Private Practitioner Short Service Scheme contracts

Purpose of PPSSS contracts

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) engages private practitioners to deliver duty lawyer and other short services via Private Practitioner Short Service Scheme (PPSSS).

VLA standard contracts provide consistency and transparency in how we engage private practitioners to deliver these services. Each approved private practitioner delivers through the short-service scheme works with a coordinator from one of our offices.

Why are we doing this?

Our private practitioner partners perform an essential role in assisting us to meet our statutory obligations to coordinate legal services for the community in the most effective, economic and efficient manner.

Our strategic goals include working with partners to address systemic issues in the justice system. It also includes ensuring decisions about resource allocation are transparent, clear and understood by our partners.

We use standard contractual agreements for all practitioners delivering duty lawyer and other short services to ensure:

an open and transparent process that gives suitably experienced practitioners the opportunity to apply to join short-service schemes in areas where these are established
greater consistency in the delivery of duty lawyer and short legal services
shortages in the supply of legal services are identified and addressed in a systemic way.

Contractual agreements better support private practitioners by establishing clear obligations and expectations for all lawyers delivering these services. This includes occupational health and safety obligations owed to and shared with private practitioners.

What is the PPSSS?

VLA funds and delivers legally aided services across Victoria through our in-house practice, private practitioners and community legal centre practitioners. This is known as the mixed model of service delivery.

As part of the mixed model, private practitioners deliver duty lawyer services and short legal assistance services through the PPSSS.

Established PPSS Schemes provide legal assistance in:

summary crime (including Help Before Court)
youth crime
child protection
family violence intervention orders.

Read more information about private practitioner duty lawyer and short-services.

Benefits of contracts for Victoria Legal Aid and our private practitioner partners

Contractual agreements provide a foundation for accountability between practitioners and VLA. This formal process outlines how firms and VLA scheme coordinators work together in the delivery of duty lawyer and other short legal services.

Standard contracts also provide VLA and our private practitioner partners with:

a clear understanding of obligations owed to and by practitioners in the delivery of duty lawyer and other short-services, including occupational health and safety obligations
information about a firm or practitioner’s eligibility to deliver duty lawyer and other short services.

How to take part in a PPSSS contract

We conduct an open application process across all regional VLA office locations to provide interested and eligible firms with an opportunity to apply for a PPSSS contract.

Interested firms will need to complete an application form. This is then assessed by an internal VLA assessment panel before we require firms to sign a contract.

The application process is streamlined and fair, and recognises the experience of practitioners.

Firms may apply to enter a PPSSS contract agreement across multiple regions however VLA will be applying a principle of 'local first'. Preference will also be given to suitably qualified and experienced local practitioners.

You can find out more about how to join one of the schemes by contacting the coordinator of private practitioner short legal services at ppsss@vla.vic.gov.au