced in family law and has close to a decade of experience as a litigator. Alex comes from a proud family tradition of legal professionals, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who also practiced law. For more about Alex, visit our services page.

Yes, you can switch to Fixed. We’ll help with the transition and document transfer. If you’re receiving legal aid, you’ll need permission from the Ministry of Justice to transfer. Please note we only accept legal aid cases in Hamilton, Thames, Waihi, South Auckland, Auckland, Tauranga, Coromandel and Waikato.  

Client Care Specialist Meeting

Our Client Care Specialists ensure a smooth and efficient process by gathering initial information and documents. They will interview you to assess your needs, collect important details, and verify your identity as required by law. You’ll meet with a Client Care Specialist before your free initial consultation with a lawyer.
We need to verify your identity under the Anti-Money Laundering Act before your free initial consultation. We will let you know what documents are required, usually a passport, driver’s license, and proof of address. If you don’t have these, we can suggest other acceptable documents. Please provide your identification and proof of address promptly. Without them, we may not be able to offer our services or your free initial consultation.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

We offer a free 45 minute initial consultation with a lawyer to discuss your legal issue and options. This is a one-off offer for new clients and can only be scheduled after your identity is verified. This consultation is preliminary and helps you decide if you want to proceed with our services.

If you choose to proceed, we’ll charge based on a fixed fee package, a custom quote, or our hourly rate of $300 + GST. More details can be found in our Terms of Engagement.

Fixed Fee Packages

A fixed fee package covers specific tasks for your case at a set price. Our packages are designed to advance your case efficiently. Check our pricing page for details on what’s included.
Yes, communications are included, but they must be used reasonably during business hours. For instance, having video meetings every day or every other day would not be considered reasonable.
No, in-person work like court appearances or mediations is billed separately.

In-person work can vary greatly in duration — some court appearances might take just a few minutes, while others could last several days. It also takes time to travel to these appearances. The same rationale applies to in-person mediations, and in-person meetings. Including these costs in our packages would significantly raise the price, even though not all cases need in-person work. To keep our fixed fees competitive, we exclude in-person work from our packages. Our packages focus on the essential services needed to resolve your case, and any additional in-person work will be charged separately if needed.

Disbursements are costs that a lawyer or law firm pays on your behalf while handling your case. These can include court filing fees, costs for obtaining documents, or fees for expert witnesses. For example, we may pay a small fee to get a property title so we can investigate your claims against that property. You are responsible for paying disbursements in addition to our fees, and our packages do not include any disbursements. However, we will inform you about disbursements and seek your approval before incurring them, so you are always kept in the loop.

Packages end when the listed tasks are completed or after 7 weeks, whichever comes first.

If you need to stop or change a package before it is completed, we’ll charge you the lesser of the time spent at $300 + GST per hour or the package price.

If you need additional work after your package expires, such as if your case isn’t fully resolved after 7 weeks, we’ll discuss your options with you. This might include setting up a new package or billing you at our standard hourly rate.

The terms, conditions and exclusions for our packages are outlined in our Terms of Engagement. Detailed information about each package, including pricing and what’s included, is available on our pricing page.  

No, our fixed fee packages are not available for legal aid cases. Legal aid is charged according to Ministry of Justice rules. Visit our legal aid page for more information.

Invoicing & Payments

We invoice you every two weeks, when a package is completed, or when our service ends. We may also bill for significant expenses right away. Payment is due within 7 days unless we agree otherwise.
Yes, we offer flexible payment plans. You can spread the cost of your package over installments with no extra fees, as long as you pay on time.
If you miss a payment, we will reach out to discuss the situation. Continued missed payments may affect our ability to continue providing services.

Client Portal

Our client portal is simple and convenient to use. After signing up, you’ll receive an email to create your username and password — then just log in, it’s that easy! No additional software is needed, and you can access your portal 24/7 through our website. If you ever need assistance, we’re here to help.

Yes, we prioritize your data security with advanced encryption and protective measures.
You can upload, receive, and sign documents securely through our client portal.
No, all communications through our portal are handled by our team personally.

General

Our office hours are 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but we are available for consultations outside these hours by arrangement. We do not operate on public holidays, and over the Christmas & New Year period, we typically take a short break. 

You will receive regular updates via video calls, phone calls, email, or through our client portal. We also encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or need more information.
If you have an urgent matter, please let us know right away. We’ll do our best to accommodate your needs.
You can end our services anytime with written notice. However, you must settle any outstanding accounts before we release your file.

Our hourly rate is $300 + GST, as outlined in our Terms of Engagement.

Our complaints process is listed in our Terms of Engagement. If you have concerns, please contact us directly. If your issue isn’t resolved, you can reach out to the New Zealand Law Society Complaints Service for help. 

Ready to get started?

Register your inquiry

We’re here to guide you through the process and deliver legal support you can rely on.

Get started