What to Do When a Disputes Tribunal Order Isn't Paid
Last updated 28 August 2026 · 6 min read
Quick answer
Winning at the Disputes Tribunal doesn't collect the money; the order usually gives 28 days to pay, and once that passes without payment, the Tribunal itself won't chase it for you. Enforcement moves to the District Court, which treats the order as its own judgment. The usual path is a Financial Assessment Hearing to establish what the debtor can pay, followed by an attachment order against wages, salary, a benefit, or ACC payments if there's income, or a warrant to seize property or a charging order over real estate if there isn't.
A Disputes Tribunal decision is legally binding once it's sealed, but it isn't self-collecting. Plenty of orders go unpaid past their deadline, and the Tribunal doesn't have its own enforcement arm to chase debtors down. What happens next depends on the District Court, and on what you actually know about the debtor's income and assets, not on how forceful the next step sounds.
Step 1: Check the exact deadline on your sealed order
A Disputes Tribunal decision usually gives the other party 28 days to pay or comply, but the sealed order states the actual date, and that's the one that matters. You can't start enforcement until that deadline has passed, so if the order says 28 days and nothing's arrived, count from the decision date on the order itself rather than assuming.
Step 2: Understand the Tribunal won't collect the money for you
Once sealed, a Tribunal order is legally binding and enforceable, but the Tribunal doesn't chase payment or run enforcement itself. If the deadline passes with nothing paid, the order moves to the District Court, which treats it the same as one of its own civil judgments for enforcement purposes.
Step 3: Try a direct approach before paying court fees
Before starting a formal enforcement application, it's often worth one more direct contact with the other party or, if that goes nowhere, a debt collection agency, particularly for smaller amounts. Enforcement through the District Court involves its own fees and time, so it's worth ruling out a quicker resolution first if there's any realistic chance of one.
Step 4: Apply to the District Court to enforce the order
If direct contact doesn't work, contact the Collections Unit at the District Court that covers the area (in smaller courts, this is handled by the civil enforcement staff) and apply to enforce the order. You'll need the sealed Tribunal decision and proof nothing has been paid since the deadline passed.
Step 5: Expect a Financial Assessment Hearing first
The usual next step is a Financial Assessment Hearing, where the court examines the other party's income, assets, and outgoings to work out what they can actually afford to pay and how. This hearing is what determines which enforcement tool fits the debtor's circumstances, rather than you choosing one upfront.
Step 6: Use an attachment order if the debtor has income coming in
Where the debtor is employed, self-employed, or receiving a benefit or ACC payments, the court can issue an attachment order, directing the employer or Work and Income to deduct a set amount each pay cycle and pay it to you directly. Alternatively the court may set an instalment order for the debtor to pay a fixed amount at regular intervals themselves. These are usually the most reliable options when there's a steady, identifiable income to attach.
Step 7: Consider a warrant to seize property or a charging order if there's no income to attach
If the debtor has no attachable income but does have assets, a warrant to seize property lets court bailiffs take and sell goods to cover the debt. For a debtor who owns real estate, a charging order can secure the debt against the property, stopping a sale or refinance from going through until you're paid, even if it doesn't get you paid immediately. A stop order can also be used to prevent a specific asset from being disposed of while enforcement is underway.
A worked example
The Tribunal orders a former client to pay you $4,200 within 28 days. The deadline passes with no payment and no response to your calls. You apply to the District Court's Collections Unit to enforce the order, and the court sets a Financial Assessment Hearing. At the hearing, the court establishes the debtor is employed full-time, so it issues an attachment order directing their employer to deduct a set amount from each pay and forward it to you, rather than relying on the debtor to pay voluntarily.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Enforcement procedures, fees, and thresholds can change, and the right method depends on your specific circumstances and the debtor's situation. LawClaims is a document preparation tool, not a law firm, and no solicitor-client relationship is formed by using it or reading this page. For a high-value or contested enforcement, take advice from a lawyer.
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