Legal Aid Advice And Assistance Flashcards
Victoria Legal Aid
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) was established to provide free legal advice to the community and low-cost legal representation to those who cannot afford to pay a lawyer. Victoria Legal Aid provides a range of services to help people with their legal problems. Its aim is to help protect the rights of socially and economically disadvantaged Victorians in areas of criminal law, family law and some civil law matters.
5 services Victoria legal aid offer
Free legal advice Grants for legal assistance or representation Duty lawyers Legal information and education Roundtable dispute management
Memorise 5 of the legal aid institutions
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Commonwealth schemes for legal or financial assistance
Each of the eight legal aid commissions in the Australian states and territories receive funds from both the Commonwealth and state/territory governments to provide legal assistance to disadvantaged persons. The Commonwealth Government also provides financial assistance to Community Legal Centres.
The Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department administers 26 financial assistance schemes. These schemes provide limited legal assistance in cases that give rise to a special Commonwealth interest and where legal aid is not available from the state and territory legal aid commissions. Applicants are subject to guidelines which usually include hardship and reasonableness tests. Some examples of financial assistance provided are for people who:
• lodge a test case involving Commonwealth law that is of significant public interest
• appear before a Royal Commission or Inquiry
• make a native title claim.
Community legal centres
There are 51 community legal centres across Victoria that specialise in providing assistance to people in one or more areas of law or in a particular geographical location. For example, the Tenants Union of Victoria will assist renters with tenancy disputes, while the Barwon Community Legal Service provides general legal assistance to people in the Geelong/Barwon, Colac and Warrnambool regions.
The staff running the centres (both legal and administrative) may be paid workers or volunteers. Law students often volunteer to work in these centres to gain practical experience. The centres are funded from a variety of sources including state, federal and local governments, philanthropic foundations and charitable contributions. The centres help people with legal problems, provide free legal advice and help people access the appropriate legal information and assistance. They also contribute to community education and law reform programs.
Victorian aboriginal legal service
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) provides advice and assistance in the areas of criminal law, civil law and family law to Indigenous people across Victoria. Victoria Police will contact VALS whenever an Indigenous person is taken into custody. The provision of legal assistance is means-tested. Salaried workers generally deal with most cases.
Law institute of Victoria
The Law Institute provides an online directory to help the public find legal professionals and free fact sheets covering a range of legal topics.
Law aid
Law Aid is a scheme established by the Victorian Government and the private legal profession to assist people who are unable to afford the cost of civil litigation. The scheme is a charitable trust administered by the Law Institute and the Victorian Bar Council. People who are interested in using this scheme should contact their own solicitor to complete an application form.
The types of civil litigation funded include personal injuries claims, claims against institutions involving oppressive behaviour, some property claims, wills and estates matters, and professional negligence claims.
Law Aid only deals with civil law cases where the solicitor agrees to work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. Assistance is only available in cases that have merit and for people who cannot pay for legal assistance.
Justice connect
Justice Connect, once known as the Public Interest Law Clearing House, is a non-profit organisation which specialises in coordinating the pro bono work of the legal profession in cases of public interest. Pro bono work is work that is provided free or at a reduced fee.
The aim of Justice Connect is to provide access to the legal system for eligible clients. Eligible clients are non-profit associations with public interest objectives or individuals with a legal matter of public interest who cannot pay for legal assistance elsewhere. Justice Connect matches clients with pro bono members.
Community information centres
These centres (also called citizens’ advice bureaus or community information and support services) are located in local communities and offer people in the area a range of services including legal and financial advice, assistance in finding accommodation and emergency relief. Staff in these centres are trained and work mainly on a voluntary basis. The centres are often linked to local councils, service agencies or community organisations for funding purposes.
Justice service centres
The Department of Justice operates over 30 justice service centres across metropolitan and country Victoria. These centres bring together a number of services, giving the community easy access. At each centre the public can access information and staff from Community Correctional Services; the Sheriff’s Office (which enforces sanctions, criminal warrants and warrants for the non-payment of fines); Consumer Affairs Victoria; the Dispute Resolution Centre of Victoria; Births, Deaths and Marriages; and the Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee. The department also operates mobile justice service centres. These are specially designed vehicles that are equipped to provide similar information in more rural or remote areas.
