VLA helps people resolve their legal problems and protects the rights of socially and economically disadvantaged Victorians. Its specialist programs operate around family law, criminal law, civil law, and access and equity.
The services provided through VLA's programs include:
- legal information and referral over the telephone;
- legal advice from its city office and 14 regional offices;
- special clinics in family law, social security, refugee, immigration, discrimination and human rights matters (city office only);
- duty lawyer services (in most Magistrates' Courts and some tribunals);
- prison visits;
- community legal education publications and workshops;
- online information and resources; and
- a public law library (city office).
VLA's specialist programs operate in the following areas of law for people who are eligible to receive legal help through a grant of legal assistance:
- children's law;
- civil law;
- criminal law;
- discrimination law;
- family law;
- guardianship and administration law;
- human rights law;
- mental health law;
- refugee and immigration law; and
- social security law.
VLA is funded from a Legal Aid Fund (s.41 Legal Aid Act 1978 (Vic) "Legal Aid Act") into which is paid:
- State Government money;
- Commonwealth Government money;
- money from the Legal Practice Board's Public Purpose Fund;
- contributions from people receiving legal assistance;
- legal costs received by VLA; and
- interest and income derived from money invested by VLA.
Free legal information is available to all Victorians regardless of their eligibility to receive legal help through a grant of legal assistance.
VLA's Legal Information Services team provides legal information and referrals, and helps callers to access VLA lawyers, legal services and other legal assistance from Monday to Friday between 8.45 am and 5.15 pm. The service is also provided in languages other than English by bilingual staff or with a telephone interpreter.
VLA Legal Information Services: 9269 0120 or 1800 677 402 (country callers)
- Arabic: 9269 0127
- Croatian: 9269 0164
- Italian: 9269 0202
- Polish: 9269 0228
- Serbian: 9269 0332
- Ukrainian 9269 0390
- All other non-English languages: call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask to be put through to Victoria Legal Aid.
If you have a speech or hearing impairment you can call the National Relay Service and ask to be put through to Victoria Legal Aid:
- TTY/voice: 133 677 or 1800 555 677 (country callers)
- SSR/speak and listen: 1300 555 727 or 1800 555 727 (country callers).
VLA's website has legal information on a range of topics. Each topic includes information about how VLA and other key services can help. Information about VLA's services is also provided in over 25 different languages. See: www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/legalissues.htm.
VLA's community legal education includes free booklets, pamphlets and self-help kits about the law. They are available free of charge from all VLA offices, with some available in different languages. You can also download or order them from the VLA website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/publications.htm. Alternatively, email publication@vla.vic.gov.au or call 9269 0223.
VLA runs free community workshops in Melbourne and some regional areas on filling in divorce applications and running your own family law case.
VLA's public law library is open to anyone wishing to undertake their own research. It is located at 350 Queen Street, Melbourne and operates between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
VLA gives advice on some types of legal matters free of charge if the interview and work arising from it take a limited amount of time. In some cases this can include follow up work, such as drafting letters.
You can see a lawyer at any of the 15 VLA offices listed in Chapter 2*4 Advice Directory. Some operate on an appointment basis, so be sure to ring the office as soon as you know you have to go to court or think you have a legal problem.
When you telephone, let us know if you need an interpreter, and tell us a bit about your situation, so that we know if we are able to give you advice on your particular type of problem.
VLA provides duty lawyer services, either by using its own staff or by funding private lawyers at:
- most Magistrates' Courts (criminal, crimes, family violence);
- the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) (anti-discrimination, civil, guardianship and tenancy matters);
- Melbourne Magistrates' Court (civil, criminal and Infringements Court special circumstances lists);
- all Children's Courts (Family Division and Criminal);
- the Family Court;
- the Federal Magistrates Court (Migration List);
- the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT); and
- the Mental Health Review Board (MHRB) (all Melbourne in-patient services).
Duty lawyers can help people who have not had the opportunity to see a lawyer before getting to court.
Duty lawyers advise people charged with criminal offences. If appropriate, they can appear for them in bail and adjournment applications. They also undertake pleas on behalf of people who plead guilty. Duty lawyer services are provided free of a formal means test or other tests of eligibility. The priorities for duty lawyers are as follows:
- people in custody and children;
- people at risk of going to prison; and
- people who would be more severely disadvantaged than others if duty lawyer services were not provided.
