Position Paper - Addressing the legal needs of the missing middle
30 November 2021
Effective access to justice often depends upon the assistance of a legal adviser or representative. While some people may have the ability to navigate the justice system effectively without a lawyer, many require intensive legal assistance due to their personal circumstances, a lack of understanding of the legal issue involved in the problem or legal remedy available the seriousness or complexity of the legal issue, or a combination of these.
The group of individuals who do not meet eligibility criteria for publicly funded legal services yet lack the resources to afford a private lawyer’s assistance for all or part of their legal matter, make up the ‘missing middle’. Particular sectors of the community may be more likely to fall within the missing middle. These include older persons, people living in rural, regional and remote (RRR) areas, and a range of other groups, including:
- people with disability;
- people with health or mental health issues;
- women;
- single parents;
- children and young people;
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex + people;
- people experiencing family violence;
- part time, casual and temporary workers;
- small-business owners;
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds; and
- migrants.
Last Updated on 10/10/2023