JustFund, divorce and separation finance lender, opens in New Zealand

Established in Sydney in 2022, JustFund said it aims to help New Zealanders access justice, afford divorce or separation proceedings as needed, and achieve fair outcomes in family law matters. 

Lawyers Jack O’Donnell and Andy O’Connor and fintech entrepreneur Craig Carroll co-founded the legal finance platform. 

“For many, separation is the most financially vulnerable moment of their lives, and having access to flexible funding options is critical,” said O'Connor, JustFund co-chief executive officer, in the media release. “The right legal support at the right time can prevent poor settlements, reduce stress, and allow people to move forward with security and dignity.” 

In its media release, the legal lender explained that it: 

• offers a line of credit for family law matters 
• accepts applications via a client’s family lawyer 
• bases credit on a client’s expected relationship settlement outcome 
• approves loans ranging from $5,000 to $1m 
• pays legal bills directly to the law firm 
• requires the client to repay upon the resolution of the proceedings 

Divorce data

In its media release, JustFund shared relevant family law statistics in New Zealand: 

• The average cost of divorce is $30,000 (New Zealand Law Society) 
• Couples file more than 8,000 divorces per year (Stats NZ) 
• Within the first year after separating, one in 10 women undergo homelessness (Te Puni Kōkiri, 2022) 
• Women over 55 years old are the fastest-growing group of homeless people (Te Puni Kōkiri, 2022) 

According to JustFund, many New Zealanders earn too much to seek legal aid, yet not enough to hire private lawyers. JustFund added that thousands in New Zealand stay in strained relationships since they cannot afford the legal representation needed for a fair settlement after separation. 

“Time and time again I watched clients forced to give up fair settlements because they couldn’t fund the legal fight,” said Lauren Milne, a family law barrister and JustFund’s NZ director of family law, in the media release. 

“We want to ensure that access to justice isn’t a privilege — it’s a right,” Milne added. 

^{Lauren Milne, JustFund’s NZ director of family law}