The family of a Waikato patient who went missing and was found dead may receive money from the DHB - but it won't be for its legal fees.

Nicky Stevens' family has applied for funding of legal costs to present its case at several investigations.

But Waikato District Health Board has refused.

Chair Bob Simcock says there will be a Coroner's inquiry, and no doubt a review by the Health and Disability Commissioner.

"They will look what are the legal facts in the case and may well determine at the end whether there is any liability or culpability of any party."

Simcock says there is no example of a DHB or anyone in the health sector paying legal fees in a case such as this.

To do so, he says, would be to set a precedent.

"And what that effectively means in the end is that money that would otherwise be used for healthcare would end up being used for legal fights, and we simply don't believe that's an appropriate decision for the board to make."

Simcock wants the community to wait for the inquiries to reveal the facts, saying staff are feeling knocked around by talk of the case.