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

At VALS, the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people is our highest priority. We are committed to providing a culturally safe environment where all children and young people are respected, their voices are heard, and their rights and wellbeing is protected. We established our dedicated youth legal practice, Balit Ngulu to address the unique legal needs of children and young people in a trauma informed and therapeutic response that meets their legal and non-legal needs.

We are committed to:

Creating environments where all children and young people feel safe, respected, and valued

Actively listening to and empowering children and young people

Zero tolerance for child abuse or harm of any kind

Respecting cultural identity and diversity

Supporting the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people

Thorough screening of all staff and volunteers working with young people

Regular training for our team on child safety obligations and best practices

Clear policies and procedures for reporting and addressing safety concerns

Continuously improving our approaches to child safety

We acknowledge our responsibilities under the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and are committed adhering to these alongside maintaining the highest standards of care in all our interactions with children
and young people.

Our comprehensive child safety policies and procedures are available upon request. We encourage feedback from our clients, families, and communities on how we can continue to strengthen our child safety practices.

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.