The panel application process is a single application form that is completed by the principal of a law practice or barrister (the applicant). The application form is submitted on behalf of all legal practitioners who meet individual panel requirements and will undertake legal aid work.
All legal practitioners must hold a current Australian Practising Certificate.
Please note appointment to a panel does not confer an entitlement to work.
This panel covers State and Commonwealth summary criminal law work (including duty work) in NSW local and district courts for adult clients only.
Solicitors and barristers (as direct representatives) are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
This panel covers State and Commonwealth indictable work (including complex criminal law matters) for adult clients only.
Solicitors only are eligible to undertake work for this panel and cannot conduct complex work as a solicitor advocate.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
Training:
This panel covers indictable and complex criminal law work in the following NSW courts:
Indictable matters are defined as ‘non-complex matters’ including EAGP matters in both the Local and District Courts within NSW.
Complex matters are defined by the following criteria:
This panel covers State and Commonwealth work undertaken for young people in children’s, local, district and supreme courts presided over by a specialist Children’s Magistrate or the President of the Children’s Court.
Solicitors and barristers (as direct representative) are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
Training:
This panel covers children’s criminal law work in the following NSW courts:
This panel covers Commonwealth family law work in accordance with Legal Aid NSW policies and guidelines.
Solicitors only are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
This panel covers family law work across NSW:
This panel covers State family law funding in the representation of adults and children (including in duty work) in matters brought under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW), authorised carers under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW) and adults and children under the Education Act 1990 (NSW).
This panel is for direct legal representation of legally aided adult clients and for either direct or independent legal representation of children depending on their age.
Solicitors and barristers (junior counsel only) are eligible to undertake work for the Care Panel.
The Care Panel covers care and protection work in the following NSW courts:
To apply, the authorised principal of a Law Practice or barrister can submit the online Care Panel Application Form through the Panels Application Website using their Grants Online username and password.
If the applicant does not have a Grants Online username and password, they will need to register here. For any assistance with registering for Grants Online, please email the Service Desk or call (02) 9219 5999 (option 2).
Applications are open to:
Prior to applying you can view the application questions here.
The Care Panel application form is currently not open to new applicants.
Individual requirements:
*The referee report must be uploaded with the application.
Application Assessment and Workshop Invitation
The Application Process is as follows:
Approval to carry out legal aid work under the Care Panel will be confirmed once all the individual eligibility requirements are satisfied.
Representing Children Workshop
The next Representing Children Workshop (‘the Workshop’) is yet to be scheduled.
This mandatory in-person Workshop is Phase 2 of the compulsory child representation training package for lawyers applying to the Care Panel.
The Workshop will build upon your knowledge of care and protection and ask you to apply it to scenario questions from the perspective of independent and direct legal representatives. You will hear from experienced practitioners and also join with your fellow practitioners and trainers to work through case studies to assess your skills in care and protection and child representation.
It is expected that you will have done some pre-reading and completed online Phase 1 of the care and protection training package before attending the Workshop. You can find more about Phase 1 here: Lawyer Education Series Phase 1 Information.
Failure to satisfactorily complete the Workshop will mean that the individual requirements for the Care Panel have not been satisfied and the application will not be approved.
For any Workshop enquiries, please contact carechildrepresentation@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.
Delegation:
Training:
In family law matters requiring the involvement of an independent children’s lawyer (ICL), the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) will make orders requesting Legal Aid NSW make arrangements, where the matter meets our policies and guidelines, for the representation of children.
Solicitors only are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
Training:
This panel covers ICL work in the following NSW courts:
*For any enquiries in relation to the ICL Nuts and Bolts training course (phase 3) including future dates please contact iclwebsite@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.
N.B: Practitioners assessed to have successfully completed the phase 2 training will be requested by Legal Aid NSW to submit a referee report to assess their suitability to join the ICL panel, before being identified as eligible to attend the ICL Nuts and Bolts (phase 3) training.
This panel covers apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) case and duty work for clients experiencing domestic or family violence in local courts throughout NSW.
Solicitors and barristers (as direct representative) are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Individual requirements:
Delegation:
This panel covers ADVO work in the following NSW courts:
This panel covers both State and Commonwealth civil law matters in accordance with Legal Aid NSW policies.
Solicitors only are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
This panel covers State funded matters brought under the Mental Health Act 2007 (NSW), the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2021 (NSW), the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007 (NSW), the NSW Trustee and Guardian Act 2009 and the Guardianship Act 1987 (NSW).
Solicitors and barristers (as direct representatives) are eligible to undertake work for this panel.
Please note most of the work conducted under this panel is via the Mental Health Advocacy Duty Scheme. For further information please see our Duty solicitor scheme webpage.
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