Due to the demands on their time, duty lawyers are not available to conduct defended cases if there is a plea of not guilty or if the case is a minor one.
If you have to go to court and have not seen a lawyer first, when you arrive ask the Registrar at court for directions to the duty lawyer service. Telephone one of VLA's offices or a Registrar at the court before to make sure duty lawyers will be there on a particular day. It is not a good idea to rely on the help of duty lawyers at a particular court. It is better to seek advice about your legal problem before you go to court. See other sections in this chapter about how to receive legal advice and legal assistance.
VLA lawyers regularly visit prisons, juvenile justice centres and remand centres. To find the service available at a metropolitan facility, or to arrange for a particular person to be seen, contact the Criminal Law Division of VLA on 9269 0133. For VLA services in country prisons contact the nearest regional office. (See: the list of regional offices in Chapter 2*4 Advice Directory.)
VLA provides a regular visiting service to patients in psychiatric wards in most of the Melbourne metropolitan services (including the Thomas Embling Hospital), as well as services at Ballarat, Geelong, La Trobe Valley, Shepparton and Warrnambool regional hospitals.
The service includes advice and, where appropriate, representation at MHRB hearings. There are also private practitioner duty lawyer services available at regional hospitals in Mildura and Wangaratta. Telephone 9269 0416 for further information.
Roundtable Dispute Management (RDM) is VLA's family dispute resolution service. It is a non-adversarial forum that gives parties the opportunity to resolve their dispute themselves, rather than taking the matter to court.
The Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) ("FLA") now requires, unless specific exceptions apply, that parties attend Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) with an accredited FDR practitioner before going to court. The FDR practitioner issues a certificate, and parties are required to have this certificate before applying to court for all children's matters under Part VII of the FLA. RDM is an accredited FDR provider.
Parties attend an RDM conference, which usually lasts three to four hours. Most matters require one conference, but in some instances a second conference is necessary. The RDM conference is attended by the parties and their legal representatives, and facilitated by an RDM chairperson. RDM conducts individual screening and preparation interviews with all parties to ensure that only appropriate matters proceed to conference, and that everyone is fully prepared to participate effectively.
Parties may engage RDM services prior to, during or after litigation. Conferences may be conducted face-to-face, via telephone or in separate rooms or facilities. These latter formats are called shuttle conferences and are particularly useful where there is family violence or overwhelming emotions.
One party must apply for, and receive, legal assistance. RDM will then invite the other parties to participate. Matters that are not suitable may include those requiring urgent orders or where a party's safety or welfare is at risk.
RDM's first priority is the safety of all parties, including children, and because of the levels of safety built into the process it is suitable for many cases involving family violence. RDM will not negotiate around the issue of violence and will act to ensure the safety of all participants.
Where an intervention order is in place it must include a clause that allows parties to engage in FDR. A copy of the order must be forwarded to RDM before going to the conference.
RDM recommends that all parties have legal representation while using the RDM program, including at the RDM conference. Parties who have a grant of legal assistance from VLA will always have a lawyer. RDM may proceed without other parties having legal representation; however, the other parties will be referred for legal advice.
RDM also has a program where children are interviewed by a trained Child Consultant before the conference. Kids Talk proceeds only if the matter is assessed as appropriate and if all parties agree. Confidential feedback is then provided to the parents verbally and in writing. This information then helps all the participants in a conference focus on the children’s needs.
Although the parents are responsible for making decisions, Kids Talk is a good way of ensuring that the children's voices are heard in the decision-making process.
Under the Legal Aid Act, information and documentation acquired during RDM is confidential and not admissible in court, except in limited circumstances.
RDM is based in Melbourne but also offers services in 20 metropolitan and regional locations. For clients who are great distances apart, or where there are violence concerns, telephone conferences are arranged.
VLA may provide legal assistance:
- by assisting you through the services of its lawyers; or
- by allocating your case to either a private lawyer or a CLC. Your lawyer or CLC must be on VLA’s referral panel.
VLA may decide which lawyers will act for you.
To apply for legal assistance, a written application must be submitted to VLA. Application forms are available from:
- all VLA offices;
- CLCs;
- private lawyers; and
- the VLA website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au.
If you choose to nominate a lawyer or CLC to act for you, they can assist you in completing and submitting the application on your behalf. Many lawyers can now do this electronically, through a system known as e-lodgment. Alternatively, if you have not nominated a lawyer or CLC to act for you, you can send your applications directly to VLA by mail, or you can personally deliver it to a VLA office (see: Chapter 2*4 Advice Directory for a listing of VLA office addresses).
VLA may provide an urgent grant of assistance in:
- family law cases involving child abduction where recovery of the child is sought;
- Intervention Order cases in the Magistrates' Court;
- Children's Court cases; and
- Magistrates' Court criminal cases.
In family law matters, the lawyer may telephone the Finance, Assignments and Business Division of VLA (formerly the Grants Division) to request urgent legal assistance. If the request is approved, assistance will be provided on the basis that a written application is submitted within 14 days. In all other cases, the lawyer may proceed with the hearing without prior confirmation of aid from VLA on the condition that a written application is submitted within 14 days and the lawyer is satisfied that the matter otherwise qualifies for assistance.
If VLA is not ultimately satisfied that you qualified for assistance, VLA will not pay any of your costs or disbursement.
Legal assistance is not always provided free. Your financial circumstances are assessed at the time of your application under VLA's means test, and may be reviewed during and after the assistance has finished. You may be asked by VLA to make a contribution towards the cost of giving assistance if VLA believes you can afford to do so. The amount of any contribution depends on your financial situation.
VLA may also take a charge over any property in which you hold an interest to secure payment of the total costs of providing you with legal assistance. A charge is a legal document that VLA may ask you to sign so that VLA is paid back the grant money if you sell, transfer, refinance or borrow on your house or property.
In certain circumstances, Judges have the power to order VLA to provide legal assistance to accused persons in County and Supreme Court criminal trials.
You must meet the following criteria to receive legal assistance.
VLA must be satisfied that you cannot afford to pay the legal costs for the legal services you require. The means test takes account of the amount of your disposable income, your assets, and the anticipated cost of legal assistance.
When assessing income and assets, the resources of a "financially associated person" (FAP) are included with yours unless that person has a contrary interest. A FAP is anyone you usually provide support to, or who you usually receive support from, or someone who VLA could reasonably expect to give you financial support for your legal services.
Disposable income
Your disposable income is what remains after deducting or taking out:
- income tax and Medicare levy;
- housing costs up to $240 per week;
- maintenance payments or child support payments of up to $130 for the first child and up to $125 for each other child;
- dependant allowance of $130 for the first and $125 for each subsequent dependant; and
- child care expenses while earning income or study up to $240 per household per week.
Assets
Assets are defined as all property owned by you or in which you have an interest that may be used for your benefit in any way whatsoever.
Allowable deductions
These are reviewed every six months. The figures given are those current to 1 January 2009.
Certain assets are excluded from the calculation of your assets. These include:
- equity you have in your principal place of residence, up to the value of $100,000;
- equity in tools of trade, unless of exceptional value;
- household furniture and effects that are reasonably necessary;
- equity in a motor vehicle up to the value of $11,280; and
- assets of a person involved in a representative, fiduciary or official capacity, e.g. as trustee.
VLA may ask you to provide a charge over your principal place of residence to secure the costs of providing you with legal assistance.
VLA can ask you to make a financial contribution towards the cost of legal assistance. The assessment of contributions is governed by two principles:
- you shall be required to contribute to the cost of assistance according to your ability to pay without undue hardship; and
- you shall be placed in a position that is equal to but no better than a person who is not getting a grant of legal assistance.
In considering whether to provide legal assistance, VLA will also take into account your ability to borrow funds, particularly if your lifestyle, activities or interests suggest that you have access to sufficient funds to pay for the legal services you need without undue hardship.
The Guidelines cover the three main law types, under state and Commonwealth law: criminal law, family law, and civil law. You must meet the Guidelines to qualify for legal assistance. An exception may be made if special circumstances apply. Each request under special circumstances is dealt with on its individual merits.
