While most of our work is focused on providing legal services in criminal, family and civil law, our workforce includes many other roles, including social workers, policy officers, grant officers, IT, human resources, finance, procurement and communications, as well as contact centre and counter staff. You can apply for legal aid directly through Legal Aid Queensland or through a preferred legal aid provider, such as .B. Geldard Sherrington Lawyers. Call our friendly team at (07) 4194 5422 if you need legal advice or legal aid. To find out how much money each community organization received, read our Investment in Legal Aid Services 2020-25. Table 1 shows the gross weekly income you can earn while eligible for assistance. You can use this table to check if you meet the requirements and if you may need to contribute to your litigation costs. Table 2 shows how much you will have to pay for your legal fees based on the value of your assets. We will not approve your application if the amount you would have to pay for your legal fees would be greater than the value of the granting of the assistance.
The latest version also looks at broader data sources to better inform evidence of legal needs in Queensland, and provides more in-depth contextual analysis to show how this data is relevant to individual organisations. Legal aid services are free or low-cost legal services provided to individuals who cannot hire their own lawyer for the following reasons: If you apply for legal aid for a family property settlement or domestic violence case, you could have an interest of up to $200,000 in eligible assets that are in dispute with the other party. The guidelines tell us what types of cases we can fund based on the priorities set for us by the state and the federal government. A full list of priorities can be found on our website at www.legalaid.qld.gov.au. Priorities are set out in the Grants Policy Manual. Some of the priorities are: You should talk to a lawyer about your problem before you apply. You can get free legal advice on most personal legal matters by calling us on 1300 65 11 88 and making an appointment to speak with a lawyer. In order for a lawyer to represent you through Legal Aid Queensland, you must apply for legal aid. To qualify for legal aid, you must be financially eligible for a resource criterion, meet the requirements of a performance audit, and have a legal problem that meets certain guidelines. The means test applies to an applicant`s income and assets and to any person who provides financial support to the applicant. The objective is to determine whether the applicant is entitled to legal aid or is entitled to legal aid without contribution. We have developed guidelines to identify candidates who would not normally pass our resource test, but who deserve special attention as they have several drawbacks.
If you are a victim of domestic violence, live in a remote area, have a mental, psychiatric or physical disability, or other disadvantage, you may be eligible for a grant under our Special Circumstances Policy. Legal Aid Queensland provides legal assistance to financially disadvantaged people across Queensland. Our goal is to uphold the rule of law, protect legal rights, contribute to the efficiency of the justice system and reduce the social impact of legal issues. If you support or financially support others (such as a partner or child/child), this will be considered in the resource review. If another person supports you, provides you with financial assistance, or can reasonably expect them to provide you with financial assistance (such as a partner), the means test takes into account that person`s income and assets. Be sure to include details of their income and wealth in your legal aid application. In March 2016, the Ministère de la Justice and the Attorney General (DJAG) instructed the CLCQ to provide evidence and analysis of legal needs. We provided CLCQ project funds to develop a guide that summarizes the evidence of legal necessity in Queensland. Specialist CLCs provide expertise in specific areas of law (such as child benefits, mental health, rent, immigration and employment) or provide legal assistance to specific groups of people (e.B. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, children and youth, women, refugees, homeless and prisoners).
We use three sets of criteria to determine whether legal aid is granted. These are the Queensland Legal Aid Resource Test, funding guidelines and, in most cases, a legal merit test. Find out where you can get legal information or advice. Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) is a statutory authority that provides legal information, advice and representation to financially disadvantaged Queenslanders. She specializes in criminal, family and civil law. LAQ`s information and advisory services are free for all Queenslanders. To be eligible for legal representation in court, you must comply with LAQ`s guidelines for intermediate and performance testing. As the demand for our services is high, we use strict criteria when granting legal representation assistance. This way, we can ensure that we use our resources to help those who can least afford a lawyer. Means test looks at your income and assets to determine if you are financially eligible for legal aid. Generalist CLCs provide services on a range of legal issues for people living in a particular region or city.
Legal Aid Queensland may be able to provide free legal advice if you have been charged with a criminal offence. Where appropriate, Legal Aid Queensland will provide legal information and may make an appointment with a lawyer who is a preferred provider of legal aid. Many people also face multiple legal issues at the same time, including civil law, family law, and/or criminal law. The assets considered include real estate (houses, land), cash, shares, debt securities or other investments, as well as the assets of a person who helps you financially, unless you need legal help because you are in dispute with that person. We do not include: According to the Legal Australia-Wide Survey 2012 (PDF, 5MB), legal issues have a severe or moderate impact on the lives of vulnerable people in 57% of cases, including: Research suggests that civil justice needs, if left unaddressed, can escalate into more serious civil law issues and, in some cases, driving to crime (Access to Justice Arrangements – Inquiry Report, 2014 (PDF, 6.3 MB)) If your taxable assets are greater than $930 (or $1880 if you receive financial assistance from another person or are single with dependent children), you may not be eligible for assistance or have to pay money for your legal fees. Community organizations are not-for-profit corporations or associations formed for charitable purposes. Most community-based organisations providing legal aid services in Queensland are Community Legal Centres (CLCs). We provide funding for legal services to meet these needs.
These services assist clients with: The Special Circumstances Policy only applies to assets. Any assistance authorized under the Special Circumstances Guidelines may be subject to a condition. For example, you may be required to pay a contribution to your legal fees and/or you may be required to provide your property as security for payment of such legal fees to Legal Aid Queensland. To obtain a copy of the policy, call us at 1300 65 11 88. In March 2019, we provided the CLCQ with additional project funding to update the evidence and analysis of the Legal Needs Guide. The guide includes data from the 2016 Census, the integration of legislative changes, and the current analysis of met and unmet legal needs. If you rely on Centrelink payments for your income, you are generally entitled to legal aid as long as your assets are within the established limits. You must report payments for family tax benefits (Part A&B) as well as child support and maintenance payments as income.
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