What Is The National Redress Scheme?
The National Redress Scheme, or NRS, is in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission was an inquiry into Australia’s institutions, and in carrying out this task, the inquiry was directed to focus on systemic issues, be informed by an understanding of individual cases, and to make findings and recommendations to better protect children against sexual abuse. The Royal Commission did this by conducting public hearings, private sessions, and a policy and research program. One of the recommendations was to implement a redress scheme available to survivors of child abuse.
The scheme provides survivors with monetary compensation, a direct personal response to their abuse (which may include an apology or acknowledgement of the abuse), and access to psychological support. The level of compensation awarded to the survivor is determined by an independent assessor.
The NRS was designed to be less onerous for survivors, when compared with what is required of the survivor in advancing a civil or common claim for compensation against a responsible institution and/or perpetrator. Compensation is capped at $150,000 for each survivor. It is important you understand your common law rights, including your potential eligibility under the NRS. We can help survivors to determine which option is most suited to them.
Applications can be made any time before 30 June 2027 however we encourage survivors to seek legal advice prior to making an application.
How Littles Lawyers Support National Redress Scheme Claims
- Gathering evidence to advise which option may be best for the survivor
- Providing advice on the legal process
- Explaining reports or the implications and terms of accepting an offer of redress under the National Redress Scheme
If you or someone you know has experienced child sexual abuse, you must seek help and support. Assistance can come in many forms, including from a lawyer, a support service or advocacy group, or the relevant state or territory authorities. We recommend seeking legal advice from an abuse lawyer with experience in advancing common law claims for compensation and who can provide you advice regarding the current National Redress Scheme as soon as you can.
A lawyer can help you or a loved one to navigate the complex legal claims process and advise you on eligibility for the National Redress Scheme and your prospects of success in advancing a common law claim for compensation against a responsible institution. Crucially, they can also advise you on whether applying to the National Redress Scheme is appropriate for your case also depending on what outcome the survivor prefers. It’s important to consult a lawyer before accepting an offer of redress, as accepting an offer of redress can prevent you from exercising your common law right to pursue a claim for compensation against a responsible institution.
Contact us today to book a free initial consultation. Our NDS lawyers will simplify the legal process for you and offer you clear and practical legal advice, improving your chances of obtaining justice and achieving compensation.
You’ve probably seen a lot of lawyers use the term ‘No Win, No Fee’. Long story short: you only pay us when you achieve a successful outcome. So if you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid.
Let’s break it down.
- We start by reviewing your claim in detail and give you a clear assessment of your prospects for success. We’re experts in compensation law, so we can give you an accurate assessment of your claim.
- Once we’ve established that you should pursue your claim, you can tell us if you want us to proceed as your legal representatives. To formally appoint us as your legal representative, you will enter into a ‘Conditional Costs Agreement’ with us. This is a legal contract that sets out the likely costs of running your claim based on our fees, as well as the rights and responsibilities of you as the client and us as your legal representatives.
- We’ll explain it clearly and thoroughly, with as little legal speak as possible – we promise you’ll understand it completely.
- Importantly, this agreement will set out the ‘No Win, No Fee’ arrangement in black and white. This specifies that you will not pay us anything if your claim is not successful. Our ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreement also covers you for disbursements, or outlays. These are expenses that we may need to pay to progress your claim, including medical reports, expert witness fees and barristers’ fees.
- In certain circumstances, you may be required to pay the other party’s legal costs if you are unsuccessful.
- Remember, your success rests on you providing us with an honest, comprehensive account of all matters relevant to your claim.
Yes! At Littles, we have lawyers for everyone. Like Australia, we are diverse and proud of it. We believe that everyone deserves high-quality legal representation.
We offer our services in more than sixteen different languages, including:
- Korean
- Japanese
- Cantonese
- Mandarin
- Vietnamese
- French
- Czech
- Slovak
- Indonesian
- Farsi
- Nepali
- Filipino
- Sinhala
- Arabic
Yes, we offer our services Australia-wide, ensuring access to expert legal advice no matter where you’re located.
Absolutely. We pride ourselves on providing full transparency regarding costs, with fixed rates available for some types of claims.
