Case Studies
The casework service provides ongoing assistance to a smaller number of consumers than does our advice service.
Typically, a casework matter will involve obtaining sufficient details from the client, seeking and reviewing the contracts and documents involved, undertaking legal research, advising clients of rights and options and negotiating with credit providers, debt collectors and financial institutions. In some cases CCLSWA will be involved in issuing or defending legal proceedings or using a private dispute resolution scheme.
Our casework service also gathers valuable information on industry policies and practices and the law that will be relevant for other caseworkers. We disseminate the information widely to other consumer advocates and caseworkers, including financial counsellors through our newsletter.
Our resources are limited and it is not possible for the casework service to take on every matter that is referred to it. We have a number of criteria to enable us to decide whether to act in a matter. The criteria include: low income or disadvantaged client, merit, banking, credit or financial services matter, availability of other sources of assistance, no conflict of interest and resource capacity.
Casework Areas
Traditionally our casework has always focused on the areas of consumer credit, banking and related financial services for consumers in Western Australia. We also aim to identify particular casework issues that have a strategic importance beyond the impact on a particular client. Our casework service informs our policy and law reform work and helps define the topics we undertake in our community legal education, and using casework strategically can increase the broader impact of our work. In addition, it is extremely difficult to even begin to meet the demand for our casework service, and it is therefore important that the matters that we can run have, wherever possible, a broader impact on consumers generally.
The case studies that follow highlight some of the trends and issues that have emerged as well as the matters that have been the bread and butter of the casework service and illustrate the ways in which we can assist clients to obtain redress.
