- Published:
- Tuesday 28 October 2025 at 9:39 am
Our Quality Assurance team
Our Quality Assurance team conducts quality assurance reviews which comprise of quality audits and compliance checks.
Quality audits are conducted by legally-qualified auditors. They assess whether a practitioner’s files meet our practice standards and identify any areas for improvement.
Compliance checks are conducted by compliance officers to ensure that our funding requirements are satisfied, as per our compliance terms and conditions.
Quality assurance reviews are a means by which we:
- seek to ensure that legally-aided clients receive quality legal services
- manage risk to the Legal Aid Fund.
Read more about the quality assurance review process.
Tips for your quality assurance review
We understand that some practitioners may be anxious about a quality assurance review.
A checklist has been developed to help practitioners understand our expectations.
In addition, compliance officers offer the following guidance for practitioners:
- Keep files (including electronic files) organised in such a way that if anyone else assumes management of, audits or reviews the file, that person can immediately find key information about the matter, including important dates and deadlines.
- Ensure that a signed and dated VLA application form or Telephone Declaration form is obtained from a client prior to the commencement of work on a matter or engaging third party providers (e.g. experts, barristers). Go to Grants of legal assistance – guide and application form or Telephone declaration record at Invoices, forms and worksheets.
- Ensure all counsel payments are paid directly to counsel in ATLAS. Go to Payments to barristers at ATLAS user guides.
- Retain on file copies of documents relating to and substantiating disbursements paid by VLA, including expert reports, non-attendance fees, service fees and interpreter fees.
- Be responsible for certifying to VLA the existence of documentary proof of means and documentary proof of matter and that it substantiates the information provided to VLA, including:
- comparing the information contained in the documentary proof of means with the information provided by the client on the application form
- satisfying yourself that the documentary proof of means substantiates the information provided on the application form. Go to Proof of means worksheet at Invoices, forms and worksheets
- Before finalising a matter in ATLAS, ensure that all necessary steps have been taken, including (where appropriate):
- ensuring all the required steps to obtain costs certificates or orders have been taken and ensure each costs order or certificate is uploaded into ATLAS. Go to Costs indemnified or appeals costs certificates at ATLAS user guides
- all claims and a file outcome are submitted to close the file in ATLAS within 30 days of the matter being legally finalised or the grant of legal assistance being terminated. Go to Submitting a file outcome in ATLAS at ATLAS user guides.
More information
If you have questions about our quality audits or practice standards, please email qualityaudits@vla.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9606 5364.
If you have questions about our compliance checks or compliance terms and conditions, please email compliance@vla.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9606 5364.
For further information about your obligations in relation to quality monitoring, go to 'Schedule 3: Quality monitoring' at Panels conditions.
Updated