Managing grants of aid

This section has information to help practitioners manage grants of aid that are assigned to them by Legal Aid WA.

Legal Aid WA Connect

  • Our new online platform to apply for a grant of aid, seek a reconsideration or review, request an extension or a transfer, and lodge invoices for payment.
 Legal Aid WA Connect training
  • Panel practitioners and administrative staff can access Legal Aid WA Connect training materials through Law Hub.
Grants Online
  • Our legacy online grants platform.
Briefing another lawyer
  • Briefing another lawyer to do work for you on an assigned grant of aid.
Practitioner payments
  • Information to help you understand how you can claim for work done under a grant of aid.
Grant guidelines
  • Guidance on legal matters that may be the subject of a grant of aid, our priority categories and what the initial grant may cover.

 

Grants of aid to private practitioners

Legal Aid WA has two divisions involved in managing grants of aid to private practitioners:

  • our Standards and Engagement team oversees our panels and lists, including membership applications, practitioner compliance, audits, and complaints.
  • our Grants Management team makes decisions on individual applications for grants of aid, including extensions, payments, transfers and client contributions.

Grant of aid allocation

Some grants of aid to clients are not allocated to private practitioners. These ‘in house’ grants are assigned to lawyers employed by Legal Aid WA.

If a client’s grant can be assigned to a private lawyer, the client can nominate their lawyer of choice. The nominated lawyer is ordinarily allocated the grant of aid, if they are on the panel type that matches the grant of aid.

If the client does not nominate a lawyer who is on the relevant panel, or that lawyer is unavailable, Legal Aid WA may allocate the grant 'in house.' or to the next available practitioner on the relevant panel.

Funding for an Independent Children’s Lawyer, Child Representative, or Dispute Resolution Chairperson, is not allocated to an individual client. The term ‘list’ is used to show that funding for these matters is not subject to the allocation rules that apply to panel matters. Legal Aid WA may allocate the grant to any available practitioner on the list.

Practitioner unavailability

If you are a member of a Legal Aid WA panel or list, you will be referred grants of aid unless you have a conflict, or do not have capacity on a temporary basis. If you are unavailable to accept new grants of aid from Legal Aid WA, you must notify Panel immediately at panel@legalaid.wa.gov.au or on (08) 9261 6829 with details of the length of time you expect to be unavailable.

If you are temporarily unavailable, you will not be removed from the panels and lists but will not be allocated new grants until you become available. You can still submit new applications through Legal Aid WA Connect on behalf of a client and be allocated the grant as their nominated practitioner of choice.

 

Reviewed: 20 July 2026

If you are impacted by the regional court closures between 1 June and 3 August and you don’t think you can attend court in person, it’s important to let the court know. 

Your lawyer or Legal Aid WA can help you do this.

Contact your local Legal Aid WA office or the Legal Aid WA Infoline for advice and help.

Disclaimer

The information displayed on this page is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have a legal problem, you should see a lawyer. Legal Aid Western Australia aims to provide information that is accurate, however does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information provided on this page or incorporated into it by reference.