Special circumstances – matters arising under state law
If you qualify on the means test in a state matter, but the matter is not otherwise one for which VLA would provide legal assistance, a grant may be provided if there are special circumstances, such as:
- you are under the age of 18 years;
- you have a language or literacy problem; or
- you have an intellectual or psychiatric disability.
Special circumstances – matters arising under Commonwealth law
In Commonwealth matters, other special circumstances may be considered, such as:
- if you have a physical disability;
- if there is difficulty in obtaining legal assistance because you live in a remote location; and
- if there is domestic violence or a likelihood of domestic violence in relation to a family law matter.
The VLA Handbook and Notes on the Guidelinescan help you, and lawyers, in determining whether you will be eligible for a grant of legal assistance. The VLA Handbookand Notes on the Guidelines are available on VLA's website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au.
Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICL)
VLA will only provide legal assistance for the separate representation of a child in the clearest and most compelling cases. You will be asked to contribute to the costs of providing an ICL if VLA is of the opinion that you can afford to do so. The ICL may ask the court to order that you contribute to the total costs of the ICL.
Parenting orders
In parenting order applications, legal assistance may be provided for:
- pre-litigation and litigation intervention procedures (Primary Dispute Resolution (PDR)); and/or
- court litigation.
Pre-litigation and litigation intervention procedures
In some circumstances, VLA may grant assistance requiring you to participate in PDR. PDR is divided by VLA into two discrete grants:
- Stage 1: Roundtable Dispute Management (pre-litigation); and
- Stage 2: Roundtable Dispute Management (litigation intervention).
(See: "Roundtable Dispute Management", above).
The circumstances where a grant for RDM may be provided are described in VLA's Notes on the Guidelines. VLA expects lawyers, wherever possible, to make use of VLA’s RDM procedures. Where RDM is being considered, lawyers should call VLA’s RDM service on 9269 0500 or 1800 136 832 (country callers), or e-mail rdm@vla.vic.gov.au
Court litigation grants
Where a matter fails to resolve after PDR (or where PDR was inappropriate), a litigation grant may be made where the dispute involves a substantial issue. When seeking assistance, you must demonstrate that there are reasonable prospects of the matter being determined in your favour.
VLA's grants of legal assistance take varying forms, but are of two basic kinds: "single purpose grants" (such as recovery orders) and "broad banded grants", which enable the lawyer to conduct the matter over several stages without having to seek individual grants of assistance for each return court date. Full details can be found in the VLA Handbook, at Fee Schedule 1L.
Child support
VLA provides a specialist statewide child support service. The service assists parents who are having problems obtaining or paying child support/ maintenance. The service provides face-to-face advice, telephone advice and community legal education. For more information about the child support legal service telephone 9269 0408 or 1800 677 402 (country callers).
VLA will only approve a grant of legal assistance for child support matters if you cannot use VLA's Child Support Unit or another service, such as a CLC.
Family law matters generally
VLA also grants assistance in other matters under the FLA. These can be viewed in the VLA Handbook, and include:
- spousal maintenance (and arrears);
- arrears of child maintenance;
- paternity proceedings;
- special medical procedures involving children;
- recovery, information and location orders;
- divorce and nullity (in limited cases);
- appeals; and
- international child abduction matters.
VLA no longer provides assistance for:
- property matters;
- advice and negotiations;
- contravention and enforcement of court orders; or
- your lawyer to instruct Counsel in family law matters.
Intervention orders
Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic): VLA may provide you with legal assistance to seek an intervention order, providing the matter is listed for a contested hearing and you are likely to be successful in getting an intervention order.
VLA will provide legal assistance to you to oppose an application for an intervention order if:
Stalking Intervention Orders Act 2008 (Vic): VLA will normally provide you with legal assistance to seek an intervention order, providing the matter is listed for a contested hearing and you are likely to be successful in getting an intervention order.
VLA will provide legal assistance to you to oppose an application for an intervention order if:
- you are a child; or
- you are or in custody as a result of conduct alleged to have been stalking; or
- the order would deprive you of an important right of the defendant; and
- you are likely to be successful in contesting the making of the intervention order.
