Preferred supplier update — January 2023
This month:
Increased travel rates for Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyer services
LAQ is pleased to announce a fee increase for travel rates which apply to duty lawyer services in crime, domestic violence, and child protection from 3 January 2023.
From 3 January 2023, the rates for travel time and travel distance have increased. For duty lawyer services in criminal law, the increased fee is applied when submitting a duty lawyer session report. For domestic violence and child protection duty lawyer services, each firm should send an invoice to either dv.dutylawyer@legalaid.qld.gov.au or cp.dutylawyer@legalaid.qld.gov.au, as applicable. It is preferred that invoices are submitted after each duty lawyer session.
Travel rates can only apply where the distance from the practitioner’s office to the court location is greater than 35km round trip. For domestic violence and child protection duty lawyer services, the travel must be pre-approved by the Coordinator, Duty Lawyer Services using the above dedicated email addresses.
Travel time and travel distance is calculated from the practitioner’s office to the court location and return. If the distance is greater than 35km in total, travel rates will apply for the total distance. There is no requirement to subtract 35km from the total distance.
Travel time: New rate is $80 per hour + GST (increased from $66/hour + GST).
Travel distance: New rate is $0.75/km + GST (increased from $0.66/km + GST)
Please apply these new travel rates to all your invoices, and when claiming through Grants Online.
We thank the firms who undertake these duty lawyer services for continuing to provide these important services to our clients.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Coordinator, Duty Lawyer Services, John Dean, at the dedicated email addresses above, or at criminallaw.dutylawyer@legalaid.qld.gov.au for criminal law duty lawyer services.
Independent Children’s Lawyer Nuts and Bolts Training
LAQ is holding the next Independent Children’s Lawyer (ICL) Nuts and Bolts training on Friday, 17 February 2023. The training is designed for ICLs who have joined LAQ’s ICL sub-panel within the last three years or want to apply to join LAQ’s ICL sub-panel. Experienced ICLs are also invited to attend.
The purpose of the training is to provide practical skills to assist practitioners in the conduct of ICL files. The training will include:
- general ICL panel information, application process and LAQ’s complaints process.
- grants of aid for ICLs
- how the ICL can help the court and children in family law proceedings – a practical guide
- working with report writers
- ethical issues faced by ICLs and understanding some of the challenges faced by ICLs
- practical skills around engaging with co-located child safety officers, QPS, report writers as well as file management guidance.
A full program will be distributed to registered attendees.
The training will be conducted via MS teams and in person at LAQ’s Auditorium, 44 Herschel Street, Brisbane. Places for in-person attendance are limited. It will be an opportunity to network and share knowledge and information with the aim of cultivating best practice and delivery of quality legal services as ICLs.
Completion of this training is a pre-requisite for an application to LAQ’s ICL sub-panel. LAQ conducts a suitability assessment process for each application for inclusion on the ICL sub-panel
Event details:
Date: Friday, 17 February 2023
Time: 9.30am – 3.30pm
Location: Microsoft Teams (Once registered, a MS teams link will be provided to you closer to the date.In person at LAQ’s Auditorium, Ground floor, 44 Hershel Street, Brisbane.
Cost: Free
Please register your attendance by 4pm on 10 February 2023.
If you have any questions in relation to this training, please email: familylawservices.training@legalaid.qld.gov.au
Publications and resources
LAQ produces more than 100 publications and resources, from factsheets, to posters, brochures, wallet cards and comprehensive legal information guides on a range of topics. You can check out the publications on the LAQ website and they can be ordered online at no cost.
For more information about our publications or to order copies of the duty lawyer session report form, email publications@legalaid.qld.gov.au
Continuing professional development
Looking for professional development opportunities to boost your CPD points? Our CPD seminars are recorded and available on Grants Online under the Information Resources tab.
Feedback
We welcome feedback and comments from clients, the community and our suppliers. As preferred suppliers you play an important role in helping us to provide quality legal services to disadvantaged Queenslanders. If you would like to provide comments or suggestions about our services, policies, processes or staff members, you can complete a contact form or email us at complaints@legalaid.qld.gov.au at any time. We ensure a senior staff member investigates all issues thoroughly and we also analyse all feedback regularly to improve our policies, processes and services.
View our Feedback and Complaints Policy.