Policy Online

Criteria for vulnerable clients and law

Legal Aid NSW will determine whether the client is vulnerable having regard to whether they are

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
homeless or at risk of homelessness
under 25 years of age
over 65 years of age
living in a remote or regional area and have difficulty accessing legal services
in custody or detention
experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence or have legal issues arising out of their experience of family violence
living with a mental illness or cognitive impairment or other disability impacting on their ability to understand the legal problem and represent their interests
living with a significant physical disability affecting their access to legal and other services
a refugee who arrived on an offshore humanitarian visa or who holds a protection visa, or
experiencing a threat to their prospects of stable and ongoing employment and are 'financially vulnerable' (see Guideline 3.3.1). Note: this vulnerability only applies to claims to the Fair Work Commission and complaints to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

AND they:

have tried and failed to resolve the legal issue
have low literacy and are unable to read letters/understand conversations with agencies
are unable to identify and understand the details of the legal issues they have, or
are unable to navigate the systems and processes to resolve the legal issues.