DEFPL019 - Provide support in legal assistance matters

DEFPL019
Provide support in legal assistance matters

This unit covers the competency required to analyse information and prepare documents in legal assistance matters.This unit includes researching case histories and assisting the legal officer to prepare for legal assistance matters. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication. In a Defence context, this means that there is no civilian need to hold this unit in order to meet licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements.

Application

This unit applies to individuals who provide administrative, document and research assistance services to support legal practitioners in legal assistance matters, under supervision.

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1. Plan and prepare for the provision of support in legal assistance	1.1 Instructions that require the provision of support in legal assistance are received and acted upon. 1.2 Circumstances are analysed and legal assistance issues are interpreted and clearly defined.
2. Prepare and process documents involved in legal assistance matters	2.1 Documents are identified, prepared and processed in accordance with legal practices and procedures. 2.2 Incoming documents are checked for completeness and timely delivery, and sender is contacted where insufficient information is provided or deadlines are not honoured. 2.3 Requests for information are reviewed with legal officer and identified documents are retrieved, copied and despatched in accordance with legal practices and procedures.
3. Perform research to support legal officer	3.1 Files are reviewed and research requirements are determined in conjunction with legal officer. 3.2 Precedents and case law are retrieved, researched and reviewed, and summaries are made where appropriate and forwarded to legal officer and explanations are presented where necessary.
4. Assist legal officer to prepare for legal assistance matter	4.1 Where appropriate, different legal assistance matters are identified. 4.2 Communications from client, police and other authorities, and details of client’s status are communicated to legal officer. 4.3 File is discussed with legal officer and work is planned . 4.4 Availability of legal officers is canvassed and details are forwarded to legal officer to facilitate engagement.

Required Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Required Skills

communicate ideas and conclusions logically

conduct research

follow legal procedures

follow written and oral instructions with regards to preparation of documents

identify and evaluate status of information

use appropriate legal terminology

Required Knowledge

applicable legal practices and procedures required in the full range of tasks covered

applicable policies on legal assistance

relevant legal process, legislation and sections, and stages involved in the legal process

relevant legal terminology

relationships between different legal assistance matters

Evidence Required

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

analyse information

prepare documents in legal assistance matters

The candidate must at all times comply with legislative requirements, policy and standards, and demonstrate an awareness of access, equity and diversity principles and practices.

Consistency in performance

Competency should be demonstrated in a range of actual or simulated workplace contexts.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Context of assessment

Competency should be assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace environment.

Specific resources for assessment

Access is required to appropriate documentation and resources normally found in the work environment.

Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.
Instructions may include:	documentary material, exhibits and evidence oral or written correspondence, including from the command structure, commanding officer or an individual records of advice summary of matter
Legal assistance may include:	administration matters civil debt civil police charges conveyancing discipline matters family law insurance international law matters landlord and tenancy matters minor commercial matters power of attorney probate vehicle accidents wills
Documents may include:	command generated administrative sanctions international agreements and arrangements letters of referral power of attorney wills
Legal practices and procedures may include:	engaging/referral to experts extent of legal assistance available practice notes protocol for accommodating specific client needs such as case manager, social worker, parole officer protocol for contacting clients such as translator, interpreter recording information security/confidentiality/privacy procedures verifying and authorising information

Sectors

Not applicable.

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.

Licensing Information

Not applicable.