Legal Aid | Article

What is Legal Aid?

Legal Aid is a system of public funding to enable people who would otherwise not be able to afford legal services to obtain those services. Legal Aid is not provided for every type of legal problem. The focus is on persons at serious personal risk, for example, persons charged with serious criminal offences that may result in imprisonment or matters where children are involved, such as family and domestic violence.

The Australian Government, through the Attorney-General’s Department, funds Legal Aid Commissions in each State and Territory to provide legal assistance to disadvantaged persons in matters arising under the Commonwealth law. Similarly, State and Territory Governments fund Legal Aid Commissions to provide legal assistance in matters arising under their own laws.

What Legal Aid services are available?

Legal Aid Commissions provide a wide range of services in criminal, family and civil law matters arising under their own laws in each State or Territory and the laws of the Commonwealth.

Legal Aid services provided by Legal Aid Commissions include:

  • information and referral, including by telephone or at the reception counter of the Commission’s offices;

  • community legal education and publications;

  • legal advice and minor assistance, including preparation of simple documents;

  • duty lawyer services at courts and tribunals;

  • family dispute resolution—where at least one of the parties to a family law dispute has received a grant of legal assistance; and

  • grants of legal assistance for legal representation before a court or tribunal.

Website: Home | Legal Aid WA

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