VLA may provide legal assistance in the following types of civil matters:
- hearings before the MHRB;
- hearings before the Guardianship List of the VCAT;
- appeals to the AAT from the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT);
- social security cases at the AAT and SSAT stage;
- migration cases (limited cases), where the proceedings involve either a challenge to the lawfulness of detention, OR involves differences of judicial opinion that have not been settled by the Full Court of the Federal Court, or by the High Court;
- war veterans' matters;
- equal opportunity or discrimination cases where there are strong prospects of benefit being gained by you (state and Commonwealth law) and by the public or any section of the public (Commonwealth matters);
- coroner's inquests, if there is a reasonable likelihood that you will be charged with a serious offence or where it is in the public interest for you to be represented;
- fines where you have, or had suffered at the time of the offence, from a mental disorder, intellectual impairment, brain injury or dementia. The fines must exceed $1,000 in total and there must be a strong likelihood that assistance will result in the substantial discharge of the penalties or assistance might result in the penalties being converted to a community-based order (CBO), rather than gaol;
- public interest and test cases. You would need to demonstrate, amongst other things, that the case involves a legal issue involving an untested or unsettled point of law that affects or is of broad concern to significant number of disadvantaged people; and
- to defend a civil action where the defendant is at immediate risk of losing their home and there are strong prospects of success. An example would be where the landowners gave their property as security for a loan to another person, and did not receive proper legal advice before signing the mortgage document.
VLA will not provide legal assistance in the following types of matters:
- cases at the Residential Tenancies List of VCAT;
- town planning disputes;
- Royal Commissions or parliamentary inquiries;
- internal disputes in organisations;
- proceedings on behalf of unincorporated associations;
- employment disputes;
- building disputes;
- change of name applications;
- commercial or business disputes;
- testator family maintenance applications;
- preparation of wills;
- generally, to a plaintiff seeking damages or the recovery of property in a common law, equitable or statutory action; and
- generally, to defend civil actions, unless to a defendant as described above.
If you are pleading "not guilty" to a criminal matter in the Magistrates' Court you must show that you have a realistic prospect of acquittal on the most serious charge, and that the likely penalty, if you were convicted on all or any of the charges, would be fines in excess of 7.5 penalty unit.
If you are pleading "guilty" to a criminal matter in the Magistrates' Court you must show that a conviction would likely result in:
- imprisonment;
- a suspended sentence;
- an intensive correction order (ICO); or
- a CBO of more than 200 hours.
In road traffic cases the guideline is more stringent. If you are pleading "not guilty" you must show that you have a realistic prospect of acquittal on the most serious charge, and that the likely penalty, if you were convicted on all or any of the charges, would be imprisonment, a suspended sentence, or an ICO. If you are pleading guilty to a road traffic matter you must show that a conviction would be likely to result in imprisonment, a suspended sentence or an ICO.
In Commonwealth summary prosecution, VLA may provide assistance for a defended criminal matter if there are reasonable prospects of acquittal, and:
- conviction would be likely to have a significantly detrimental effect on your livelihood or employment;
- it would be unreasonable to expect you to adequately represent yourself owing to special circumstances; or
- you are a child.
Where it is in the interest of justice, legal assistance will generally be provided for indictable matters in the County or Supreme Courts. Assistance is offered for committal proceedings where there is likely to be significant benefit from representation. A grant of legal assistance for committal proceedings is generally limited to two days of the hearing.
If the means test (see: "Qualifying for legal assistance", above) is satisfied, VLA may provide legal assistance if the following criteria are also satisfied:
- If it is reasonable to provide a grant of legal assistance, having regard to all relevant matters. This includes:
- assessing the benefit or detriment that might accrue if the proceeding was (or was not) aided;
- whether (in some cases) the matter (if aided) would be determined in your favour; and
- (in the case of a criminal appeal) whether there are reasonable grounds for the appeal.
- That it is in the interests of justice to do so. In deciding this, the merits of the application will be considered when determining the extent of legal representation to be provided.
The Supreme and County Courts can order that legal assistance be provided if a defendant in a criminal trial cannot afford a lawyer and cannot receive a fair trial without one. Where the court has ordered assistance, it will always be subject to VLA's usual terms and conditions.
