Christchurch and Ashburton family lawyers will have to file through new court portal from March 2027

From March 2027, family lawyers in Christchurch and Ashburton will have to start all new Family Court cases through a new courts portal. The New Zealand Law Society reported the requirement in its summary of what Budget 2026 means for the legal profession. The society says the portal goes live for lawyers in the remainder of the South Island at the same time, in March 2027.

The portal is part of Te Au Reka, the courts' new digital case management system. Budget 2026 gave it $34.112m. The society calls it a significant transformation of court administration.

Te Au Reka goes live in stages. Phase 1 covers the Family Court and starts on 23 November 2026 at the Christchurch and Ashburton District Courts and in parts of the national services teams. It covers registry and judicial functions only, the society says. So court staff and judges switch over first, and lawyers follow about four months later.