Who Qualifies for Legal Aid Victoria

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is a government-funded body set up to ensure that people who cannot afford to pay for a private lawyer can get help with their legal problems. Some of our services are accessible to everyone. Depending on your situation, you may be able to get other legal help. To apply for legal assistance, you must complete an application form. The form contains questions about your legal problem and financial situation to help VLA determine if you qualify for legal assistance. To find out if your legal issue is included in our policies, contact our legal aid team. Visit the “Find Legal Answers” section of the Victoria Legal Aid website for free information on many common legal issues. To find the nearest legal centre in the community, call 03 9652 1500 or visit the Federation of Community Legal Centres website The Law Institute of Victoria can refer you to a lawyer who will deal with your particular problem. These lawyers offer a free 30-minute telephone consultation before charging a fee for their services. For a legal reference from the Law Institute of Victoria, call the hotline on 03 9607 9550 or consult their list Our policies contain a detailed list of legal issues for which we can provide legal assistance. Most legal aid grants relate to criminal or family cases. A small number of grants are also awarded in other areas such as guardianship, violations, migration, social security, mental health and discrimination. There are certain issues and areas of law on which VLA does not provide legal advice.

These include: By accepting the offer of legal assistance, you also agree to our Legal Advice Terms and Conditions. The obligations in our Terms and Conditions apply to all legal aid services. If we have set conditions, you also agree to comply with those terms. If you do not comply with all the terms and conditions imposed, we may cancel or change your legal aid service. You may have to pay some or all of the costs of your case so far. Our standard terms include: If you can`t afford a lawyer to conduct your case, you can ask if Victoria Legal Aid will pay a lawyer to help you (which requires you to request a lawyer). Victoria Legal Aid cannot provide legal advice on commercial or commercial matters, defamation, intellectual property, wage disputes, industrial accidents, wills (deceased estates) or the purchase and sale of real estate. VLA`s Family Dispute Resolution Service (FSRD) helps people resolve their family law disputes. Following an assessment, the SRRF may organize a dispute resolution conference to assist disputes where a party has granted legal aid. The amount you may have to pay depends on your financial situation. For more information on fees and fees, see www.vla.vic.gov.au (click on “Legal Advice and Advice” and then on “Get Advice from a Lawyer”).

In the left-hand menu, you will find more information under “What is a message?” and “What is a fee?”). Our policies include a review of resources. The means test applies to most adults. Most adults must pass the resource test to get legal assistance. In some cases, such as domestic violence, forced evictions, or service of court documents, you may need immediate legal help. A person can use the service without a lawyer, but VLA strongly encourages anyone to seek legal advice. VLA can help a person find a lawyer. People who cannot afford a lawyer can ask for a lawyer to cover lawyer`s fees. In some limited cases, a mandatory lawyer is available. In order to hire a lawyer for your case, you must be entitled to legal assistance. To decide if you`re eligible, let`s look at the following: VLA may discontinue or change your legal aid if you don`t follow the terms of your grant or your lawyer`s advice. The FDRS is free of charge.

However, you may have to pay your legal fees if you don`t get a lawyer. Justice Connect provides free legal advice to disadvantaged people and develops programs to meet the legal needs of homeless people, seniors, non-profit organizations and self-advocates. If you apply to a court for a parenting order, the judge may consider the FDRS certificate when deciding your case (including whether one of you should pay the other`s legal fees). In most cases, however, you can only apply for a parenting order if you have a certificate from a family dispute resolution practitioner. Victoria Legal Aid`s duty counsel service can provide confidential legal advice and representation to tenants (tenants) and residents free of charge in property matters (evictions) and injunctions. If you have a legal problem and can`t afford to pay for a lawyer, we may be able to hire a lawyer to help you. This is called “providing legal assistance.” More detailed information on providing legal advice can be found in the VLA Handbook for Lawyers (available at handbook.vla.vic.gov.au). On this website, you can find out how to apply for a legal aid grant, as well as the policies and conditions associated with the grants. It also explains the remuneration structure of private lawyers who provide legal aid. If you are entitled to legal assistance, we will send you and the lawyer a letter to help you resolve your legal problem.

The letter will tell you: A private lawyer can help you explain your legal problem and solve it. Our resources are limited and the demand for legal services is high. We have policies that set out our rules when we provide legal assistance. You can only get legal advice if your legal problem and financial situation comply with our guidelines. This means that our money helps the people who need us most. Our legal information is available to all Victorians. Unfortunately, other legal services and advice are limited to those who need it most. We follow the guidelines to make our legal aid as fair as possible. There may be a limit to the amount of money available to pay for your legal problem – this is called a “cost cap”. Since VLA`s resources are limited and the demand for legal services is high, there are rules on who can get legal assistance.

Justice Connect`s GDDS provides advice and support to eligible homeowners whose home building disputes have not been resolved with DBDRV. It can help homeowners who do not have access to legal aid and advice from other sources. Visit the Domestic Building Legal Service website for assistance. The Court Network has volunteers who provide information, support and refer people to other services. They do not provide legal advice. If you do not agree with VLA`s decision on your application for legal assistance, you can ask VLA to reconsider this decision. If you disagree with a decision to grant legal aid, VLA can help people with a range of legal issues, including those related to criminal cases, family separation, domestic violence, mental health and discrimination. To use the FDRS, at least one person must have a lawyer and legal advisor from VLA. An independent child advocate can access the service for a family. Victoria Legal Aid provides free advice to people with legal problems, with a focus on criminal law, family law and some civil law issues. Some of its services are available to all Victorians, while other services are only available to those who are eligible.

Victoria Legal Aid also offers training to strengthen the community`s knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities. To be eligible for TRLA`s free legal services, an applicant must meet income, asset, and immigration requirements set forth by the U.S. Congress, Texas Legislature, and other funding sources. TRLA will always try to find a source of funding that allows for representation for people who cannot afford to pay for a private lawyer. Victoria Legal Aid provides free legal information and training to all Victorians. They may also offer advice and legal representation based on their financial situation and other individual circumstances. The following services provide free or low-cost legal advice or assistance. By accepting legal assistance, you also agree to the terms and conditions of the grant and any special conditions explained in the letter you receive from VLA. These conditions include: Your lawyer is paid directly by us, and he cannot ask you to pay a fee for services provided as part of your legal aid provision. If you receive an invoice from your lawyer, let us know immediately.

However, you may have the right to go to court to ask for further review. You should seek independent legal advice, as it is only provided within strict deadlines and under certain circumstances.