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Legal Aid welcomes your comments, feedback and complaints as they can assist us in continuing to improve our services and products.

To access our legal advice service, telephone 1300 650 579 to find the legal advice option which best meets your needs.

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Lodging a Complaint

Click Here to Open the Complaints Form

View the Legal Aid Complaints Policy

What is a complaint?

It is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern made to Legal Aid by a client, a member of the public or a group and relates to our services and products.

A complaint can also relate to the way a complaint is being handled by Legal Aid.

Must complaints be in writing?

A complaint can be made in person, by telephone, fax, email , writing a letter or by completing the complaint form attached to the Legal Aid web page.

If you need assistance in lodging a complaint, we will help you to do so. This assistance can include where required, special services such as the telephone interpreter service, the hearing impaired service and assistance for the visually impaired.

How much will it cost to lodge a complaint?

There is no charge for either lodging a complaint or for any of the services that are used to assist you in lodging a complaint.

What if I have been refused legal aid?

When you apply for legal aid for a lawyer to represent you in court proceedings there are several processes involved.

If you have been refused legal aid initially, you can request that the decision be reconsidered.

A request for a reconsideration of the decision to refuse you legal aid is not treated as a complaint as you have a right to have your application for legal aid re assessed.

If you have been refused legal aid on reconsideration, you are entitled to have the assessment reviewed by an independent review committee.

The decision of a review committee on an application for legal aid is ordinarily final and a complaint against the decision of the review committee not to grant you legal assistance cannot be overturned except in exceptional circumstances by the Board of Comissioners of Legal Aid.

Time limits for complaints

Legal aid has its own complaints handling policy and you can click on here to find the policy.

Where an oral complaint is made and concerns a minor administrative or policy matter that may be able to be resolved at the initial stage, it should be done.

If however a complaint is in writing or a more serious oral complaint, receipt of it will be acknowledged in writing within 2 working days.

The complaint will then be investigated and within 7 working days a written reply will be provided which will include details of the issues, and what action has been taken or will be taken, if necessary.

If dealing with your complaint will take longer than 7 working days, you will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation.

If it is considered appropriate, you will also be advised to pursue the complaint further with the Legal Practice Board as provided for under the Legal Practice Act 2003 or any other another appropriate government agency.

Dealing with your complaint

Legal Aid takes any complaints received very seriously and is committed to assisting in obtaining the best possible outcome.

In dealing with complaints they will be:

• Investigated thoroughly and without prejudice.
• All parties to the complaint will have the right to be heard and any submissions considered.
• Matters not relevant to the complaint will not be taken into account and
• The nominated person(s) making decisions in regard to the complaints must be fair and just.

What to expect from making a complaint

It is not always possible to resolve an issue as a result of making a complaint. In some instances it may be beyond the capacity of Legal Aid to do so, such as providing legal advice to one party to a dispute and providing the same advice to another party to same dispute. This would constitute a conflict of interest for Legal Aid.

Legal Aid is bound by both policy and legislation which means that sometimes it is not possible to provide the service that a person requires.

You can however expect the following:

• To be treated with courtesy and consideration and your complaint thoroughly and properly investigated.
• You will be given appropriate and easily understood information concerning the complaints process including being informed of the progress of any investigation of your complaint.
• Legal Aid will try to achieve a satisfactory resolution of the complaint within the bounds of legislative and policy requirements.

What is expected of you

• That you will treat the staff handling your complaint with courtesy whilst acknowledging that they will be attending to your complaint through an established complaints handling process.
• You will provide information to Legal Aid when requested that will assist in the proper handling of your complaint.

Where to send your complaint

You can post your complaint on - line by completing the complaints form or by posting it to:

The Complaints Co-ordinator
Legal Aid Western Australia
GPO Box L916 Perth WA 6832

Click Here to Open the Complaints Form

View the Legal Aid Complaints Policy