LawAccess NSW joins Legal Aid NSW
10 Jul 2019
People who are seeking legal assistance over the phone will be able to find the right help quickly and simply.
From 1 July 2019, LawAccess NSW will join Legal Aid NSW. The move provides an opportunity to address feedback from the public about confusing and multiple entry points that can lead to bounce and delay.
Across more than 40 published telephone numbers, Legal Aid NSW receives many hundreds of thousands of telephone calls each year from people seeking help. Over the past years, calls to Legal Aid NSW outnumber calls to LawAccess NSW by almost four times.
The Legal Aid NSW Strategic Plan 2018-2023 is focused on improving the experience of people seeking legal assistance, both by delivering high quality services that meet clients’ needs and building partnerships to deliver the best possible outcomes for clients.
Over the coming year, Legal Aid NSW will work with our partners to streamline access to legal assistance for NSW citizens. Over 40 publicly available Legal Aid NSW phone numbers will be consolidated into one 1300 number, fulfilling the original purpose of LawAccess NSW.
Legal Aid NSW CEO Brendan Thomas welcomed the move and LawAccess NSW staff.
“By speaking with our clients and tracking their experience we know that currently, if clients don’t know who to call, it can be confusing. This move provides an opportunity to improve the client experience,” he said. “I welcome LawAccess staff to Legal Aid and look forward to working with them to make LawAccess a key entry point to NSW legal assistance services.”
The end goal is for people who are seeking legal assistance to find the right help quickly and simply. LawAccess NSW will be elevated and integrated to be the genuine first contact for legal assistance for the NSW public, making sure clients are connected to the right service at the right time.
Designing and delivering this transformational change will take time. There will be no disruption or change to how LawAccess NSW operates in the next months and Legal Aid NSW will provide advance information about any changes to LawAccess NSW operations in the future.