What to do if you are not satisfied with Legal Aid’s services On this page |
The Legal Aid ACT Service charter outlines what you can expect from us.
If you are not satisfied with our services, or the services of a private practitioner funded by us, you can complain or give us feedback.
We welcome your complaint or feedback. This helps us to fix problems and improve our services.
How to make a complaint
You can make a complaint in writing to the Chief Executive Officer. You can either:
- email your complaint to legalaid@legalaidact.org.au, or
- post your complaint to GPO Box 512 Canberra ACT 2601.
What to include in your complaint
Give us as much information about the problem as possible.
You should include:
- a description of the issue or incident
- dates of events and contacts
- details of telephone conversations or meetings involved in the issue
- evidence such as records or correspondence
- what you’ve tried to fix the problem
- what you would like to happen.
I want to complain anonymously
You can choose to remain anonymous when you submit a complaint. Your complaint will still give us useful information to improve our services.
However, if you choose to remain anonymous, this may limit our ability to investigate, resolve or respond to your concern.
I want to complain about services you gave to someone else
You can complain about services we gave to another person.
We will investigate it if appropriate. However, we cannot tell you the result of the complaint. This is because section 92 of the Legal Aid Act 1977 does not allow the sharing of information about someone else without their consent.
I need help making a complaint
If you need help making a complaint, call the Legal Aid Helpline and ask for assistance.
After you make a complaint
If we decide to investigate your complaint we will:
- deal with your complaint professionally, efficiently and impartially
- inform you of the outcome of our enquiries, if appropriate
- provide clear reasons for our decision
- treat you with courtesy and respect.
If we think someone else can help you with your complaint, we will tell you.
If you are not satisfied with our response
If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint, you can refer the complaint to the ACT Ombudsman for further investigation.
If your complaint concerns the professional conduct of a lawyer, you can also make a complaint to the Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory.