Agreement to use Talk - Meet - Resolve
The Agreement to use Talk – Meet – Resolve is the agreement that everyone must sign before we can start our consensus-based dispute resolution process. It provides the right framework for us to start working together to help identify and resolve the issues in the dispute.
Authority to Act
An Authority to Act is a form that people need to complete if they have an advocate representing them.
Conciliator
A Conciliator is an independent expert in the legal system who is experienced in resolving disputes. They have been involved in thousands of disputes and they can rely on this experience and help the parties reach an understanding of each other's perspectives and the possible ways to resolve the issues.
Representative
A representative is a lawyer or Advocate. This is the person who represents you and gives you advice in relation to your dispute. Often, your representative will take an active role in the meeting and the resolution. They may give you advice on any possible resolutions.
Resolution Agreement
Resolution Agreement is the technical term for the outcome of our processes. This is what is produced at the Resolve stage if you and ACC reach an agreement.
Review
A review is a formal process where you lodge a review application about a decision made by ACC. This usually involves a review hearing where someone called a "Reviewer" decides the outcome. We do not provide review services and we do not decide disputes. Instead, we help you and ACC reach an agreement by consensus.
Support person
A support person is someone who is there to support you at the meeting. We encourage you to bring your own support person when you use our service and all that you need to do is let us know beforehand and they will need to agree and sign the Agreement to use Talk – Meet – Resolve. A support person can participate in the meeting but it is not their role to reach an agreement or to advise you whether or not to accept any offers. They are there to support you to make decisions for you.
A support person is different from a representative because they do not represent you or give you legal advice. If you would like someone to represent you in any of our services, then you will need to provide us with written authority first.
Talk - Meet - Resolve
Talk – Meet – Resolve is a timely, informal and accessible service that we provide for people. It is a different way to resolve disputes than most people in New Zealand will have experienced. It is a process where the people in the dispute are actively involved in trying to find a resolution. This is the opposite to a process where the people are trying to convince someone else (an adjudicator or a judge) that they are right and the other person is wrong. If people reach agreement, this is written up and signed and becomes the resolution of the dispute.