National legal assistance data

Under the National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-25 (NLAP), legal aid commissions, community legal centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services must collect and report legal assistance data.

This data provides a greater understanding of the delivery of legal assistance services and supports frontline service delivery.

In November 2024, the Commonwealth, state and territory Attorneys-General agreed to the terms of the new $3.9 billion National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30 (NAJP). It commences on 1 July 2025 following the expiry of the NLAP.

National Legal Assistance Data Strategy

The National Legal Assistance Data Strategy was developed in consultation with the states and territories and the legal assistance sector, in accordance with the NLAP. The strategy sets the policy framework for the collection, storage, reporting, transmission, and analysis of data that is collected and reported under the NLAP.

Under the NAJP, governments and the legal assistance sector will update the National Legal Assistance Data Strategy by 30 June 2026.

National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual

Data is collected in accordance with the National Legal Assistance Data Standards Manual across the legal assistance sector.

This version of the manual (version 3) came into effect on 1 July 2021.

Read historical versions of the Data Standards Manual

Legal assistance services data project

Under the NLAP, the Australian Government had access to unit level data for legal assistance services for the first time. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects and stores this data.

This collection of consistent and comparable legal assistance service data forms the basis of a national evidence base. This enables us to analyse and gain meaningful insight into the delivery of frontline legal assistance services.

Visit the ABS website to access legal assistance services data