Victoria Legal Aid

Family law trial practice tools

Acting on a recommendation from the 2015 Family Law Legal Aid Services Review, we have developed a suite of practice tools in consultation with an advisory group of family lawyers.

Acting on a recommendation from the 2015 Family Law Legal Aid Services Review, we developed a suite of practice tools in consultation with an advisory group of family lawyers. These tools are for lawyers doing legally aided work.

Practice tools for parenting disputes

Practice tools for ICL matters

A case strategy plan and litigation checklist for ICL matters is available from the Victorian resources page on the National ICL websiteExternal Link .

Practice tools for financial matters

These first three tools are still in development. We’re keen to hear your experiences of using the tools and your feedback about how they could be improved. Please contact the Family Law Professional Support Lawyer at ProfessionalSupport@vla.vic.gov.au

Who needs tools?

Whether you’ve just started practicing in family law, or are a seasoned family lawyer running concurrent trials and supervising juniors, the tools are designed to help practitioners:

  • manage key information about the client and their matter
  • consider issues of particular relevance in legally aided matters
  • foster a strategic and systematic approach to litigation preparation
  • help with file handovers and supervision,
  • streamline VLA compliance checks and quality audits.

It won’t be a condition of a grant of aid that panel lawyers use the tools. We want to make sure that lawyers who sign up to do legal aid work have access to resources that support their practice.

Video on trial preparation

Watch a video of barrister Belle Lane’s 90-minute masterclass on trial preparationExternal Link for guidance on applying the tools in your practice.

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 April 2023

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