Solicitor - Grade IV – Child Support Service at Family Law - Ongoing

Family Law (Legal)
Government - State (Government & Defence)

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas criminal law, family law and every day civil law legal issues. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices.

About the role

In this role you will provide senior management and leadership in the provision of family law services to socially and economically disadvantaged people in accordance with the Legal Aid NSW Plan and the Family Law Division Business Plan. This includes directly providing legal services to clients of Legal Aid NSW, including in more complex matters.

This is a specialist role in Legal Aid NSW’s statewide Child Support Service. See here for more information about what we do.

About you

The successful applicant will be a solicitor with family law litigation experience and/or detailed knowledge of the Australian child support scheme. You will be comfortable providing advice, minor assistance and casework services to clients from a wide variety of backgrounds; appearing in court and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; communicating with staff in government departments and supervising and mentoring staff in a legal environment to provide professional, efficient and effective legal services. The successful applicant will also contribute to and deliver community legal education, law reform and professional development activities about the Australian child support scheme.

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW

We are committed to diversity and inclusion

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard. 

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities. 

We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need an adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you’d like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at erecruitment@legalaid.nsw.gov.au .

Other benefits of working with us

• You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities.
• We are an accredited Flex Ready certified employer and are recognised as leaders in the area of flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life.

The essential requirements for this role

You must:

• be admitted or be eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW
• be able to provide a current NSW Practising Certificate before you start work with us
• be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and Working with Children Check
• hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies)
• have a valid Driver Licence and some roles may require the ability for remote travel.

The Family Law Division have a number of roles where it is a statutory obligation for staff to hold a valid Working With Children Check. You will be required to provide your Working With Children Check details prior to commencement in any role requiring the check.

How to apply

You MUST submit your application online through iworkfor.nsw.gov.au . If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted. 

Your application must include:

• your resume (no more than 5 pages)
• cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please address the following questions:
• The Australian Child Support scheme is administered by Services Australia, and most people rarely need to go to court about their child support cases. When do you believe it is important for people to get legal advice about their child support obligations and entitlements?
   
• Describe a situation where you were able to assist a vulnerable person to understand a complex legal problem and what they could do to resolve it. What were the challenges and how did you address them?

Please save your CV and Cover Letter as 'LAST NAME, First name - CV/Cover Letter' in PDF or word format.

Make sure your application is complete and you have answered all questions before you submit it.

Do you need help to apply?

It’s important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you: 

• If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have.
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the role description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate. 

Legal Aid NSW is a state-wide organisation providing legal services to socially and economically disadvantaged people across NSW. We deliver legal services in most areas of criminal, family and civil law. Our services are provided through our Central Sydney office and 21 regional offices. Legal Aid NSW employs approximately 900 staff. Legal Aid NSW delivers legal services in partnership with the private legal profession through grants of legal aid. In 2011-12 private lawyers represented 42.5% of legal aid clients. We work closely with our partners including LawAccess NSW, Community Legal Centres and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service NSW/ACT. The long-term strategic direction of Legal Aid NSW is overseen by a Board, appointed by the Attorney General. The day-to-day management is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer, assisted by a Senior Executive. Legal Aid NSW was established in 1979, when it was known as the Legal Services Commission, before becoming the Legal Aid Commission of NSW in 1987. The Legal Aid Commission was renamed Legal Aid NSW in 2006. More information about our history can be found on this page.

Legal Aid NSW is a state-wide organisation providing legal services to socially and economically disadvantaged people across NSW. We deliver legal services in most areas of criminal, family and civil law. Our services are provided through our Central Sydney office and 21 regional offices. Legal Aid NSW employs approximately 900 staff. Legal Aid NSW delivers legal services in partnership with the private legal profession through grants of legal aid. In 2011-12 private lawyers represented 42.5% of legal aid clients. We work closely with our partners including LawAccess NSW, Community Legal Centres and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service NSW/ACT. The long-term strategic direction of Legal Aid NSW is overseen by a Board, appointed by the Attorney General. The day-to-day management is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer, assisted by a Senior Executive. Legal Aid NSW was established in 1979, when it was known as the Legal Services Commission, before becoming the Legal Aid Commission of NSW in 1987. The Legal Aid Commission was renamed Legal Aid NSW in 2006. More information about our history can be found on this page.

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