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Pro Bono Legal Assistance Application Form

What happens when I apply?

JusticeNet will acknowledge receipt of your application and assess your matter against our eligibility criteria (above).

  • If eligible, we will endeavour to refer your matter to a lawyer for pro bono assistance, and notify you in writing of the outcome.
  • If unsuccessful, or if we are unable to refer your matter, we will notify you and suggest other services which may be able to assist you.
  • If you disagree with our decision, or wish to make a complaint about our service, we ask you to contact us in writing.
  • After your file is closed it will be held for 7 years after which time it will be destroyed.

Do any fees apply?

The assessment of your application by JusticeNet is free. If successful, JusticeNet will refer your matter to a lawyer on a pro bono basis, that is, you will not be required to pay any fees for legal services provided.

In some cases your lawyer may reserve the right to charge you fees in certain circumstances. This can only occur by agreement between you and your lawyer. The agreement should be in writing and signed by both you and the lawyer.

The most common types of fee agreements are:

  • no fee, regardless of the outcome of the case;
  • reduced fee basis; or
  • conditional basis, where you pay the lawyer an
    agreed fee if you are successful and the other party is
    ordered by a court or tribunal to pay legal costs.

Usually you are responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses (disbursements) that arise during your matter. These expenses include filing fees for documents, court or tribunal daily sitting fees, interpreters’ fees, experts’ fees, cost of transcripts and travel expenses.

If your matter is in a Court or Tribunal and you lose your case, the Court or Tribunal may order that you pay the other party’s legal costs. These costs are your responsibility and are not covered by JusticeNet or your lawyer.

How long does a referral take?

Generally it will take at least two weeks for us to refer matters for pro bono legal assistance. It may take longer if we need to ask you for further information in order to complete the assessment of your application.

If you have informed us in your application of a court date or other important deadline that is less than two weeks from the date we received your application, we will endeavour to contact you before that date to discuss your options.

However, JusticeNet does not take responsibility for time constraints, deadlines or limitation dates.

Do I have a right to obtain assistance?

JusticeNet provides pro bono assistance on a discretionary basis and there is no automatic right to assistance. Although we would like to assist every eligible applicant we are not in a position to do so as the demand for pro bono legal assistance far exceeds its availability.

Is my application confidential?

All information provided by you to JusticeNet will be kept confidential, subject to such disclosure as may be necessary for the purposes of assessing and referring your matter to a lawyer.


JusticeNet SA may be asked by other parties with an interest in your matter to make a referral. JusticeNet SA has put in place procedures to protect client confidentiality and to prevent any conflict of interest by ensuring that materials provided by different parties to the same issue or dispute are considered by different assessors and are stored separately, so that there is no possibility of any intermingling of information.

Contact Information
Contact Information
Other Contact Person

Completing this section authorises us to discuss your application with this person

Personal Information
Date of birth
Country of birth
Do you identify yourself as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
What is your highest level of Education?
Referral Details
Who referred you to the JusticeNet Pro Bono Referral Service?
Legal History of your Matter
Have you applied for Legal Aid for this matter?
Aid outcome
Outcome
Have you sought assistance from a Community Legal Centre for this matter?
Have you received advice or assistance from a Private Lawyer for this matter?
Private lawyer details
Private lawyer assitance

Please provide details of your previous lawyer

About your legal matter

Please include all of the relevant facts of your matter, all important dates and what outcome you seek.

List documents, letters, files, agreements, contracts, or reports which you think are relevant
About your court case
Are there any current legal proceedings regarding your matter?
Current legal proceedings
Financial Circumstances – Individuals
Your financial circumstances
What is your main source of income?
Do you have a financially supporting person?
Your supporting person’s financial circumstances
Details of your assets and liabilities

Please detail assets you own or jointly own including houses, cars, cash and shares

Details of your liabilities

Please detail liabilities/debts you owe or jointly owe including houses, cars, cash and shares

Financial Circumstances – Organisations

Only to be completed by organisation applicants

Is there a written funding agreement? (If yes, please provide a copy)
Declaration and Authority to obtain and disclose information

I authorise JusticeNet SA Inc. to:

  1. request, transfer and receive personal or financial information or documentation in relation to me for the purposes of assessing my eligibility for assistance; providing assistance and, obtaining feedback about the progress or outcome of a legal matter for which I have been referred for legal assistance, without waiving legal professional privilege;
  2. discuss my case with, and disclose any personal or financial information or documentation to any lawyer, barrister or organisation for the purpose of assessing my eligibility for assistance and providing assistance;
  3. use my personal information anonymously to compile statistical data for the purpose of evaluating JusticeNet services.

I understand that this authority continues until I withdraw it in writing.

I undertake to:

  1. notify JusticeNet of any change in my financial circumstances;
  2. notify JusticeNet of any change in my address;
  3. notify JusticeNet of any new matter which might affect my case; and
  4. provide all additional information requested by JusticeNet.

I understand and accept:

  1. the conditions of receiving assistance from JusticeNet as outlined in the information accompanying this application;
  2. JusticeNet reserves the right to suspend or cease providing assistance if it becomes aware that the information provided by me is false or misleading or incomplete;
  3. that upon closure of the file it will be held for 7 years after which time it will be destroyed.

I declare that all information provided by me to JusticeNet is true and correct.

Authorize
Date
Relevant Documents and Checklist
Have you:
Relevant documents

Please attach copies of any documents, letters, files, agreements, contracts or reports which you think are relevant to your legal problem. It is particularly important that you provide us with copies of any court documents which relate to your matter. Please attach copies not originals.

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