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Australian Innovations in Legal Aid Services: Balancing Cost and Client Needs

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Australian Innovations in Legal Aid Services: Balancing Cost and Client Needs Australian Innovations in Legal Aid Services: Balancing Cost and Client Needs Author Banks, Cate, Hunter, Rosemary, Giddings, Jeff Published 2007 Version Version of Record (VoR) Copyright Statement © 2007 Socio-Legal Research Centre & the Author(s). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the publisher’s website for further information. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/84844 Link to published version https://www.griffith.edu.au Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Australian Innovations in Legal Aid Services: Balancing Cost and Client Needs Dr Cate Banks Professor Rosemary Hunter Professor Jeff Giddings Socio-Legal Research Centre Griffith Law School Griffith University June 2006 Contents Acknowledgements................................................................................................................... vi List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................ vii Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Background ............................................................................................................................2 Methodology ..........................................................................................................................6 Case studies...................................................................................................................6 Qualitative approach .....................................................................................................7 Interviews......................................................................................................................8 Observations................................................................................................................11 A note on costing.........................................................................................................11 Structure of the report ..........................................................................................................12 Duty lawyers ............................................................................................................................. 13 Criminal law duty lawyer service.........................................................................................17 Introduction .................................................................................................................17 History.........................................................................................................................18 How the service operates today...................................................................................20 The research ................................................................................................................24 Discussion ...................................................................................................................34 Judgment debt duty lawyer service ......................................................................................37 Introduction .................................................................................................................37 History.........................................................................................................................38 How the service operates today...................................................................................40 The research ................................................................................................................41 Discussion ...................................................................................................................52 Family law duty lawyer service ...........................................................................................56 Introduction .................................................................................................................56 History.........................................................................................................................57 How the service operates today...................................................................................58 The research ................................................................................................................61 Discussion ...................................................................................................................74 Conclusion............................................................................................................................78 Group-based services.............................................................................................................. 79 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................79 Child support forum .............................................................................................................82 History.........................................................................................................................82 How the service operates today...................................................................................84 The research ................................................................................................................86 Discussion ...................................................................................................................92 Contents ■ iii iv ■ Contents Family law self-represented litigants workshop .................................................................. 94 Introduction................................................................................................................. 94 History......................................................................................................................... 94 How the service operates today .................................................................................. 96 The research ................................................................................................................ 99 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 120 Traffic summons workshop ............................................................................................... 123 Introduction............................................................................................................... 123 History....................................................................................................................... 123 How the service operates today ................................................................................ 125 The research .............................................................................................................. 128 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 141 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 145 Kits ...........................................................................................................................................147 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 147 Domestic violence protection order kit.............................................................................. 151 History....................................................................................................................... 151 How the kit operates today........................................................................................ 154 The research .............................................................................................................. 155 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 161 Family law self-represented litigants kit............................................................................ 163 History....................................................................................................................... 163 How the kit operates today........................................................................................ 164 The research .............................................................................................................. 166 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 176 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 179 Technology-based services...................................................................................................181 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 181 Legal information kiosks ................................................................................................... 186 History......................................................................................................................
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