Eligibility

Due to funding constraints, some limitations are placed on the granting of legal aid. We do not grant legal aid for all legal problems; for example, we cannot fund commercial or business matters.

Certain civil disputes up to $12,000 can be heard in the minor civil claims jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court where no legal representation is required. Legal Services will provide free advice to assist with minor civil matters.

In criminal matters there must be a likelihood of a prison sentence. Family matters (other than an emergency) must involve a genuine dispute over children that is not resolvable by negotiation or counselling.

The Grants Section of Legal Services is responsible for assessing each application received for legal aid. It uses 4 broad criteria to assess an application for assistance. In addition to the means, merits and forum tests, an application for assistance is also assessed as to whether it is within the funding guidelines. The application must satisfy all 4 criteria before legal aid can be granted.

Means Test

The means test determines how much a person with any given income and assets can afford to pay for necessary legal services. The income and assets of any financially associated person are treated as if they were the income and assets of the applicant unless they are in legal conflict. A financially associated person is any person or company whom the applicant could reasonably be expected to receive money from or give money to, for example, a spouse or de facto partner.

• Income
  The income test is applied to the applicant's weekly disposable income which is total income of the applicant (and any financially associated person) less income tax, housing costs, child-care costs and maintenance payments actually paid for the support of a child or former spouse. Family allowances are disregarded.
  
  An applicant whose disposable income is less than the poverty line would be assessed at the minimum contribution level.
   
• Assets
  In addition to income, the client's assets will affect their eligibility for legal aid. However, the assets test does not include the clothing, tools of trade, household effects and furniture of the average person or an average house or car.
   
• Proof of Means
  You (and your spouse/de facto partner) must provide proof of your income and assets with your application for legal aid. This can be copies of recent pay slips over 4 weeks, a letter from your employer stating weekly income or a taxation group certificate or taxation return. A copy of a Centrelink income statement is also acceptable. As well, Legal Services will need to view copies of bank statements or passbooks showing the balance over the last two months in all accounts (a teller slip stating the current bank balance is not sufficient). If you own real estate, a copy of council rates or water rates notice showing the property value must also be shown.
  
  If these documents do not accompany the application, it will not be processed but will be sent back to you.
   
• Statutory Charge
  Where you or your financially associated person own real estate, legal aid is really only a loan. Once the cost of the matter goes over a set amount, Legal Services will register a charge over the property. The charge makes sure that you pay back the whole of the legal aid eventually. It applies to any real estate in which you or your financially associated person have an interest. It does not matter whether the real estate is fully paid off or whether there is still a mortgage.
  
  When the property is sold, transferred, re-financed or further mortgaged, or when the owner dies, the full amount must be paid back. If the client wants to pay it back sooner, they can arrange this. See our Statutory Charge Factsheet for more information.
  
  Legal Services will not force the sale of the property except in very rare cases.

Merits Test

Legal Services must be satisfied that the legal matter involved is an appropriate expenditure of public legal aid funds. Where the matter has no reasonable prospects of success, legal aid is refused. In serious criminal matters, the existence of a "reasonably arguable" defence may suffice.

The aim of Legal Services is to put applicants into an equal but not better position than private individuals who risk their own funds. If it is considered reasonable for a solicitor in private practice to act in expectation of costs being recovered in due course from settlement funds, then legal aid is refused.

Forum Test

Legal Services will only grant aid for cases to be heard in South Australia.

Guidelines

Legal Services has set guidelines regarding the type of work it will handle. Legal aid is normally not provided for the following:

Divorce. A divorce application is available online from the Commonwealth Courts Portal. Help in completing the forms is available through our offices and more information is available on the Federal Circuit and Family Court website. We also encourage use of amica. In circumstances where a do-your-own divorce is not appropriate, such as where the applicant has language difficulties or if the divorce is particularly complex, then legal aid may be available.

Family property settlements, unless there are special circumstances.

Traffic offences, including drink driving, unless there is a real risk of imprisonment or the applicant has special circumstances that justify assistance.

Conveyancing

Probate or claims on deceased estates

Complaints against lawyers. These should initially be referred to the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner for investigation. Legal assistance may be subsequently granted where the available evidence justifies legal proceedings.

Complaints against police. These should initially be referred to the Office for Public Integrity for investigation. Legal assistance may subsequently be granted where the available evidence justifies legal proceedings.

Defamation cases

Neighbour and Fencing Disputes

Bankruptcy Act matters

Applying for or defending Intervention Orders. However, legal aid may be available to clients charged with a breach of an Intervention Order. The Police can assist clients to apply for an order. In matters involving domestic violence, we provide a range of services - see our pages on Domestic Violence.

Unfair Dismissal applications

Matters where other agencies can provide appropriate assistance. These include simple consumer complaints (Consumer and Business Services) and Wills (Public Trustee).

Minor Civil Claims matters which fall within the civil jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court. Advice on claim procedures is available through our Free Legal Advice Service.

Minor criminal matters and minor drug offences - either where there is no penalty of imprisonment provided by the legislation, or there is no real risk of imprisonment being imposed.

Victims of Crime Compensation proceedings except where exceptional circumstances exist. Private lawyers will handle these cases and claim their fees from the Victims of Crime Fund.

Commercial matters and disputes arising out of businesses such as commercial leases, liquidations, shares, purchase of businesses, or disputes arising out of commercial activities.

Matters where private lawyers are prepared to act where costs will be able to be recovered from the settlement in due course, such as family property settlements or personal injury matters.

Special/Exceptional Circumstances

The specific guidelines can be waived in cases involving special or exceptional circumstances. These can include undue hardship, financial or otherwise, to the applicant if legal assistance were not provided, or emergency situations in which the liberty, livelihood, possessions or physical and mental well being of the applicant and any dependants are threatened.

Funding Caps

Where the cost of a case reaches its funding cap, no aid or extension of existing aid beyond the level of the funding cap will be granted. In criminal law cases, the funding cap is $50,000 or $100,000 where more than one party is receiving legal aid. In Commonwealth family law cases, the funding cap is $16,500 for each parent or guardian.

Serious Offences

The High Court has held that even a person charged with a very serious crime has no absolute right to legal representation, although in some specifically defined circumstances the person may be entitled to a permanent stay in the prosecution, as long as he or she remains legally unrepresented [ see R v Dietrich 1992 CLR 147]. If steps have not been taken to obtain assistance and the Court refuses an adjournment, a defendant might have to conduct her or his own defence without a lawyer.

In South Australia, the Criminal Law (Legal Representation) Act 2001 (SA) requires the Legal Services Commission to provide representation to a person charged with a serious offence, whether they would ordinarily be eligible for a grant of legal assistance under the Legal Services Commission Act 1977 (SA) or not.

A serious offence is defined as ‘an indictable offence under the law of the State that is to be tried in the Supreme Court or the District Court, and includes any summary offence that is to be tried together with such an offence in the same proceedings’.

Under this Act, Legal Services can set conditions upon the person needing representation, which must be met or agreed to before representation is provided.