Assess the debtor's finances over the phone

You can apply for a registrar to phone the debtor to assess their ability to pay. This can be useful if:

  • you don’t want to attend a hearing
  • the debtor hasn’t completed a financial statement
  • you don’t have enough information to apply for an attachment order.

Fill out the assessment of financial means application form. Make sure you:

  • include the debtor’s phone number
  • include a copy of the judgment or order
  • pay the filing fee

You should also include the debtor's address. If we cannot make contact with the debtor by phone, then a hearing can be ordered so that the debtor has to come to court to complete the financial assessment.

If the judgment debtor is a company, you should also include the name of a relevant officer of the company on your application. A relevant officer is a person who will be able to answer questions about the company’s ability to pay the debt (e.g. a Director).

If you do not know the name of a relevant officer, you can search for more information on the New Zealand Companies Register:

New Zealand Companies Register(external link)

Assessment of financial means application form [PDF, 649 KB]

Postal address:
Ministry of Justice
Central Registry
SX10042
Wellington

Write the address as written above and send it the same way as any other mail. You can use an NZ Post mail box. If you use a DX mail box your mail will get to us faster(external link)

You can also file it at your local district court.

When we get your application

A registrar will phone the debtor to assess their finances. The registrar can issue a range of orders including an attachment order.

If the registrar cannot assess the debtor’s finances over the phone, they may issue a summons for the debtor to attend a hearing. You can’t be at this hearing.

The court will tell you the result of the application.

This page was last updated:

 
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