This page provides step by step instructions on how to use the All-of-Government (AoG) external legal services contract. You may also find additional resources on this page.
Agency requirements are varied and can include:
You need to decide what your requirement is, and which area of law it falls into to help you shortlist providers. Your requirement will generally be for a single activity that falls clearly into one area of law, but if not you'll need to decide which area is most relevant to your needs.
Providers work in a variety of ways, depending on your agency’s needs and objectives. We suggest balancing the complexity of the provider selection process against the size and risk level of your requirement.
Agencies should always aim to get the best value-for-money. Depending on your needs, there are two selection processes to choose from.
In some instances it may be most appropriate to approach a single provider, for example:
In certain circumstances, you can purchase legal services from a provider who is not on the panel. To do this, you must be able to show that there's no suitable panel provider available. For example:
If you want to engage an off-panel provider, make sure you:
Agencies participating in the ELS contract must provide an annual, off-panel expenditure report. This will help ensure that your agency can report any off-panel engagement.
Providers must provide a quote or fixed fee estimate for any matter worth more than $5,000 (excluding GST). They should have enough experience in pricing and delivering services to be able to give you a cost estimate.
There are various pricing options available under the contract, including:
When you've selected a provider from the panel, document your decision in line with your agency's internal requirements using a Legal Services Order (LSO). Check that the supplier is available to undertake the work and has no conflict of interest. The LSO must be completed and signed by both parties to confirm the arrangement and requirements. A template can be found in the contract documents section after logging in.
Check your agency's policies to see if these documents need to be stored internally for audit purposes. Email us if you have any questions around using the LSO.
Your provider is required to send you a survey to complete within 10 days of the engagement being completed. It is important that you complete this so that we can continue to monitor the performance of the panel. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
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