Who we help

VALS provides free legal advice and representation to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.

To be eligible for VALS services we will need to:

Ask you about your Aboriginality
Ask you about your issue, including about other parties, to understand if there is a conflict of interest
Ask you about your income and assets, to determine if you meet the means test
Consider if your matter has merit, meaning to consider if there is a legal outcome we can achieve for you

Aboriginality

The first time someone uses VALS they must provide proof of their Aboriginality using the Confirmation of Aboriginality Form. This form must be signed and sealed by the Office Bearers of a recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation.

Conflict

VALS must not decline to provide assistance to an eligible person, group or body on the grounds that the other party to the matter is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person. In circumstances where the relationship between the parties to a case would result in a conflict of interest, that conflict must be managed in accordance with the Victorian Legal Practice requirements and Policy Direction 9 – “Managing Conflicts of Interest” – of the Attorney-General’s Department Policy Directions for the Delivery of Legal Aid Services to Indigenous Australians (2008).

VALS will not act if a conflict of interest exists. A conflict of interest may be an ‘actual’ conflict of interest or a ‘perceived’ conflict of interest. 

Means Test

Where a person seeks casework assistance, VALS must ensure that applicants satisfy the Means Testing provisions of the Policy Directions.

VALS must ensure that all applicants for legal casework assistance satisfy one or more of the following requirements:

Under 18 years of age;

Main source of income comes from Community Development Employment Projects; (CDEP) participant wages or Centrelink (or equivalent) benefits; or

Gross household income is under $117,194 per annum

Note: Household income includes the income of your partner, spouse, relative including an adult child who you live with.

The Means Test will be administered in two parts:

Part A: Requires the completion of a small number of questions relating to the applicant’s personal circumstances and income level
Part B: Is required where applicants do not satisfy the criteria in Part A. It requires more detail about the applicant’s income, assets, employment status and number of dependents

Merit Test

Discretion will be used to determine if a particular case has merit.

Our Commitment to Child Safety

VALS is committed to ensuring a safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. We believe children and young people have the right to be respected and feel culturally safe.

Our processes enable children and young people to be empowered and to be heard. VALS legal and community justice practices, utilise a trauma informed approach and provide social and emotional supports.

Children and young people who are LGBTIQA+, gender diverse, or who have a disability are provided with a safe environment in which their diverse needs are respected.

Staff and volunteers are required to protect children and young people in accordance with our policies.

Specialist training is provided to our youth legal service including child safety and Cultural capability training.

VALS proudly commits to upholding these principles in all our work with Aboriginal children and young people.

Client Charter

VALS provides high-quality culturally safe legal assistance to our clients. As a client, you have rights and expectations of VALS as a legal service provider. To ensure we can provide the best possible service to all clients of VALS, we expect our clients to abide by the VALS Client Charter.

VALS reserves the right to refuse to provide assistance to any client who does not comply with the Charter. We are focused on providing you with excellent client service and we welcome feedback so we can continually improve
client experiences.