In order to provide legal aid services to a legal aid applicant you must be on the Legal Aid WA general practitioner panel. If a practitioner is not included on the Legal Aid WA general panel  then Legal Aid WA cannot issue or process any grants of legal aid to you.  

Practitioners on the general panel may be issued with grants of legal aid when specifically nominated by a client on their legal aid application form. If the application is not submitted by the practitioner/firm, the grant may be assigned to Legal Aid Inhouse practice or to a practitioner on the specialised panel.

Practitioners on the specialised panels can be issued with  a "cleanskin" grant of legal aid. That is, an application received directly from a client that does not nominate a practitioner.   

Panel of practitioner obligations

All practitioners who are members of Legal Aid's general and specialised panels MUST comply with:

• the Legal Aid Commission Act 1976
• the Legal Aid Commission Rules 1990
• the Legal Profession Conduct Rules 2010
• the general and specialist undertakings on panel application forms; and
• Legal Aid WA guidelines relevant to grants of aid.

For any panel related issues, please contact panel@legalaid.wa.gov.au.

 Last reviewed: 26 November 2012