Our Background & Capabilities

Our practice started as the agency department of (then) McCaw Smith & Arcus, solicitors, Hamilton, in 1963 on the opening of the South Auckland Land Registry in Hamilton. Ian Howat (formerly Assistant Land Registrar and Senior Clerk Hamilton Land Registry) was employed as manager in 1968.

In 1983 a separate partnership( Hamilton Legal Services) was formed of the partners (or their family trusts) of McCaw Smith & Arcus and Ian Howat. Hamilton Legal Services Limited was incorporated in 1989. John Neverman (formerly District Land Registrar Hamilton Land Registry) was employed in 1997 as a consultant.
 

Ian and John purchased the business on 1st July 1999. Our company accountant Waylee Chang became a shareholder in 2000. John left the company in July 2002 to go into private practice with McCaw Lewis Chapman.

In October 2000 we purchased the Auckland legal agency practice of Ramillies Legal Agents. In March 2001 we purchased the Hamilton legal agency business of Dempster & Co.

We are committed to keep up to date with land matters because that is part of our policy, and also because we realize that our client's practices are varied - we do not have to keep up with changes in taxation, contracts etc. – we deal solely with land problems. This will provide another resource for you to utilize as part of our service to your firm.

We undertake searching and registration throughout New Zealand. We have our own office in Auckland. We are on Landonline and have ordinary and spatial licences.

We can confirm that we can attend to your Court, Personal Property Securities Register, and Companies Office searches and registrations, as well as assist you on Maori Land Court matters.

We have staff who specialise in subdivisional and plan deposit matters.

We accept instructions by Email, fax, telephone or post.

We are security sensitive and understand your privacy requirements.

Our fees are negotiable depending on volume of work and services required.

© 2005 Hamilton Legal Services Limited