Victoria Legal Aid handles a lot of personal information in the course of our work. This is a responsibility we take seriously. We take care to comply with our legal obligations about handling personal information. If we make mistakes, we fix them as quickly as possible.
To learn more, read our Privacy Policy.
You can also read a summary of the privacy principles, which guide our staff on how to handle and protect information.
The kind of information we might ask you for
We only collect information that is necessary to our work. Personal and health information we may collect includes:
- name and contact details
- financial information (if necessary, to assess eligibility for legal aid services)
- health and disability information
- domestic and lifestyle circumstances
- cultural identity and language information (to assist us in providing appropriate services)
- criminal record.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- assist with legal and non-legal problems
- make referrals to other services
- assess eligibility for a grant of legal assistance (to help pay for a lawyer)
- respond to enquiries and resolve complaints
- respond to freedom of information requests
- engage with public sector organisations (including courts and tribunals, correctional facilities and healthcare institutions) to improve system design and service delivery
- meet our statutory reporting obligations
- help us design appropriate services.
For more detail, see our Privacy Policy.
When we disclose your information
In general, we only disclose personal and health information to assist with a legal or non-legal matter, or to investigate and resolve a complaint.
We may disclose personal and health information to external regulators and integrity bodies, including the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, the Victorian Ombudsman and the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
We also share information with external, public-sector organisations to assist us in improving service delivery, or for the purposes of research and evaluation. We only do this where the law allows us and where possible, we de-identify the information and seek consent first.
How we ensure the accuracy of your information
We take reasonable steps to ensure the information we have about you is accurate, complete and current. We might ask you to tell us when your personal or health information changes, so we can keep up-to-date and accurate records. Where possible, we confirm current personal contact information before we use it.
How you can access and correct your information
You can contact us to request access to your personal and health information or to ask us to correct an error. We will arrange this as soon as possible.
If you have received a service from us, you can request both hard copy or electronic copies of documents from your file. The first step is to contact the VLA staff member who has assisted you. This may be a legal help officer, lawyer, mediator or an advocate from the Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service.
You can also make an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) by emailing foi@vla.vic.gov.au.
Contact us
Contact our Internal Legal Services team with any questions about how we handle your personal information. Email privacy@vla.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9280 3789.
If you have an enquiry or complaint about privacy
All enquiries, requests or complaints about privacy can be directed to our Internal Legal Services team at privacy@vla.vic.gov.au or on (03) 9280 3789.
Complaints can be sent by:
- email: complaints@vla.vic.gov.au
- regular mail: Complaints, Internal Legal Services, GPO Box 4380, MELBOURNE VIC 3001.
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and fairly, in accordance with our Complaints .
More information
For more detailed information, please read our Privacy Policy.
Disclaimer: The material in this print-out relates to the law as it applies in the state of Victoria. It is intended as a general guide only. Readers should not act on the basis of any material in this print-out without getting legal advice about their own particular situations. Victoria Legal Aid disclaims any liability howsoever caused to any person in respect of any action taken in reliance on the contents of the publication.
We help Victorians with their legal problems and represent those who need it most. Find legal answers, chat with us online, or call us. You can speak to us in English or ask for an interpreter. You can also find more legal information at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 04 August 2022