Feedback and complaints policy

Making a complaint or compliment?

Legal Aid Queensland is committed to providing quality legal services. We welcome all types of feedback from clients, community partners, and our service providers to improve our services.

Feedback and complaints may be about:

• legal aid policies and processes
• staff member or service provider behaviour or attitude
• staff member or service provider performance or professional competence
• privacy or confidentiality
• human rights complaint.

Complaints are handled objectively and fairly with appropriate confidentiality.

Human rights complaints

The Human Rights Act 2019 protects and promotes fundamental human rights. If you believe we have acted or made a decision in a way that is not compatible with your human rights, you may provide your feedback to Legal Aid Queensland.

Complaints under the Human Rights Act 2019 can only be made about alleged breaches which occurred after 1 January 2020. There are 23 human rights set out in the Human Rights Act and more information about these is available here: Human Rights Act 2019 - Legal Aid Queensland.

For feedback in respect of alleged human rights breaches, Legal Aid Queensland will investigate and respond within 45 business days.

Lodging feedback or a complaint or compliment

We encourage you to play an active part in resolving your complaint by outlining your concerns as clearly and accurately as possible.

You can:

• email your complaint to complaints@legalaid.qld.gov.au
• use our online compliment and complaints form
• write to us by post to Legal Aid Queensland GPO Box 2449 Brisbane QLD 4001

The following concerns must be submitted in writing:

• a request for the review of a decision about an application for legal aid
• a request for a change of solicitor
• complaints about the financial eligibility of another party
• complaints about a family law matter that is still in progress
• privacy complaints
• human rights complaint.

We do not accept complaints about matters that were finalised more than a year ago.

Need extra help?

If you need extra help, you can:

• contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 14 50 - they will organise an interpreter in your own language for you
• go to the National Relay Service website to make a call if you have a hearing impairment
• call 1300 65 11 88, visit one of our offices and speak to a customer service officer.

These services are confidential and free.

Making an anonymous complaint

We can accept and investigate anonymous complaints but we cannot advise the outcome.

Making a complaint on behalf of someone else

You can make a complaint on behalf of someone else, but we cannot give you information about the outcome without written authority due to the confidentiality requirements of the Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997.

What can I expect to happen after making a complaint?

We will aim to contact you within 10 working days in writing to confirm we have received and actioned your feedback.

We will send you a response once we have investigated your complaint. We aim to resolve complaints within 30 working days, however more complex complaints may take longer to investigate.

We cannot give you any information that contravenes the confidentiality requirements of the Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997 and the Information Privacy Act 2009.

What is expected of me?

If you are making a complaint, please give clear information about your concern—such as:

• what happened
• when it happened
• who was involved
• what outcome you hope to get from your complaint.

If discussing your complaint with a staff member, please treat our staff with courtesy and respect.

How your comments help us to improve

Your feedback is important to us, so we ensure a senior staff member investigates all issues thoroughly. We also analyse all feedback regularly to see what policies, processes and services can be improved.

Privacy Statement

The information you give us in your feedback will be used to identify and deal with your complaint or compliment, in line with our Feedback and Complaints policy. We will also use the information you provide to us to identify ways to improve our service delivery.

Administration of grants of aid

If your complaint relates to the Grants function in Legal Aid Queensland, your personal information will not be given to any other person or agency outside of LAQ unless authorised or required by law.

Legal representation

If your complaint is about a legal matter in which a Legal Aid Queensland solicitor is assisting a client, we generally will have a professional obligation to provide your personal information to our client.

Service issue

If your complaint is about the conduct of a Legal Aid Queensland staff member or service provider, your personal information may be provided to the person you are complaining about if it is necessary to ensure your complaint is investigated or if it is required to ensure your complaint is dealt with fairly.

Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 and the Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997.

Reporting

Complaints received by Legal Aid Queensland

Last updated 18 April 2024