Your employer must treat you with 'good faith'. If they haven't, you have the right to lodge a personal grievance against them but it must be done within 90 days (about three months) of you losing your job.

We can help you apply for legal aid. We don't charge anything for coming in to see us to arrange this. We have helped thousands of people access justice this way and we're really good at it. Also, we're friendly :)  Find out more information about legal aid here.

There are two major differences: Firstly, a lawyer is not only trained in the law, they are admitted to the Bar - in other words, they are an Officer of the Court; Secondly, lawyers are answerable to the New Zealand Law Society so if you are unsatisfied with their service you have a regulatory body to complain to. Remember that employment advocates sometimes do not have the level of training, education or insurance cover that practicing lawyers have. Also, they are entirely unregulated.