GO247: Financial Legal Assistance Schemes
The Attorney-General's Department administers a range of statutory and non-statutory legal financial assistance schemes.
Legal financial assistance schemes Commonwealth public interest and test cases scheme Disbursement support scheme Overseas child abduction scheme Serious overseas criminal matters scheme Special circumstances scheme Other legal financial assistance schemes.
An applicant must be an entity that is, or intends to be, a party to the relevant legal action.
For Australian legal actions applicants must meet any statutory qualifications where the scheme is statutory, and must not be getting (or would get) financial assistance from a legal aid commission.
For overseas legal action, eligibility depends on the scheme (for example:
- serious overseas criminal matters require the individual to be prosecuted for an offence carrying at least 20 years imprisonment or the death penalty and have a continuing connection with Australia
- overseas child abduction requires a child under 16 habitually resident in Australia and a wrongful removal/retention and request for legal/judicial cooperation)
Applications must be written, complete (using the Department form), submitted by the specified channels, and accepted by the Department as complete.
Applicants consent to the Department obtaining information from agencies, legal aid organisations, overseas authorities or legal practitioners.
Applicants must provide honest and accurate information and notify the Department of changes that may affect the application.
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Last updated: 11 February 2026