How do you know what legal problems people in your area are experiencing?

1. How do you know what legal problems people in your area are experiencing?

2. To ascertain ‘unmet’ legal need large scale telephone surveys (6 disadvantaged LGAs in NSW; Statewide) Qualitative research projects re disadvantaged groups (in- depth interviews, statistics, literature) Access to justice and legal needs research program

3. Legal need survey:What people did about a legal event • Common response was to do nothing • Considerable proportion handled the matter alone without outside help (Justice made to measure)

4. Problem not serious enough/ didn’t realise how serious it was (30%) Thought seeking help would make no difference/make things worse (26%) Had bigger problems/ too busy/ thought it would take too long (11%) Didn’t know how to get help/ couldn’t get there (10%) Why people did not seek help

5. When sought help, only 1 adviser used – 78% Majority of events – only non-legal adviser Where people went for help

6. Type of legal adviser • Legal advice of some sort in 26% • But legal adviser was a traditional legal service provider in only 12%

7. Type of non-legal adviser • Non-legal professionals used frequently • doctor, counsellor, accountant 25% • Choice of adviser was generally appropriate • e.g. school staff for education events

8. What are the key characteristics of your community? Population size and age CALD, ATSI, home ownership, employment http://www.abs.gov.au http://www.id.com.au/home/default.asp?pg=5 Identifying legal need: demographic data

9. How does your area differ from other areas on certain measures (NSW)? • http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/toc/choindex.htm

10. How does your area compare on socioeconomic (SEIFA) indices for area, on relative disadvantage? http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/soc/soc_irsd_lgamap.htm

11. Data from main publicly funded legal services (Legal Aid, LawAccess, CLCs) re: Types of legal matters inquires made about Demographic characteristics & location of inquirers Pathways people take to resolve legal issues Changes in types of inquiries over time Rates of inquires for different legal issue by population groups and areas of NSW Data Digest 3: On line by June 2008 Create own reports by area, demographic, legal issue etc. Data Digest: ‘expressed’ legal need

12. Legal needs identified in different disadvantaged groups One source: Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, Access to Justice and Legal Needs Research Program http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/justsearch

13. Diversity of experience Some people – resilient Others - multiple events Those with 3+ events accounted for 79% of all events reported Some people appear to be particularly vulnerable Incidence of legal events

14. Civil, family, criminal law events common in disadvantaged communities Some events co-occur: general crime, consumer, government, accident/injury and employment events family and domestic violence events business and credit/debt events Legal need in disadvantaged communities (Justice Made to Measure)

15. Entering homelessness: Family/DV, debt, housing (rent arrears, damage, eviction, discrimination) Entrenched homelessness: fines, victim of crime, social security, policing Multiple and inter-related legal issues and social issues (AOD, mental illness) Homeless people (No home, no justice?)

16. Mental Health Act 1990 (NSW), adult guardianship Discrimination (employment, education, insurance) Housing: DOH, private rental, boarding house Social security: eligibility, breaching, debt, fraud Consumer: credit card, phone/contractual debt, banking Domestic violence, victim of crime Family law, care and protection People with mental illness (On the edge of justice)

17. Housing: Home ownership, tenancy, aged care, retirement village and residential park Health: Advanced care directives, complaints, Finance: Social security/veterans, super, credit/debit, consumer Power of Attorney, wills, guardianship issues Discrimination Elder abuse Family: grandparenting issues Older people (Legal needs, older people)

18. Legal need at different ages: peaks (Justice Made to Measure)

19. Overall 1.7 times more likely than others to have had a legal event consumer events government education credit and debt crime and family Housing Chronic disease & disability (Justice Made to Measure)

20. More likely than others to have had credit/debt employment family events less likely to prepare or alter wills. (Justice Made to Measure) Indigenous people

21. More likely than others to have had Wills/estates General crime Accident/injury CALD (Justice Made to Measure)

22. The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW is in the process of developing an interactive computer application with, integrated data mining and spatial mapping capabilities. The main aims of the Data Digest 3 (DD3) project are: to enhance the description, analysis and interpretation of legal need in NSW, particularly as it is expressed by socially and economically disadvantaged persons. to assist the public legal sector in the modelling, planning and delivery of legal assistance services in NSW Data Digest 3

23. DD3 will contain de-identified legal inquiries records from Legal Aid, LawAccess and CLCs DD3 will allow users to generate information on: the type of legal matter for which inquiries are made; the demographic characteristics of those who seek assistance; the pathways that service users take to resolve their problems; changes in legal inquiries over time; the rate of legal inquiries for particular population groups and/or geographic areas of NSW; and, spatial maps of legal need and how legal need relates to socio-economic measures, such as Census indicators of disadvantage. Data Digest 3

24. The Cooperative Legal Service Delivery (CLSD) Program

25. Disadvantaged people able to efficiently & effectively access legal services. Legal need & equity in provision of legal services & resources. Legal services in a region planned & delivered in a co-ordinated & co-operative manner. CLSD Objectives

26. Maximise the use of resources in the region. Extend region’s capacity to meet demand through co-operative arrangements. Improve access to pro bono in regional and rural areas. Outcomes: Success measured by capacity to enhance access to a broader, more effective range of legal services within the region. CLSD Goals

27. Regional coalitions of key legal service providers. Improved referral mechanisms. Evidence-based planning of legal services. Improved access to pro bono. Central co-ordination through Legal Aid NSW. CLSD Strategies

28. Regionally based approach, divides the State into regional coalitions of legal services comprising: Legal Aid (Head Office & local reps) Community Legal Centres Aboriginal Legal Services Regional Law Societies Local Courts Community Justice Centres Tenancy Services Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Schemes (WDVCASs) Financial Counsellors Family Relationship Centres Disability Services Pro bono providers OTHERS on ad hoc/informal basis - quasi-legal/related bodies (Local Govt, Govt agencies - Centrelink etc) CLSD Regions

29. Evidence-basedplanning • Use LawAccess NSW data to highlight trends (e.g. a high level of credit and debt matters in Dubbo), age differences in clients. • Demographic & Jurisdictional data • Anecdotal • Forward planning • Joint submissions for resources to the regions/systemic issues

34. 1. Shoal Coast (Nowra) • Legal Aid Nowra: • Civil – 1 Legal Officer (LO), 1 Homeless LO (24 Months) • Family – 1.5 LO in Nowra, 0.5 LO (operating from Bega) • Crime – 2 LO’s • Shoal Coast CLC (Nowra) • ALS Nowra • FRC Nowra • WDVCAS Nowra • Illawarra & South Coast Tenants Advice & Advocacy Service (Warrawong) • Southern NSW Aboriginal TAAS (Batemans Bay) services Illawarra • Pro bono