Complaints

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

If you are unhappy with our services or staff, the first step is usually to contact us and discuss the issue. If we are unable to resolve the issue or you are not satisfied with our response, you may wish to make a formal complaint.

If the issue relates to a decision relating to a grant of aid, including refusing your application, you may be able to ask for the decision to be reconsidered or reviewed.

For more information about our complaints process, please read our Complaint Handling Guidelines .

Should my complaint be in writing?

You do not have to put your complaint in writing. A complaint can be made in person at any of our Legal Aid Offices, by telephone on 1300 650 579, by emailing complaints@legalaid.wa.gov.au, or by posting your complaint to:

The Complaints Co-Ordinator
Legal Aid Western Australia
GPO Box L916
PERTH WA 6842

If you need other help in lodging a complaint, we can arrange for this from special services such as a telephone interpreter service, the National Relay Service or help for the visually impaired.

Are there time limits for dealing with complaints?

Yes. Unless there are special circumstances, we will not investigate:

complaints more than 12 months old; or
complaints which you can take to a court or tribunal.

How does Legal Aid WA deal with my complaint?

Legal Aid WA takes any complaint it receives very seriously and is committed to working with you to reach an appropriate outcome.

The Complaints Coordinator should acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days.

Legal Aid WA ensures that:

all complaints investigated are done thoroughly and without prejudice
all parties to the complaint have the right to be heard and have any submissions considered
matters not relevant to the complaint are not taken into account
the nominated person(s) making decisions about the complaint are fair and just.

If your complaint is about a private practitioner who is doing work on behalf of Legal Aid WA, you may be asked for permission (authority) so we can contact the practitioner and give them a copy of your complaint.

We will send you a copy of the practitioner’s written response to your complaint. If it is taking longer than expected to deal with your complaint, Legal Aid WA will keep you informed of the progress of the investigation.

How much will it cost to lodge a complaint?

There is no charge for either lodging a complaint or for any special services arranged by Legal Aid WA to help you in lodging a complaint.

What to expect when making a complaint?

It is not always possible to resolve an issue as a result of making a complaint. Sometimes, it may be beyond the scope of Legal Aid WA to give you the outcome you want. For example, where we have already provided legal advice to one person to a dispute, and you would like advice about the same dispute from Legal Aid WA. This would create a conflict of interest for Legal Aid WA.

There are policies and laws that Legal Aid WA must follow, and it is not always possible to provide the service that a person requests. However, you can expect the following:

To be treated with courtesy and consideration and to have your complaint thoroughly and properly investigated.
To be given appropriate and easily understood information about the complaints process, including being informed of the progress of any investigation of your complaint.
That Legal Aid WA will aim to resolve the complaint while following the law and policy requirements.

If it is considered appropriate, you may be referred to the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia, the Family Court of Western Australia, or any other appropriate government agency.

What is expected of me if I make a complaint?

We expect that you will treat the staff handling your complaint with courtesy and respect, understanding that they will deal with your complaint through an established complaints handling process.

If we ask you to provide us with information it is to assist in the proper handling of your complaint. We expect you to respond and to provide the information within the requested time frame.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

The Ombudsman Western Australia investigates complaints about the decision making of government agencies. The Ombudsman always observes an independent and impartial approach to the conduct of investigations as well as observing procedural fairness at all times.

Reviewed: 30 January 2026