Legal System Publications

The National Legal Assistance Partnership builds on the current trajectory of reform for Commonwealth legal assistance under the National Partnership Agreement and recommendations from the 2018 reviews of the NPA and Indigenous Legal Assistance Program.  

The National Strategic Framework for Legal Assistance provides the policy framework for all government legal assistance funding. This includes an overarching objective and aspirational principles to guide legal assistance policy development, service delivery and sector planning.

AGD administer the NLAP, which is the primary national legal assistance funding agreement with the states and territories. Our stakeholders, which include individual providers in the legal assistance sector, must be able to obtain an up-to-date copy of the NLAP, as it has been amended since 1 July 2020.

This document applies to the assessment of costs relating to Commonwealth Legal Financial Assistance grants and is used to determine whether costs claimed under grants of financial assistance are reasonable.

Office of Legal Services Coordination - Guidance Note 8 - Entities are required to report on legal services expenditure to the Office of Legal Services Coordination (OLSC) within 60 days of the end of financial year using the approved reporting template.

The Office of Legal Services Coordination (OLSC) has prepared guidance notes to help agencies to comply with their obligations under the Legal Services Directions 2017.

The overarching purpose of the department’s Dispute Management Strategy is to ensure we adopt a coordinated, consistent and effective approach to preventing and managing disputes through development of a Dispute Management Plan. 

Apply for and register your consent to a nationally coordinated criminal history check.

Apply for legal financial assistance with the cost of defending an overseas criminal matter involving the death penalty.

Updated information for government lawyers on becoming a member of the Australian Government Legal Service (AGLS).

In July 2019, the Australian Government Legal Service (AGLS) Transition Steering Committee circulated its discussion paper on the transition to the AGLS as part of its formal consultations with government lawyers. The results of this consultation will inform the Committee’s recommendations on the proposed governance structure for the AGLS.

The Australian Government is funding legal financial assistance to individuals and entities to assist with meeting the costs of legal representation and disbursements associated with engaging with the Royal Commission. The application form should be completed and emailed finass@ag.gov.au with the required attachments.

A statement of legal services expenditure by the Attorney-General’s Department for the financial year ended 30 June 2019.

This guide provides information for Commonwealth Agencies on how to use the Legal Services Panel (LSP) Portal.

Whole of Australian Government Legal Service Panel - Agency information session.

Whole of Australian Government Legal Service Panel information and induction session - for Legal Services Providers.

If you are a participating agency and you do not have a portal user account, please complete this form to use the Legal Services Panel Portal to search for the names and rates of legal services providers and AGS, for any practice area.

Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) client engagement agreement template.

This guidance material contains information for Commonwealth entities and Legal Services Providers (LSPs) about the Whole of Australian Government Legal Services Panel and its operation.