Table of contents
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Table of contents
- 1 – Introduction
- 2 – Types of matters that may be assisted
- 3 – Criminal law guidelines
- 4 – Commonwealth family law and child support guidelines
- 5 – Commonwealth civil law guidelines
- 6 – State family guidelines
- 7 – State civil law guidelines
- 8 – Public interest and strategic litigation
- 9 – Standard grants assessment process
- 10 – Simplified grants assessment process
- 11 – Referral and practitioner panels
- 12 – Means test
- 13 – Commonwealth merits test
- 14 – State reasonableness test and interests of justice test
- 15 – Special circumstances
- 16 – Applying for a grant of legal assistance
- 17 – Decision to grant or refuse assistance
- 18 – Reconsideration and review of decisions
- 19 – Standard terms and conditions
- 20 – Contributions and overdue payments
- 21 – Abandoning legal assistance
- 22 – Finalising grants of legal assistance
- 23 – Allocation of work to lawyers and law firms
- 24 – Payments to lawyers and service providers
- 25 – Compliance reviews
- 26 – Privacy protection
- 27 – Complaints and feedback
- Topic index
- Invoice, worksheets and forms
- Contact us
Estimated legal costs and the income test
‘Estimated legal costs’ means the amount of money which VLA considers the person applying for a grant of legal assistance would have to pay to a private lawyer for the legal services the person seeks.
VLA has three categories of estimated legal costs:
- Category 1 – estimated legal costs are less than $1555
- Category 2 – estimated legal costs are between $1555 and $6560
- Category 3 – estimated legal costs are more than $6560.
Table 1 sets out whether or not a person with a net disposable income of $256 or more a week will qualify for a grant of legal assistance under the income test, based on the category of estimated legal costs.
Table 1 – Effect of estimated legal costs for a person whose net disposable income is $256 or more a week
| Costs category | Estimated legal costs | Assistance granted |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Less than $1555 | If net disposable income is more than $364 a week, VLA will not usually make a grant of legal assistance. |
| Category 2 | Between $1555 and $6560 | If net disposable income is between $256 and $434 a week, VLA may make a grant of legal assistance. If a grant of legal assistance is provided the person must pay an initial contribution. |
| Category 3 | More than $6560 | If net disposable income is more than $256 a week, VLA will usually make a grant of legal assistance unless the required initial contribution is more than the estimated legal costs. |