If VLA provides you with legal assistance you are required to comply with the following conditions, which apply to all assisted persons (other than war veterans' matters). You must tell VLA immediately if:
- there is any change in your address while you are receiving legal assistance;
- there is any change in the financial or other circumstances set out in the application;
- you become aware of any other information that is likely to affect your entitlement to legal assistance or the conditions and special terms on which legal assistance is provided,
and you must:
- authorise any lawyer who is acting for you, or who has acted for you in the past, to give VLA any information necessary for it to perform its functions under the Legal Aid Act;
- instruct your lawyers that if any money is received on your behalf during the period of legal assistance, sufficient funds must be held from it to cover the cost of providing the legal assistance; or
- undertake that if a court awards you costs, or another party agrees to pay costs to you, those costs are to be paid to VLA.
You also must acknowledge that:
- when completing your legal aid application form it is an offence to:
- fail to provide information required of you that is relevant to the application for assistance;
- provide a document to VLA in connection with your application for legal assistance that is false or misleading;
- make a false or misleading statement either orally or in writing in relation your application for legal assistance;
- if you do not observe any of the terms or conditions of legal assistance, VLA may cancel or change the conditions of legal assistance;
- if you do not follow the advice of the lawyer appointed to act for you VLA may stop the legal assistance;
- if VLA stops your legal assistance, you may have to pay all your legal costs up to the time legal assistance is stopped;
- VLA may in certain circumstances take charge over your property (an explanation of charges is available on VLA's website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au: follow the links to Chapter 4 of the VLA Handbook); and
- you may be required to provide VLA with up-to-date financial information, together with proof of income and assets at any time during or after the period of legal assistance, and if you do not provide the information VLA may seek immediate repayment of all legal costs (including amounts secured by your property).
If you object to the terms of assistance, you may have the right to ask that a decision about providing legal assistance is reconsidered and/or reviewed. Those provisions are outlined below in "Complaints, reconsiderations and reviews". Note, however, that under the Legal Aid Act, not all decisions about the provision of legal services may be reconsidered and/or reviewed.
More information about legal assistance is set out in the guide and application form for grants of legal assistance, available from VLA offices and the VLA website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/upload/vla_app_form.pdf.
The Commonwealth has set a maximum amount it will pay in costs and disbursement (other than interpreters' fees) when providing legal assistance in Commonwealth matters.
The cost ceilings at 1 January 2009 (GST exclusive) were:
- $12,000 for adults in family law matters;
- $18,000 for Independent Children's Lawyers; and
- $40,000 for Commonwealth criminal trials in the County or Supreme Courts.
Once the cost ceiling is reached, VLA may only pay further fees or costs if it considers you will suffer undue hardship should further assistance not be granted. VLA calculates what remains within the cost ceiling by taking into account all previous family law files that were case finalised on or after 1 January 2000. This does not apply if VLA determines that a family law matter is a "new matter".
There are also limits to the extent of legal assistance for each stage of legal proceedings. Further information on these limits is set out in the VLA Handbook, available from VLA offices and on the VLA website at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au.
If you are receiving legal assistance (either from a VLA lawyer or a private lawyer) you can make a complaint to VLA if you do not believe that the case is being handled properly. Complaints should be made in writing to the Client Relations Officer (CRO) at VLA.
If the CRO is unable to help you to resolve the complaint, or the complaint concerns professional conduct of a VLA lawyer or VLA funded private lawyer, you may be referred to another organisation, for example, the Legal Services Commissioner (see: Chapter 2*2 Legal Representation for further details).
VLA is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic). FOI requests must be made in writing to the Freedom of Information Officer at VLA. The request should describe the documents required. VLA must respond to an FOI request within 45 days.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of an application for assistance or a decision made by VLA, you may request reconsideration of the decision. The request for reconsideration should be made in writing and must be made within 14 days of the date of the initial decision.
Reconsideration is, in effect, a fresh examination of the decision by another officer of VLA. The original decision can be either confirmed or varied. If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the reconsidering officer, you may request to have the matter reviewed by an independent reviewer.
An independent reviewer can review a decision relating to the provision of legal assistance. Any request for review must be made in writing within 21 days of the reconsidered decision.
Independent reviewers are appointed by the Attorney-General and are independent of VLA. Decisions of an independent reviewer are final. There are no further avenues of appeal within VLA.
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COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES :: Last updated: Wed Jul 1st 2009