Who we are | Mission and Vision | Funds | Programs | Statistics | Corporate Information | Annual Report | Reports

1. Who we are

Legal Aid NSW is established under the Legal Aid Commission Act 1979
 of New South Wales and is an independent statutory body. We provide legal aid and other legal services to disadvantaged people. Ten Board Members, appointed by the NSW Attorney General, govern Legal Aid NSW and determine its policies and strategic direction. The Board represents a range of key groups including the Law Society of NSW, welfare groups and the Bar Association of NSW. The daily management of Legal Aid NSW is overseen by the Chief Executive Officer, with assistance from the Executive.

We assist socially and economically disadvantaged people to understand and protect their rights. One of the functions of the legal system is to safeguard people's rights. The legal system can only perform this protective role if people have equitable access to it.

The justice system is not accessible to everybody. Financially disadvantaged people, disabled people, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and those who are institutionalised experience particular difficulties. Legal Aid NSW plays a special role in improving access to justice by providing a range of legal service to these disadvantaged people, with special emphasis on these target groups.

Legal Aid NSW also works with LawAccess NSW, Community Legal Centres, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, and private lawyers to provide legal services to people throughout New South Wales. In 2007-2008, 47.2% of our case and duty services were provided by private lawyers.

We provide free legal advice and minor assistance at our city central office and 21 regional offices, numerous advice clinics located in various metropolitan and country centres, and specialist services. In 2007-2008 we provided 641,884 client services including representation, legal advice, information and community legal education. If more than legal advice is needed, we may be able to provide legal representation. We provide grants of legal aid for many civil, family, criminal, administrative law, mental health and veteran's matters. For most services clients must meet our means and merit tests. Also they usually have to pay some money towards the cost of their case. In some cases clients repay the full cost of their case when it is finalised.

We have a Client Service Charter which outlines our commitment to servicing our clients.

2. Our mission and vision

Legal Aid Corporate Plan 2009-2011

Our mission is to deliver a range of innovative, high quality legal services to our clients and the community to assist them to resolve their legal problems.

Our vision is to ensure that people who are economically and socially disadvantaged can understand, protect and enforce their legal rights and interests.

Our priorities are our clients, ensuring our services are targeted at people most in need; and trying to reach people early, through legal information, community legal education, advice and minor assistance.

3. Funding

Legal Aid NSW receives its income mainly from the Commonwealth and NSW Governments, the Law Society Public Purpose Fund and its clients. Combined income for 2007-2008 was $215.013 million.

Legal Aid NSW undertakes work for the Commonwealth Government on the basis of a four-year agency agreement, which ends on 31 December 2008.

4. Our programs

We provide other services that aim to avoid court disputes such as family dispute resolution (mediation) and community legal education programs.

We also administer funding for 32 Community Legal Centres to provide legal representation and advice across NSW as well as Womens' Domestic Violence Court Assistance Schemes at many Local Courts.

5. Useful Statistics

This information is from data collected during the 2007-2008 financial year.  You will find detailed statistical summaries in Legal Aid NSW's Annual Report 2007-2008.

In 2007-2008, we provided 641,884 client services, an 8.5% increase on last year and an 80.6% increase over five years.

We represented clients in 65,308 matters – a 6.7% increase on last year.

Community legal education sessions increased by 23.7%.

We provided 23,355 mental health services.

We granted aid in 65,308 cases across all areas of law, a 6.7% increase on last year.

50.3% of our total expenditure was spent in criminal law, 31.6% in family law, 9.7% in civil law and 8.3% in community programs.

7.4% of our case and inhouse duty services went to Aboriginal people.

We answered 22,996 calls to our Youth Hotline, a 24.8% increase on last year, advising 8,662 young people about their legal rights.

Advice and minor assistance was provided in 82,469 matters, an increase of 3% on last year.

We distributed 382,405 publications compared to 368,888 last year.

We conducted mediations in 2,527 family disputes, achieving full or partial settlement in 85.3% of them.

6. Corporate Information

Legal Aid's corporate information contains our Corporate Plan, policies, Freedom of Information, as well as other key documents that help guide our work.

7. Annual Report

Please click here for our Annual Reports.

 8. Reports

Please click here for our Reports.