Lawyers · New Zealand · authority page checked 05 Oct 2026
How many CPD hours do lawyers need in New Zealand?
At least 10 hours each CPD year, which ends on 31 March, with a written CPD plan and record that includes reflection on what was learned.
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- New Zealand Law Society
- Hours
- 10 each CPD year
- Year ends
- 31 March
- Also required
- A written CPD plan and record, including reflection
- Source
- NZLS, CPD requirements
The reflection step
The New Zealand legal requirement is explicit about reflection: the record is not just a list of hours but a note of what you learned and what you will do with it. Under the CPD Council Standard every activity ends with questions that produce exactly that note, so a verified activity gives you the reflection record as part of completing it.
Dates matter
Because the year ends on 31 March, the completion date on a certificate decides which year an activity falls in. Standard CS 7 requires a completion date, a figure for hours and a unique certificate number on every certificate.
More: reading an article as CPD · what a certificate should show.
Questions
How many CPD hours do lawyers need in New Zealand?
At least 10 hours each CPD year, which ends on 31 March, with a written CPD plan and record that includes reflection on what was learned.
Does reading count as CPD for New Zealand lawyers?
The Law Society's requirement is built around a plan, a record and reflection rather than a list of approved formats. A reading-based activity with recorded reflection fits that structure. Lawyers should confirm current rules with the Law Society before relying on any activity.
When does the New Zealand legal CPD year end?
On 31 March each year. Hours completed after that date fall into the next CPD year, so the completion date on a certificate matters.
CPD Council is not a regulator and does not decide what the Law Society accepts. New Zealand providers can apply for free verification.