Search Grants & Funding

If you do not qualify for legal aid from a legal aid commission and cannot pay for your legal costs, you may be able to get help through a Commonwealth legal financial assistance scheme.

Help can be provided for the payment of costs for certificates issued by federal courts under the Federal Proceedings (Costs) Act 1981.

Some schemes provide legal representation costs and disbursements. Some schemes are limited to disbursements only. Disbursements are costs your legal representative incurs while acting for you such as obtaining reports, court transcripts and expert opinions.

They will not usually provide legal financial assistance:

• if you can meet your legal costs without incurring serious financial difficulty
• for costs incurred before you apply, unless the scheme allows for reimbursement.

The International Child Abduction Respondents Scheme (ICARS) may provide funding to an individual who is responding to a 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction application seeking the return of a child under the Family Law (Child Abduction Convention) Regulations 1986 (the Regulations) in an Australian court.

You may be eligible for ICARS if you are:

• defending or proposing to defend an application filed in an Australian court under the Regulations seeking a return order for a child (or children)
• appealing or proposing to appeal a return order made by an Australian court under the Regulations
• responding to or proposing to respond to an appeal against a non-return decision made by an Australian court under the Regulations.

ICARS applications can be made for proceedings filed under the Regulations on or after 1 January 2024.