Lawyer-assisted Family Law Property Mediation: Legal Aid Commission Trials

Overview

The Australian Government is inviting each Legal Aid Commission (LACs), via a closed non-competitive process, to apply to deliver services from 2019 to 2022 under AGD’s Program 1.4 Justice Services: Legally Assisted Financial Dispute Resolution Pilots – Small Property Claims.  The grant opportunity will fund LACs to conduct a two year trial of lawyer-assisted mediation for family law property matters from January 2020 to December 2021. The trials will be targeted at separating couples dividing small value property pools who require legal advice and representation to reach agreement on family law property splits. The trials will enable property mediation services to be provided to clients who: may not ordinarily be able to access legal aid or afford legal advice and legal representation may be likely to abandon their claims or agree to inequitable settlements, or would otherwise proceed to court.