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Procedure for Referral
You will be required to complette an application form. If your matter is assessed as being within the guidelines, the PILCH staff will invite its members to take up the case. A letter of referral is prepared for the lawyer who agrees to take up the matter, setting out the legal and factual issues. In assessing the matter and preparing the referral letter, the PILCH staff may need to interview you and conduct some preliminary legal research.
We may then arrange an appointment between you and the lawyer who has agreed to take on your case. A solicitor from PILCH will sometimes attend that meeting to help you to clarify the work that the lawyer will agree to do for you, what fees will be charged (if any) and who will cover costs other than the legal fees, such as court fees. You will normally be expected to pay expenses other than the lawyer's professional fees. You can discuss these issues with the PILCH staff and your solicitor at the first meeting.
After the first meeting with the lawyer, you become one of their ordinary clients except that you are not paying the usual fees. However, the law firm or corporation may reserve the right to charge you in certain circumstances. PILCH is no longer involved, except to periodically monitor progress of the service provided to you by the lawyer.
Confidentiality
All information in documents and discussions with PILCH will remain confidential. No detailed information is passed onto participating lawyers unless they have agreed to act for you and have conducted checks for a conflict of interest. PILCH may discuss your case generally in its newsletter or in press releases about the case but in a way the preserves your confidentiality. If you have any objection or concerns about this, please mention it to PILCH staff.
Assessment
The assessment of applications is the responsibility of the PILCH Co-Executive Directors. If a referring organisation or individual disagrees with an assessment by the PILCH Co-Executive Directors, an appeal can be made in writing to the President of PILCH. The President will present the appeal to a meeting of the PILCH Board which meets every six weeks.
Complaints
If you have a complaint about the service provided by the lawyer you are referred to, please contact the PILCH Co-Executive Directors immediately. We have a contact person at every member firm who will liase with you to address any delays or other reasons for complaint.
If you have a complaint about the service provided by PILCH staff, you should speak to the PILCH Co-Executive Directors and make sure they are aware of your complaint. If you remain unsatisfied with their response, you should put your complaint in writing to the President, Public Interest Law Clearing House (Vic) Inc.
You can also make complaints about the quality of service provided by any lawyer to the Legal Ombudsman.
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