LEGAL AID GRANTS & PANEL LAWYERS
WE ARE HERE TO HELP ALL MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY
LEGAL AID PANELS
With over 10 years criminal law experience we are pleased to announce we have been appointed to the Summary Crime Panel, Indictable Crime Panel, Child Crime Panel and Domestic Violence Panel.
We take our pride in our work as panel members and are grateful for the opportunity it affords us to help more members of our community.
Unsure whether you are eligible for a grant of legal aid and needing legal assistance? Reach out and we will help you find your way!
LEGAL AID DUTY WORK
We are pleased to announce that we have submitted our application with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW to undertake back-up duty work.
If successful, we will be available to assist more members of our community at the following Court locations:
Newcastle Local Court & District Court, Toronto Local Court, Belmont Local Court, Raymond Terrace Local Court & Maitland Local Court.
FOR OUR LEGAL AID CLIENTS
WE ARE COMMITTED TO YOU
You and your matter is important to us and we want to work with you to get the best result possible. To do this, we want to get to know you, understand your needs and build your trust.
We want you to know we are dedicated to all our client’s and will put in our time to make sure you receive only the best legal representation and outcome.
We have been doing criminal law for over 10 years and value all of our clients. We want to help you, so reach out and let’s start working together.
CAN I CHOOSE MY LAWYER?
The simple answer is yes with a few conditions. If you wanted to choose your own lawyer you would be best to get them to complete your application for a grant of legal aid on your behalf. When they complete the application form, they can list themselves as your Lawyer. However, the lawyer you choose must be on the legal aid panel that matches your type of legal matter e.g. If you are charge was Driving whilst disqualified then your solicitor would need to be on the ‘Summary Crime Panel’.
Let us know if your need help with your Legal Aid application.
ASSIGNED LEGAL AID CLIENTS
We may not have been your lawyer of choice as your matter was assigned to us, but we want you to know we are just as dedicated to you and your matter as any other client. We are here to work with you. To put in the time to get to know you and your legal matter. We want to build your trust and to make sure you receive the best legal representation and outcome possible.
Our hope is that by the end of your legal matter you can say, ‘It didn’t matter that you didn’t get to pick your lawyer, as if you could have, you would have picked us anyway.’
FAQs
HOW DO I GET A GRANT OF LEGAL AID & Can you ASSIST ME?
You need to complete an Application for Grant of Legal Aid attaching your proof of income, three months of bank statements and other documentation depending on your legal matter. As stated on the Legal Aid Commission of NSW website
“your best chance of getting a grant of aid is to speak with your lawyer before completing your application.”
At Nowland Lawyers, we want to take the stress out of the process for you. We encourage you to contact us so we can assist you and where suitable submit the application for a grant of aid on your behalf.
WHAT IF I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT OF LEGAL AID BUT ALSO DON’T HAVE MUCH MONEY?
Nowland Lawyers prides itself on being able to assist members of our community, like you who are not eligible for a grant of aid. We offer our pro-bono services on a case by case basis. As we can’t take on every matter, we look at your circumstances and legal troubles and determine whether we have capacity to assist at significantly reduced rate or free of charge. Should we not be able to offer our pro-bono service to you, we will help you to engage with one of the following community based legal services:
Other options available are:
Community Legal Centres who provide free legal advice (Eg Hunter Community Legal Centre).
Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) - provides legal service to Aboriginal people.
University Legal Access Centres (Eg Newcastle University Legal Centre).
Law Access NSW on 1300 888 529.
How WILL LEGAL AID ASSESS MY ELIGiBILITY FOR A GRANT OF LEGAL AID?
The Legal Aid Commission of NSW policy provides two tests for determine your application for a grant of aid:
Merit Test - They look at what you want legal assist for, your type matter and whether in all the circumstances a grant of legal aid is warranted (E.g the seriousness of criminal matters, likelihood of imprisonment);
Means Test - They examine what income you get (paid work; Centrelink payments & any other income sources); your assets (car/s, home & anything else of value); your dependents (people you financially support) or whether you are dependant on others; and your debts.
I ALREADY HAVE A LEGAL AID SOLICITOR BUT AM NOT HAPPY WITH THEM. CAN YOU TAKE OVER MY MATTER?
Transferring your grant of aid to a new lawyer can only be done in exceptional circumstances. These include:
Your lawyer is unavailable.
A conflict of interest arises preventing the solicitor from continuing to act on your behalf.
The relationship between you and your lawyer has irreversibly broken down or deteriorated.
In considering your request to transfer your grant of aid to a new lawyer, Legal Aid Commission will also factor in:
The status of your matter/proceedings.
How much work has been done by your lawyer to date and what work is left to be done.
The amount of money already paid by Legal Aid towards your legal costs.
The Legal Aid Commission of NSW advises that If you need to change your lawyer because of exceptional circumstances, you can ask your current lawyer to submit a transfer via Grants Online OR If you cannot contact your lawyer, you must put your request in writing.